Supporting the Family Farmer

Rural and Agricultural VocRehab (RAVR), has more then 40 years of collaboration between the University of Vermont Extension and VocRehab Vermont. This innovative program was the first of its kind in the nation to offer VR services specifically to farmers and rural families living and working with disabilities. RAVR has provided professional evaluation, counseling, and assistance to hundreds of farmers and rural Vermonters, and is working with Vermont AgrAbility and Vermont Farm Health Task Force to promote a sustainable and healthy farm workforce.

The farming community is often reticent to seek human services and is well known for being independent and proudly self-relient. RAVR counselors - with their agricultural backgrounds and VR expertise - can successfully enter into that community and offer solutions attuned to farmers' needs. This could range from the simple - a step extension to make getting on and off a tractor easier, or an Airstream helmet to keep farm barn dust out of a farmer's lungs - to a complex and long-term solution, involving both physical and mental therapies, equipment modificaiton, and perhaps job training to a new field.

Members of rural and farm families with disabilities are eligible for evaluation, counseling and job placement through this program. Our counselors are experienced with all kinds of agriculture, including dairy farming, logging, landscaping, market gardening, agribusiness, aquaculture, and other types of work, including self-employment.

Services

• Assistance in coping with disabilities.
• Vocational evaluation and counseling.
• Education and training.
• Job placement.
• Machinery/equipment adaptation.
• Work site/home site modifications.
• Financial counseling.
• Farm and land use issues.
• Share for farm labor while recovering from injuries.

For more information, call 866-VRWORKS (866-879-6757) or click here.