AgrAbility makes its way to the Farm and Ranch Museum

New Mexico State University is hosting a AgrAbility training workshop for disabled farmers and ranchers from March 24 through March 27. Connected to that, the Farm and Ranch Museum is hosting an AgrAbility exhibit until 2027.

Julie LaJeunesse, New Mexico AgrAbility program manager, said the event was curated around helping the disabled farming community.

“The New Mexico AgrAbility team is eager to help anybody with disabilities but curious to see how assistive technologies may be helpful to a maybe different but determinant return to farming,” said Julie LaJeunesse, New Mexico AgrAbility program manager. 

Who benefits, and how?

Tiffany Sanchez, who was bucked from a horse and sustained a spinal cord injury, will be a keynote speaker at the event. Sanchez raises horses and livestock with her family. She is also a New Mexico AgrAbility client.

Professor and Extension dairy specialist at NMSU Agricultural Science Center Robert Hagevoort said attendees will learn about current day technologies that can make work easier for disabled ranchers and farmers.

“AgrAbility is a way of helping people get either back into agriculture or get into agriculture. So, we don’t have the resources to provide these technologies, but we can do an assessment of what might be needed. Then a person like that can go to an organization that does have the funding,” Hagevoort said.

He added that this program bridges the gap between technology and agricultural growth.

“For example, drone technology, you can fly out a drone by checking on the cattle to see if they are alright or if the crops are alright, so you don’t have to drive out there yourself. A lot of these modern technologies that we have now can be considered assistive technologies to those with disabilities to be able to monitor their work from where they are at home,” Hagevoort said.

The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service partnered with New Mexico Technology Assistance Program, Mandy’s Farm and the University of New Mexico-Occupational Therapy Graduate Program for this project.

Event details:

This four-day event will include networking, special events and tours of Pistachioland and the NMSU Pepper Chili Institute.

• Monday, March 24, the event will be held at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, found at 705 South Telshor Blvd. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 26 the event will be held at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum found at 4100 Dripping Springs Road from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, March 27 the event will host three “post-conference tours” that are each optional. The tours include the Santa Teresa Cattle Border Crossing with a $75 fee, White Sands National Park with a $85 fee and the NMSU Chili Pepper Institute with a $75 fee. Each tour takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and lunch is included with the tours.

For more information, visit www.agrability.org, call 1-855-247-2253 or email nmagrability@gmail.com.