Missouri’s AgrAbility Project

AgrAbilityAgrAbility was created to assist people with disabilities who work in agriculture. The project was designed to provide practical education and assistance promoting independence in agricultural production and rural living.

Those eligible for services may have any type of disability – physical, cognitive, or illness-related, for example:

  • amputation
  • arthritis
  • back injury
  • blindness or vision impairment
  • cancer
  • cardiac problem
  • cerebral palsy
  • cognitive impairment
  • deafness or hearing impairment
  • diabetes
  • mental illness
  • multiple sclerosis
  • muscular dystrophy
  • post-polio syndrome
  • respiratory problem
  • spinal cord injury
  • stroke
  • traumatic brain injury

PHARM® Dog

The PHARM® (Pets Helping Agriculture in Rural Missouri) Dog project is the brain child of MERIL’s AgrAbility Rural Outreach Specialist, Jackie Allenbrand. When she joined the MO AgrAbility Team in 2005, she was already thinking about how she could help make life easier for farmers with disabilities. Service dogs can be trained to do a variety of things. In the case of a farmer, helpful tasks include: retrieving tools, standing and bracing if a farmer has arthritis and needs help getting up, opening a latch gate system, herding and going for help when needed. Once the project has been tested and proven, it will hopefully be incorporated as a national AgrAbility Program.

If you’re interested in learning more about the AgrAbility program the PHARM® Dog project or any other MERIL programs, please call:

St. Joseph Office
816.279.8558
Toll free: 800.MERIL4U
(800.637.4548)

Maryville Office
Toll free: 800.MERIL4U
(800.637.4548)

As a partner of the Missouri AgrAbility Project, a video has been produced and can be accessed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2aB5ES0kto

Collaborative Partners: