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Y E A R S
September 23, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 15
The little things that can help prevent injuries Assistive technology lessens wear, tear on body By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — The third week of September is National Farm Safety and Health Week. While preventing farm accidents is the focus of this annual promotion, it is also important to remember to prevent everyday wear and tear on joints and muscles. For people farming with a disability or health limitation, this becomes an even larger concern. “For people living with disabilities, it’s really important to do the little things to help prevent wear and tear on your body,” said Andrea Klahn, outreach specialist at AgrAbility of Wisconsin. “Maybe it’s a better
seat on your tractor when you’re going to be in there for eight hours a day during harvest. We see a lot of farmers who have bad backs, hips and knees. A comfortable place for you to sit is very important if you have a bad back.” AgrAbility of Wisconsin promotes success in agriculture for farmers and their families living with a farm injury, disability or health limitation, and is a partnership between the University of Wisconsin Extension and Easterseals Wisconsin. As a national program, AgrAbility has 22 projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We come on your farm with a fresh set of eyes and make recommendations tailored to your operation, limitations and goals,” Klahn said. “When we
see clients who have sustained person can do to make a tractor an on-farm accident and lost safer ergonomically, Klahn said, mobility or lost a limb, we can is to add a step and handrail kit. recommend assistive technology These steps are lower and posiand equipment to help them con- tioned at an angle while also featuring a handrail. tinue to farm safely.” “That step is reKlahn said she ally high on a John has seen different Deere 4020, for incidents and also example, and what medical conditions goes up must come like Parkinson’s disdown,” Klahn said. ease, multiple scle“It’s hard on your rosis, hearing loss knees. You should and vision loss. An have three points of AgrAbility rural recontact when gethabilitation specialist ting in and out of a staffed by the Easpiece of equipment terseals FARM Team Andrea Klahn so that you are not works with each outreach specialist, person to determine AgrAbility of Wisconsin jumping off and hurting your joints. what equipment or tools would be of greatest ben- It doesn’t feel that bad when et to them. For example, one you’re 22, but it’s going to hurt client with diabetes is switching more when you’re 55.” To avoid straining their his equipment from foot controls to hand controls as a safety mea- neck, shoulders and back while sure because his reexes are get- driving a tractor, farmers may invest in a camera system or a ting slower. One of the easiest things a better set of mirrors. This will
give drivers visibility of what is behind them without having to continually turn around. Automatic hitches make work faster and easier, Klahn said, eliminating the need to get in and out of a tractor. Rollover gates have the same effect, removing the need to get in and out of a vehicle. Eliminating repetitive motions helps improve body mechanics. Hearing protection is another area of prevention. “Put a set of earplugs in all of your cab-less tractors,” Klahn said. “It’s so much cheaper to buy ear protection than to have hearing aids someday.” Knee pads and anti-vibration gloves are also helpful items. These specialty gloves provide an extra layer of protection to reduce impact for tasks like roto tilling and push mowing or when using a chainsaw.
Turn to AGRABILITY | Page 7
Cows of impact raising scholarship funds National Dairy Shrine to auction Frosty, Martha replicas By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Wooden replicas of World Dairy Expo supreme champions Musqie Iatola Martha and Harvue Roy Frosty created by Sco� Hussey await their trip to WDE in Madison, Wisconsin. The carvings will be auc�oned off Oct. 2 during the Na�onal Dairy Shrine banquet at WDE.
FORT ATKINSON, Wis. — As the leaves begin to change and the air becomes crisp, cows from all corners of North America will make their way toward the dairy industry’s World Dairy Expo in Madison. Not every cow being loaded up for the trip is traveling with plans of circling the covered shavings. Two special cows are making the trip for a different reason. Wooden carvings of two WDE supreme champions — Harvue Roy Frosty and Musqie Iatola Martha — have been donated to sell in an auction
to benet the National Dairy Shrine scholarship fund during the National Dairy Shrine annual awards banquet Oct. 2 at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall in Madison. The pair of hand-carved wooden replicas of the two cows were donated by Scott Hussey, a dairy farmer, artist and former dairy cattle tter from Limington, Maine. “Dr. Matt Iager contacted me last year about the possibility of doing two cows for a scholarship auction,” Hussey said. “Eventually, I decided to make supreme champions Martha and Frosty.” In addition to the two past champions, a third lot will be sold allowing the successful bidder to work directly with
Hussey to create a cow of their choosing. The process to creating the wooden replicas is pure enjoyment for Hussey. “I love making these cows, bringing them to life,” Hussey said. “I worked and traveled as a tter for many years, so recreating some of these cows is something I really like doing.” Hussey said it takes him two to three weeks to take one of his creations from a block of wood to the painted and shined nished product. He has made nearly 50 of the model cows in the past several years. “I start out by studying the cow,” Hussey said. “My wife Angela and I gather as many pictures as we can, from as many angles as we can. The older the cow, the harder that part is.” Turn to SHRINE SCHOLARSHIP | Page 6