A Multifront Fight in Nebraska
Eric and Amanda Keep Taking on the Odds
Life on Eric and Amanda’s farm changed dramatically on the final day of the 2021
Otoe County Fair.
Eric F., a volunteer fire chief and farmer, was helping his daughter Jaden show a heifer when a sudden noise spooked the animal. In the chaos that followed, Eric was flipped onto his head. He was resuscitated at the scene and rushed to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury.
Doctors warned Amanda, Eric’s wife, that it would take a miracle for him to survive the night.
Four years later, Eric, now 41, continues the fight forward. He uses a wheelchair, breathes through a tracheostomy tube, and works daily to regain mobility on his left side. Despite the challenges, the couple remains determined to continue farming.
That determination has been supported by Nebraska AgrAbility, the USDA-
sponsored program operating through a long-time partnership between University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension and Easterseals Nebraska.
After Eric’s injury, AgrAbility conducted a free needs assessment and helped the family secure adaptive equipment, including a modified side-by-side utility vehicle, a pickup with a wheelchair lift, and a skid loader with hand controls. Community fundraising supported additional needs, including a motorized all-terrain wheelchair and home medical equipment.
Eric and Amanda began farming in 2013 with 20 acres, five cows, and what Amanda calls “a big dream.” Today, they operate several hundred acres in partnership with other families and run a direct-to-consumer beef business, Down Home Beef.
Work looks different now. Amanda helps Eric transfer into vehicles and assists
with nearly every task. He cannot operate large equipment, becomes easily fatigued, and communicates using a handheld speech device. Amanda has also taken on the roles of caregiver and therapist after leaving her conservation job due to difficulty in retaining reliable in-home care.
AgrAbility provides intensive client services to around 30 Nebraska farm families each year and reaches thousands more through outreach. Despite current funding uncertainty, Eric and Amanda remain focused on the future.
“Agriculture is in our blood,” Amanda says. “We’ll just keep working at it.”