By Blake Jackson
After a life-changing car accident left Carey Portell with partial disabilities and ongoing chronic pain, she believed her future in farming had come to an end.
However, support from the University of Missouri Extension’s Missouri AgrAbility program helped her regain confidence and continue working on her farm.
Missouri AgrAbility provides free, customized assistance to farmers and agricultural workers living with disabilities or chronic health conditions.
The program offers recommendations for adaptive equipment, practical education, and continued guidance to help participants remain independent, productive, and engaged in agriculture. By supporting farmers, the initiative also strengthens rural communities and preserves family farming operations across Missouri.
"AgrAbility really helped me because they came to my farm and gave me the hands-on help and showed me the process of how I can continue farming as a partially disabled woman," Portell said. "AgrAbility has been a godsend."
Missouri AgrAbility is part of the nationwide AgrAbility network, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The program is supported through partnerships with the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension’s Innovative Small Farmers’ Outreach Program, and the Brain Injury Association of Missouri.
Portell is among many Missouri farmers whose lives have been positively impacted through the program.
For more information, visit https://www.agrability.org/.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-hirurg
Categories: Missouri, General