Kanable Family Farm
The Kanable family was milking their herd of 96 cows in three shifts in a 38 stall stanchion barn. Expansion was in their plans, as milking and frequently moving the cows could take 4 to 6 hours per milking. This is a family operation, Tina’s husband, Greg, and son, Jason, do the cropping on their 450 acres. Tina does the milking and calf raising. Tina contacted AgrAbility of Wisconsin to explore what options might exist to help the family as all three are affected by different conditions. Greg and Jason had suffered back injuries and Tina has Lupus and limited use of her left arm after cancer as a child. During the parlor construction, Tina worked with Bruce Whitmore of the Easter Seals FARM program to develop some solutions to reduce the cow handling. The milking parlor was designed to allow Jason and Tina to milk more easily. Bruce shared ideas for parlor features that had worked for other AgrAbility clients. Other solutions were developed to reduce the difficulty of doing farm chores that involved carrying, pushing and pulling. A double-10 parlor was designed and constructed with automatic take-offs, radiant heat above the pit, floor mats in the pit, a pit entrance without steps for the workers, and crowd control gates for moving cows into the parlor and sorting them after they’d been milked. The Kanables paid for all the parlor construction costs, and DVR funded some of the milking equipment, cow control equipment, radiant heater, and floor mats. Automatic takeoff units reduce the number of times the milkers have to come into contact with the cows, reducing the potential for injury and decreasing the repetitive motion needed to remove the milkers from each cow. The radiant heat above the pit allows the workers to stay warm at shoulder, head and neck level, while the floor mats reduce fatigue while standing and walking during milking. The crowd control gates can be moved with the use of electrical controls operated from the parlor pit. Milking their expanded herd of almost 200 cows now requires 2 to 2 ½ hours. Tina says that for the first time, Jason can stand up like a “20 something” instead of looking like a “60 something” after milking. She was also able to drop three of her medications after the parlor was installed and operational. The Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) also funded a utility vehicle equipped with a cab and heater to allow Tina to haul feed for the calves and scrape feed back to the milking herd in the free stall barn – a task she performs 5 to 6 times a day, and which was nearly impossible for her to do before. The heated cab allows her to stay warm or warm up when necessary to maintain her mobility and energy levels. Tina, Greg and Jason look forward to continuing their dairy operation with greater comfort thanks to their involvement in the process with AgrAbility, the Easter Seals FARM program, and DVR.
Tina Kanable pushes feed to the cows using the scraper blade on the utility vehicle. She will do this 5 to 6 times per day.
Tina Kanable discusses the equipment and modifications that were included in the milking parlor.
Farmers Give Back
The FARM Pride Project
Submitted by T. Ellenbecker and Laura Bahn
Business is as usual for the farm families of Jerome Gaedtke, Jim Cornette and Larry Dufek who farm in the northeastern Wisconsin communities of Luxemburg and New Franken, even though these remarkable farmers continue working after facing adversity. They had made it through droughts, floods, and economic down turns, but the onset of a permanent disabling condition or injury was significantly life changing for them. A disability affects the farmers, their families and their communities. Farmers whose heart and soul are in working the land and giving back to the community have done just that for the Easter Seals Wisconsin FARM (Farm Assessment and Rehabilitation Methods) Program. At their time of need, the FARM Program was there for them. Now, they felt it was their turn to give back.
Through USDA funding twenty years ago, Easter Seals Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension created a partnership, AgrAbility of Wisconsin, to provide education and assistance to farmers or farm workers with disabilities and their families. It offers the opportunity to make informed choices related to work activities; family and community resources; and education. In addition, farm visits offer work routine or task changes and possible equipment or structural changes. The opportunity to give back presented itself approximately five years ago by farmers who had been able to keep farming as a result of the FARM Program. The Program was approached by two farmers in two different parts of the State: Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley, who suggested what is now known as the FARM Pride Project. They offered to raise steer calves to feeder weight or to finish and sell them, in both cases giving the proceeds to Easter Seals Wisconsin as direct service dollars. Animals, feed, housing, labor and transportation would all be donated. In November 2007, the Gaedtke, Cornette and Dufek families approached the FARM Program offering to extend the project to their area of the state. Jerome Gaedtke volunteered to coordinate and raise the steer calves at his farm. Jim and Barb Cornette, and Larry and Patty Dufek, donated five steer calves and transported them to the Gaedtke farm. Jerome got the community involved by contacting his local feed supplier, Rob Moede from Cooperative Services, Denmark who responded by donating calf feed. Rob visited with his Land O’ Lakes representative, Dave LaCount, and secured a donation for milk replacer. But it did not stop there. Jerome and his family raised the animals, and sought and found buyers from his community for three of the steers. Animals were purchased by Randy Riesterer of Riesterer and Schnell; Brian and Bruce Seidl of Luxemburg Implement, and Tony Lishka III. Through the philanthropic efforts of these farmers and their communities, Easter Seals of Wisconsin’s FARM Program continues to benefit. This project has grown every year since its creation, and Easter Seals has received approximately $22,000 since the project’s inception. We are always thankful for this commitment to our program but, to our surprise, the farmer’s involved have again offered to raise five more animals. These unselfish acts of generosity give someone else in need the opportunity to benefit and give thanks. Easter Seals Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization, and funding comes from traditional sources such as trusts, grants, and fund raising events. Anyone interested in more information about The FARM Pride Project or in making a donation can contact T Ellenbecker, Rural Rehabilitation Specialist and Project Coordinator at (608) 279-9437 or email at tellenbecker@wi.easterseals.com
The farmers involved in the FARM Pride Project. L to R: Patty Dufek (not pictured, Larry Dufek), Gerald Gaedke, Jim and Barb Cornette.
Partners…
My name is Michael Goeldi. I am a sophomore Dairy Science student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and the FARM Program assistant for Easter Seals. I was born and raised in urban areas of Minnesota and was subjected to the city life until I was eight, at which time my parents bought a house in the small rural town of Racine, MN, framed by corn fields and pastures. When I was ten a friend of mine joined a local 4-H club and asked me to join with him. From that point on I was hooked. We housed rabbits and chickens in a shed behind our house, and each year we ran about ten hogs from February to July and butchered them after we exhibited them at our county fair. When I was twelve, my brothers and I were offered the opportunity to show a couple Brown Swiss heifers at our fair for a local breeder named Les Olson. We didn’t realize that he was one of the top Brown Swiss breeders in the Midwest, and consistently had 10 cows on the PPR top 100.
Les got me interested in the reproduction and genetics side of dairy breeding. He is the one who pushed me to study dairy science at UW – Madison, and talked me into buying my first heifer who was fresh with a heifer calf last August. He, along with a few of my dairy science professors, were the ones who sparked my interest in heritability of production traits, and alternate dairy systems in countries like Israel and New Zealand which are based almost solely on grass feeding. My work as the AmeriCorps FARM program assistant has been extremely rewarding. It provides me the opportunity to immerse myself in the agricultural issues of an unfamiliar area that is not sheltered by the research and labs of the University. I enjoy being able to contact the individual who is receiving the assistive technology and being able to connect the work I am doing by collecting estimates to the final good that is accomplished. I have really enjoyed my work to this point and hope to continue in assisting the agricultural community in whatever capacity it may require.
Michael
AmeriCorps FARM Program Assistant
Safety First: Handling Large Bales
While tractor overturns continue to be a leading cause of Wisconsin farm-related fatalities, a common activity at the time of the overturn is moving large bales. Factors such as a hillside when using a tractor to move a large bale, compound the risk for an overturn. The weight of these large bales alters the normal center of gravity of the tractor, making it less stable. Keep these safety tips in mind as you move large bales around the farm.
- Tractors with ROPS are highly recommended for moving large bales. For maximum protection, operators should be wearing the seatbelt too.
- All workers who work with large bales must be instructed on safe procedures. Review the safety information in the operator’s manual.
- Never allow anyone to ride with you on the tractor unless the tractor has a seat designed to carry a passenger. Keep everyone away, clear of all danger areas.
- Tractors used to handle large bales should be large enough, properly weighted and have wheels set at maximum width to maintain stability and prevent overturns.
- The front end loader should be equipped with a spear or grapple specifically designed for handling large bales. The loader must be able to control the bale to prevent it from rolling or falling back onto the tractor or operator.
- When moving bales, carry the bale low, move it slow, and avoid sudden turns or stops.
- When transporting loads of large bales on public roads, be sure that bales are stacked well and secured.
- Remember the pulling unit should be heavier than the load being pulled. Braking systems should be able to handle and stop a towed load of bales.
Submitted by Cheryl Skjolaas,
UW Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
http://fyi.uwex.edu/agsafety/
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This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 2014-41590-22330. UW-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming including Title IX and ADA. If you need this material in another format, please contact AgrAbility of Wisconsin at (608) 262-9336. |
Plowing Ahead