UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Apple City Chapter of FFA in Adams County recently won first prize in the 2003 "Bridging Horizons" contest sponsored by AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians and the Agway Foundation. The chapter is based at Biglerville High School.

The contest is open to all Pennsylvania FFA chapters. Its purpose is to provide a community service project to the chapters that allows youths to use their problem-solving skills to benefit a community or farm family member. Contestants must identify a problem related to a disability or faced by a local farm family, then create and implement a solution. The top prize-winning entry is awarded $500; future contests will award second and third-place prizes.

Contributors to the winning entry were: Carl Wilkinson, Jessie Russell, Liz Merryman, Meagan Cole, Thad Roth, Adam Little and Darla Beers. Chapter advisor Scott Howell supervised the team's entry in the contest.

AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians provides information and service to farmers and farm family members affected by disability to enable them to remain in production agriculture. Under the umbrella of the National AgrAbility Project, the program combines the talents of Penn State Cooperative Extension and Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This contest is a unique opportunity for students to use their skills and problem-solving techniques to help by identifying low-cost solutions to barriers folks are facing on their farm, in their agribusiness or in their community," says Linda Fetzer, AgrAbility outreach coordinator.

"The winning project was based on a need experienced by a member's grandfather, who was injured in a brush hog incident, resulting in a double leg amputation," she says. "His injury created difficulties accessing their home and using the outside picnic table.

"The Apple City FFA Chapter designed an accessible picnic table and ramp. Chapter members solicited about $500 and supplies from local businesses to cover modification costs. This is a wonderful example of a chapter that used community resources, local expertise, and teamwork to solve a problem."

For more information on AgrAbility or the Bridging Horizons contest, write to Fetzer at 323 Agricultural Administration Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802, call 814-863-7868 or send e-mail to lmf8@psu.edu.

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EDITORS: Contact Linda Fetzer at 814-863-7868 or via e-mail at lmf8@psu.edu.

Contact:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-863-9877 fax #226