Young farmer with prosthetic leg picking tomato in greenhouse

Alpha One can provide worksite assessments within logging, fishing, and farming.

Maine AgrAbility

Addressing health, safety, and the prevention of injuries across the state of Maine — on the farm, on the water, and in the forest.

Maine AgrAbility Brochure - Farming for a LifetimeAbout Maine AgrAbility

The Maine AgrAbility project is dedicated to helping farmers, fishermen, and forest workers work safely and more productively

  • Maine AgrAbility is designed to assist owners, operators, managers, employees, and family members of farm, fishing or forestry businesses.
  • We offer education for agricultural workers whose lifestyle and business have been impacted by a disability
  • We provide training and education to health care providers, agricultural professionals, emergency response agencies, and other community groups about agricultural workers with disabilities.

Services are provided at no charge.

Maine AgrAbility programming is funded through a grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. We network with many existing resources and help provide connections for agricultural workers and their families. The goal of the AgrAbility Program is to inform, educate, and assist farmers, fishermen and forest workers, and their families with disabilities, so they can continue to have successful careers in agriculture.

Maine AgrAbility addresses a wide variety of disabling conditions, including, but not limited to, arthritis, spinal cord injuries/paralysis, back impairments, amputations, brain injury, visual impairments, hearing impairments, disabling diseases, cerebral palsy, respiratory impairments, and head injury.

Maine AgrAbility is a non-profit collaboration of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Alpha One. Maine AgrAbility is part of a nationwide network of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs begun through the 1990 Farm Bill (Grant # 2018-41590-28715). More about the National AgrAbility Project.

What is Alpha One’s role in AgrAbility?

Alpha One staff bring an understanding of disability and function, knowledge of adaptive equipment, funding options, and farming experience. The Maine AgrAbility project staff have a wide range of expertise and resource connections. We work together as a team to find the best available solutions for each individual situation.  Learn more about how AgrAbility can assist you.

Request Maine AgrAbility Assistance
If you know an owner, operator, manager, employees and family members farm, fishing or forestry business in Maine with a disability who might benefit from this outreach project, please encourage them to request assistance. You can request assistance in a number of ways, including calling the AgrAbility Coordinator at 1.207.944.1533 or toll free (in-state) 1.800.287.1478 or e-mailing Maine.Agrability@maine.edu.

Click here for more information on Maine AgrAbility.