Tennessee

Wes Allison, United States Navy veteran and December '25 University of Tennessee ag engineering graduate had the opportunity to participate in a special project during the fall semester for an Obion County farmer who had suffered a stroke in the recent past. This medical mishap limited said farmer in various ways that affected his ability to perform routine tasks for maintenance of his combine. He is still able to climb the rear ladder of his Case combine but struggled to carry the necessary tools and lubricants that are needed for the engine and hydraulic system to operate efficiently. Wes visited with the farmer and did a walk around the combine to get an idea of what exactly could be implemented to assist with lifting semi-heavy loads up to the rear of the machine. After Mr. Allison's assessment, he devised a plan to incorporate a truck bed crane with a hand crank winch at the rear but also an electric ATV winch to eliminate the physical strain of having to hand crank the load up and down. The classes he took at UTM had a big impact on his ability to solve problems and implement ways to produce things that would be helpful and useful in many areas of farming. Metal working and welding had a big impact on this project as he had to fabricate his own brackets and power supply for the winch in a way that the farmer could use without major instruction or understanding on how to operate the device. Once the crane had been refabricated and tested, Mr. Allison went to the farmer's farm the last week in December and installed the device on his combine and gave him a two-minute crash course on how to work the crane. He was very pleased with the overall application of the device and will retain his independence by being able to farm with his recent disability. Funds for this project were provided by TN Farm Bureau Health Plans. (written by Wes Allison)

TN AgrAbility, The STAR Center, and TN Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provided a Giles County farmer with knee and back impairments with assistive technology equipment to prevent secondary injuries in his backgrounding livestock operation. Cattle guards were installed in December on his farm. With said farmers' health issues, he is unable to move as fast as he once did, and he risked a dangerous situation when driving through the gate, especially when he has feed. Having the cattle guards in place will have a great positive impact physically for the Giles County Farmer. They will eliminate getting in and out of the vehicle to open and close the gate, eliminate all chances of the cattle getting out of the field, and above all, eliminate physical injury from the cattle as the guards allow all types of vehicles to cross.. This Giles County farmer is ready for spring calves.

Submitted by Tennessee AgrAbility

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