Maine AgrAbility helps people garden (practically) forever

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Gardening is a wonderful way for people to get outside and enjoy physical activity. It is one of the most popular hobbies in the U.S. As the saying goes, “Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes!” Everyone should have the opportunity to grow something, regardless of age, injury, pain, or other limitations. With adaptations that respect gardeners’ abilities, gardening can be a lifetime activity.

As we age, many of us experience injuries and conditions like arthritis that limit our ability to garden as enthusiastically as we once did. Some of us were born with challenges. Enter AgrAbility, a nationwide organization sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and dedicated to “cultivating accessible agriculture.” Universal design, the idea that environments and products should be made as usable as possible for everyone regardless of age, ability or circumstance, informs AgrAbility’s work. AgrAbility has programs in 21 states and relies on regional partnerships to reach agricultural workers as well as hobbyists. Maine AgrAbility is a collaboration between UMaine Cooperative Extension, Alpha One Independent Living Center and Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. Maine AgrAbility has programs to help workers in our fisheries and forests as well as farms and gardens.

Ellen Gibson from Maine AgrAbility recently presented “Gardening Forever” to Piscataquis master gardener volunteers. She discussed scaling gardens to the gardeners’ ability care for it, using tools properly and/or adapting them to reduce strain, stretching muscles to minimize injury and finding helpful gadgets to make gardening easier. We were reminded to take common-sense precautions: drink plenty of water, protect skin and eyes from sun damage and take rest breaks.

One easy and inexpensive DIY project is to make cushions for bucket handles with a piece of pre-slit pipe insulation and duct tape. This makes the handle more ergonomic and reduces strain. Cushioned handles help, but it is important for gardeners to remember not to overload the buckets. Whenever possible, the load should be divided evenly between two buckets and carried on either side of the body. Adapting behaviors and habits is often more difficult than adapting tools!

You can find an assortment of AgrAbility booklets at the UMaine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County office on East Main Street. More information (including contact information for AgrAbility presentations) can be found online at umaine.edu/agrability. National AgrAbility Project hosts a “Toolbox,” a searchable database of assistive solutions at agrability.org/toolbox. With the right strategies and tools, you can enjoy gardening (practically) forever!

Contributed photo
​Ellen Gibson of Maine AgrAbility