Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities
and Their Families
| Summer 2007 , Vol. 7, No. 4 |
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Client Story: Gerald Anderson
Polio: Lasting Effects
In 1944, when the Polio epidemic was still sweeping across the nation, it found two-year-old Gerald Anderson. As a result of the viral infection Gerald had to learn to adapt to a slightly underdeveloped left arm. Yet, as he grew up on his family’s sheep farm in central Utah, his weakened left arm did not slow him down. He was actively involved in the farming operations at home, in addition to playing a variety of sports. Gerald became a member of the FFA in high school, and it was here that his first personal agriculture endeavors blossomed. Gerald became interested in raising cattle, particularly the Belted Galloway, one of the oldest recorded cattle breeds. After college, Gerald pursued this niche cattle market while also teaching the construction trade for thirty-eight years at the local high school.
Gerald and Joy Anderson on their farm in Price, Utah.
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Now retired from teaching, he and his wife, Joy, run a fifty-head cow/calf operation on fifty-five acres of leased land in Price, Utah. They market their heifers and calves through the National Galloway Association and sell surplus calves at the Producers Livestock Marketing Association’s cattle auctions. They are now selling about thirty calves per year and have a waiting list of private producers looking for Belted Galloway heifers. The cattle are on mountain pasture from the 1st of June until mid-October of every year. In the winter they are brought in and fed the thirty-five acres of alfalfa produced on the farm. Their passion for the Belted Galloway led Gerald and Joy to Scotland in 2004, where the breed originated in the 16th century.1 There they met the president of the Galloway Association of Great Britain and learned more about the breed. Together Joy and Gerald have managed their livestock operation for more than twenty years and have no plans of stopping.
Simple ‘Steps’
Gerald and Joy’s four children have grown and pursued other endeavors, making Gerald the sole operator of the farm. Now, at sixty-five years old, Gerald finds some farm tasks just not as easy as they used to be. His strength and endurance have been flagging. About ten years ago, in addition to more common issues related to aging, Gerald began experiencing symptoms of Post-Polio Syndrome. He now has only fifty percent use of his left arm and continues to lose strength in his legs. As he had done his whole life, Gerald learned to adapt. Gerald’s methods of adapting, however, were becoming a safety hazard. Because his legs and arms had become too weak to mount and dismount his tractor in a conventional way, he was climbing over the rear three-point hitch to mount his tractor; setting himself up for a possible injury.
Gerald, a long-time member of the Utah Farm Bureau, met John Mussler of Utah AgrAbility at a Farm Bureau state convention in 2002. John and Gerald began discussing safety issues, and John agreed to visit the farm and take a look at the tractor Gerald was using. After taking pictures and measurements of Gerald’s Massey Ferguson tractor, John took them to Utah State University where steps were designed for the tractor. John returned to the farm later and installed the steps, which allow Gerald to mount and dismount his tractor much more easily and safely. Gerald’s wife, Joy, is grateful for the peace of mind this simple and safer accommodation has given her. Gerald realizes that as the Post-Polio Syndrome progresses, his legs will continue to weaken and his mobility on the farm may become an issue; but Gerald is ready to meet these challenges head on, as he always has. AgrAbility of Utah is currently working on new ways to reduce some of the physical discomfort Gerald experiences through further modifications to his tractor. A cab or canopy may help with Gerald’s temperature sensitivities and improve safety, and a tractor-mounted implement to pick hay bales off the ground requires less physical exertion than grabbing the bales by hand. In the meantime, using equipment like his Powder River cattle chutes preserves his strength and energy when vaccinating and branding cattle, and the extra tractor step allows him greater safety when working with his tractor.
Spreading the AgrAbility Message
Gerald met Luke Peterson, AgrAbility of Utah, in January of 2007, and has since become a great advocate of the project and a vital member of the AgrAbility of Utah Advisory Board. He often serves as a source of referrals and provides invaluable peer support to other farmers in similar situations. In addition, he introduces AgrAbility to farmers through his position on the Farm Bureau Board of Directors and recently made a presentation about AgrAbility at the Board’s annual banquet. Gerald understands the importance of safety, particularly for farmers who are trying to maintain their productivity as they age. He finds that sometimes people think they are the only one with a problem. Gerald believes that just sitting down and talking to other farmers over a cup of coffee can provide effective support and goes a long way in spreading the AgrAbility message.
In Gerald Anderson, the AgrAbility project has found a true champion. When talking about AgrAbility of Utah, Gerald practically glows: “The compassion that [the staff] shows to the farmers of Utah is truly amazing…they are doing wonderful work.”
Focus – Post-Polio Syndrome
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