Couch Potatoes Don’t Grow Here

Returning Dennis to the Driver’s Seat of Productivity

Dennis O. spent years balancing two callings—teaching social studies in Pleasantville, Iowa, and farming near Milo. “I thought I married a teacher,” his wife, Laura, jokes. “It turned out I married a farmer/teacher.”

When a neuromuscular disease began weakening Dennis’s arms and legs, he was forced to retire from teaching. But with support from Easterseals Iowa Rural Solutions, an AgrAbility affiliate program, he has been able to continue farming.

Through Easterseals’ assistive technology programs, Dennis received a customized hydraulic lift that helps him safely access his tractor seat. The solution was developed after a social worker connected the family with rural rehabilitation specialist Chuck Larson and a local fabricator who adapted the equipment to meet Dennis’s needs.

For many farmers, this kind of support is life-changing.

“Not only are they getting us back out in the field and being productive—they’re saving our lives,” said Mitch R., another Easterseals Iowa farm client. “If we couldn’t get out and work and move around, we’d be on the couch. And farmers, usually within a year or two after they quit and don’t do anything, they’re gone.”

Thanks to AgrAbility, Easterseals, and dedicated partners, Dennis is still doing the work he loves.