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Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities and Their Families

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Winter 2006, Vol. 6, No. 2

Table of Contents at bottom PDF Version

Client Story: David Hofstetter
AgrAbility Keeps a Missouri Farmer’s Passion Alive

For thirty one years, David Hofstetter has been a farmer in central Missouri. He grew up in a farming family and started raising hogs as a 4-H project. His 4-H experiences influenced his decision to start a hog operation of his own. In 1978 he and his wife, Cheri, bought a 432-acre farm to begin their hog operation.

David started out as an independent farrow-to-finish hog farmer. In 1992 he changed to a farrow-to-wean operation in order to remain competitive within the hog market. Today, the diverse, family-run business has 500 sows, fifty cattle, and sixty acres of cropland. David manages the operation with the help of his wife and sons - Jeremy, Seth, and Scott.

In 1998, David noticed stiffness in his legs. Initially he thought it was arthritis, but then he began to stumble more often walking over rocks and through tall grass. David also had difficulty mounting and dismounting his tractors, which caused him to fatigue easily.

During the fall of 2000, David’s doctor referred him to a neurologist where he was initially diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Four years later and after several additional consultations, David’s diagnosis changed to Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS). Similar to ALS, PLS is a rare, neuromuscular disorder that affects the motor neurons in voluntary muscles. While PLS is painless, it results in progressive weakness and stiffness of muscles, typically in the legs, hands, and face. Unlike ALS, PLS is not life threatening and usually affects only the limbs and speech.

David experienced muscle stiffness and tension to the point where it was difficult to walk without assistance, significantly affecting his farm work. “The most challenging part of PLS is dealing with not being able to perform tasks like before… and having to ask for help,” David said. While David looked for assistance to continue farming, Jeremy returned home from college to help by farming full-time. In the spring of 2005, Seth moved from Kansas City where he was a stonemason to work on the farm full-time.

While David served on his county-level Extension Council, he met the county farm management specialist who worked with the Missouri AgrAbility Project (MAP). The specialist recommended he contact MAP for assistance. By late 2001, David met with Brad Marsh, the AgrAbility coordinator at Services for Independent Living.

David was still walking when Brad first visited him. Given his prognosis, mobility was going to be the primary and evolving issue for David. Onsite assessments were performed at his farm and home. Through the Assistive Technology loan closet from Services for Independent Living, Brad provided David with a folding walker, a rolling walker for the barn, and a powered wheelchair as the disease progressed. MAP also referred David to the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation (MVR) program. MVR provided home modifications that included relocating a door and installing a short ramp for bathroom accessibility.

As time passed, David’s symptoms worsened, so additional modifications were required to help compensate for his limited mobility. David considered platform lifts to access his tractors, but due to the progressive nature of PLS decided on the seated style. A utility vehicle, equipped with hand controls, enabled him to move from house to barns to fields more efficiently. A gravity flow cube feeder mounted on the utility vehicle eliminated the need for David to carry feed. MVR funded the tractor lifts, utility vehicle, cube feeder, and a scooter.

Access within the gestation barn provided some additional mobility challenges when David began using powered mobility assistance. The barn alleys were only twenty four inches wide. This width is common for a gestation barn but was a barrier for his power scooter. The alleys were widened and a custom scooter was built to allow him access through these narrow alleys. In addition, the customized scooter has an elevating chair that can be raised to a height of six feet. This feature allows David to access higher shelves in his office or to record hog information above the pens.

Other modifications included tractor hand controls for clutch and brake applications, a pickup-mounted wheelchair lift, hand-held walkie-talkies, and a wheelchair lift equipped van with hand controls.  These modifications help David both on and off the farm.

David has transitioned over the years to more of a management role, overseeing the hog operation and bookkeeping. A track ball added to his computer has improved access and reduced hand fatigue when working on his computer.

Once a farmer—always a farmer! David still goes out on the farm in the morning, but has reduced his work days from twelve to six hours. David professes that AgrAbility helped coordinate the services that gave him back his independence. “As my condition progresses, I can still get out and check on my hogs where without the modifications, it would be impossible.”

Focus – Hog Operation and Industry Changes