Conducting an
Agricultural Assessment
by Paul Leverenz, AgrAbility of Wisconsin
National AgrAbility Workshop - Omaha, NE
November 13, 2003
AgrAbility of
Wisconsin
UW Cooperative
Extension
Biological Systems
Engineering
Grant writing, public
education, program
promotion
Easter Seals
Wisconsin
Farm Assessment &
Rehabilitation Methods
(FARM) Program
Direct client services
AgrAbility of Wisconsin Staff
Assessment Preparation
What are the needs within my organization?
What are my skills and competencies?
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Who is the end user of my report and/or
recommendations and what are his/her needs?
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Farmer
Extension
Physical Therapist
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
County Social Services
Private Insurance
Important Note:
The outcome of the assessment is
not equipment.
Building a Relationship with
DVR as an End User
 Network and develop relationships
 Take time to understand their needs
Don’t make recommendations they can’t support
 Understand parameters of service
 What governs those parameters?
(ex: Rehabilitation Act)
 Know eligibility issues
 Realize program goals
(employment)
Assessment Mechanics
 Prepare for the visit
 Research the type of farm operation
 Research disability & limitations associated with it
 Know your county extension resources
 Tools to take along
 Fish scale
 Tape measure
 Angle finder
 Maintain personal safety
 Follow your gut
 Pay attention to the physical surroundings
Onsite Farm Visit
 Meet with farmer with disability
 Discuss operation in general & barriers in specific
 Interview at table or walking around the farm
 Take an “I need your help” approach
 Listen to how farmer describes his/her operation for
clues to attitude, mood, finances, etc.
 Have farmer show his/her work routine
 Observe limitations or barriers as farmer works at farm
 Ask questions to clarify
 If you have a problem figuring out a solution,
work backwards through the problem
Wrapping-up the Visit
 Present ideas to the farmer
 Review what you have covered
 Together prioritize goals and solutions
 Review the plan
 What happens next?
 Who will do what?
Writing the
Recommendation Report
 For every hour on the farm, plan on 10-15
hours in research
 Items to include in the report:
 Possible solutions
 Actual solutions developed during dialog with
client, VR and AgrAbility
Report Format
Background
Problems Areas
Summary
Cost Section
Vendor Information
Vendor Estimates
 Problem Area
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Job Task
Limitation
Goal
Options
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Implement
Cost
Vendor and Address
Phone
Contact
Fed Tax ID
Report Information
 Problem Areas
 Job Task
 Limitations
 Goal
Caveat: Problem areas are prioritized by importance and immediacy. All
prices are vendor estimates and unless noted, all vendors accept PO’s.
Continued…
Report Information
 Options
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Implement
Cost
Vendor
Phone
Contact Person
Federal Tax Identification Number
Summary
Cost Section
Vendor Information
Required Vendor Estimates
Case Study
Jeff & Debbie Purvis
Purvis Premier Calves
Spencer, WI
Custom-raising Calves
#1 - Medicating Calves
See page 3 in report
Job Task
When a new group of calves is brought in, each calf
must be given two shots on the first day. In the second
week, they must be given a second shot, and during
the third week, they must be dehorned and tested for
disease. During the fifth week, they must be given
another shot, and during the seventh week, they must
be medicated by a nose spray. All of these
medications are to keep herd health procedures in
compliance with the contract for raising heifers.
#1 Medicating Calves
 Limitation
Mr. Farmer must be able to control the calves if he is
to do these activities. To give the shots, he currently
crawls into the pen, steps over the calf’s head, pushes
the calf against the back of the pen, and gives the shot.
He needs more control in order to dehorn the calves.
#1 - Medicating Calves
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to medicate and dehorn his
calves.
 Options
Purchase a calf catch, a device that fits over the calf’s
head and can be attached to a fence, holding the calf
so it can’t pull away. Mr. Farmer would be able to
control the calves for medication and release them
after he has finished performing health care on them.
Calf Catcher
#2 - Feeding Beef Calves
See page 4 in report
 Job Task
Currently Mr. Farmer is raising a separate group of
Holstein steers to 1,000 pounds. Mr. Farmer
purchased these outright. He has feed for these
animals delivered in 50-pound bags, one ton at a time.
Mr. Farmer must lift the 50-pound bags, dump the
feed into a wheelbarrow, and push the wheelbarrow to
the calves. Then he must scoop the feed from the
wheelbarrow to feed the calves.
 Limitation
Lifting the 50-pound bags, dumping the feed into the
wheelbarrow, and bending and stooping to scoop the
feed are difficult and painful for Mr. Farmer.
#2 - Feeding Beef Calves
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to feed his steers with less
difficulty and pain.
 Options
 Replace the wheelbarrow with a seven-bushel
Poly cart that has 24" air tires. These would
bring the feed higher from the ground, reducing
the bending required to lift and push the
wheelbarrow as well as to scoop the feed.
#2 – Feeding Beef Calves
 Purchase a hydraulic lift cart, which, through
pumping with his foot, Mr. Farmer could use to
raise the feedbags to the height of the cart. This
would make it possible for Mr. Farmer to dump the
bags without having to lift them.
“Final Stage”
Feed Cart
#3 - Feeding Milk Replacer
See page 5 in report
 Job Task
During the first one to five weeks he has new calves, Mr. Farmer
must feed them milk replacer. Mr. Farmer is currently feeding
one and a half 50-pound bags per feeding, two feedings per day,
or three bags per day at 150 pounds total. This activity requires
that 50-pound bags be moved from the place where they are
stored to the mixing room, where they are dumped into the liquid
mixer. The replacer is then mixed with water in the liquid mixer,
and a hose is then attached to the bottom of the mixer. The milk
is then transferred through a pump. Part of the mix goes through
a hose to each calf. Mr. Farmer currently drags this hose to each
calf pen, from one end of the 100-foot barn to the other.
#3 – Feeding Milk Replacer
 Limitation
Carrying a 50-pound bag and lifting it to dump into
the mixer is something that Mr. Farmer cannot do; it
must be done for him. Dragging the hose from the
mixer to each calf is difficult for Mr. Farmer and
stressful to his back.
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to feed milk replacer to his
calves.
#3 - Feeding Milk Replacer
 Options
It would be possible to use the hydraulic lift cart,
recommended for moving the feedbags in Problem 2,
to move the milk replacer from the place where it is
stored to the room where it is mixed. Mr. Farmer
could also use the hydraulic lift cart to transport the
bags to the mixing room and lift them to the height of
the mixer. He can then take them into the mixing room
where he can cut the bags open and dump the replacer
into the mixer, add the water, and mix.
#3 – Feeding Milk Replacer
 We also talked about some options for feeding the milk in a way
that would not require Mr. Farmer to drag a hose around. We
discussed using a retractable hose, which could be attached to
some kind of small utility vehicle in which Mr. Farmer could
drive. Mr. Farmer is interested in a stainless steel reel hose
because it would be easier to keep it sterile, and because he uses
strong chemicals to clean his hoses and he feels the stainless steel
would last longer. The vendor below is sole service because there
is no manufactured product for this, as such, and this vendor was
the only one willing to put together the pieces for this. Central
Wisconsin Coop, Podevel’s, Bob’s Dairy, and Dairy Services Inc
all said they could not do this.
#3 – Feeding Milk Replacer
 We also discussed the possibility of mounting a steel tank on a
utility vehicle if it were purchased. Mr. Farmer could drive to the
location of the milk replacer, which could be dumped into the
tank, then drive to the location of the water, which could be added
to the tank. Mr. Farmer could complete the mixing and then drive
on to feed each calf out of the tank. That tank could also be used
for watering each calf. Such a tank would be large and heavy, and
a system would be needed to move the tank on and off the utility
vehicle. Or the vehicle could be used only for that purpose, which
may not be practical.
#3 – Feeding Milk Replacer
 If the current stationery mixer is to be used, with the
current system of mixing milk and pumping it, rather
than a tank that can be moved on a vehicle, the current
mixer could be lowered to about 36" so that the feed
bags would not have to be lifted so high and it would
not be so stressful for Mr. Farmer. He said that he
could do this.
Hydraulic Lift Cart
Old Water
Heater
Modified Kawasaki Mule
#4 - Feeding Grain to Calves
See page 7 in report
Job Task
Mr. Farmer must individually feed grain and move
milk replacer, and move bedding to each calf.
 Limitation
Because of Mr. Farmer’s limitations with his back, he
cannot do any of these activities.
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to feed and bed his calves.
#4 – Feeding Grain to Calves
 Options
Purchase a four-wheel drive Kawasaki Mule. Mr.
Farmer needs the 4WD for both the weight capacity
and the weight in the front end of the vehicle. Mr.
Farmer has tried a John Deere Gator and he found it to
be too wide to fit down the current aisles; the vehicle
must be less than 4 feet wide, which the Mule is.
Kawasaki Mule
#5 - Clean Pens and Move
Materials on the Farm
See page 8 in report
 Job Task
Mr. Farmer has a New Holland 140 skid loader on his
farm, which he uses to clean the pens as well as to
move straw and other materials on the farm. The
capacity for this skid loader is 1800 pounds.
#5 - Clean Pens and Move
Materials on the Farm
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to clean the pens, move straw,
and other materials on the farm.
 Options
 Purchase a 44" pallet fork, which would attach to
the skid loader. The skid loader is equipped with a
quick attach system, so that fork would need to be
compatible with the quick attach.
 Explore adding a suspension under the current seat.
Fork on
Skid Steer
#6 - Bringing New Calves
into the Facility
 Job Task
See page 9 in report
Mr. Farmer brings in 160 new calves at a time, and
each calf must be moved off the truck, into the facility,
and into an individual pen.
 Limitation
Moving and walking these calves from the truck to the
pens is very stressful and difficult for Mr. Farmer.
Often members of the family or others must be
recruited to help with this process.
#6 - Bringing New Calves
into the Facility
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to move new calves off the
truck and into their individual pens.
 Options
Purchase an enclosed calf cart, into which the calf can
be moved directly from the truck and in which the calf
can be moved to the individual calf pen; at the pen, the
calf cart can be opened and the calf can walk into the
pen. This eliminates the need to push and pull the
calves when he needs to move them.
Calf Cart
#7 - Performing Herd Health
Tasks on Larger Beef Calves
 Job Task
See page 9 in report
The beef calves that Mr. Farmer finishes for himself are over
1,000 pounds when he sells them. He needs to do medical work
on these calves as well as castration and dehorning. As the calves
get older and larger, Mr. Farmer needs to be able to restrain them
so that they cannot jerk or move suddenly, which could pose a
secondary risk of injury for Mr. Farmer.
 Limitation
Because of limitations to Mr.. Farmer’s back, he cannot hold his
large calves for performing herd health.
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to perform herd health on his larger
calves.
#7 - Performing Herd Health
Tasks on Larger Beef Calves
 Options
Purchase a headlock squeeze chute, which Mr. Farmer would
keep on the farm. If the chute were mobile Mr. Farmer could
move it from pen to pen, or wherever else he needed it, set it up,
and move the cattle one by one into the chute. With the headlock,
Mr. Farmer could restrain the cattle from moving in and out, and
with the squeeze chute, Mr. Farmer could move the sides together
around the calf, protecting himself from being kicked, and
making it impossible for the calf to jerk or move while he is
medicating, castrating, or dehorning it. Because Mr. Farmer
would be working on varying sizes of cattle – anywhere from 400
pounds to 1200 pounds – the squeeze chute should be able to
make it possible for him to work with varying sizes with one
chute. Mr. Farmer has a For-most headlock, and the vendor
below sells all parts for For-most. So he can get a chute that
would attach to Mr. Farmer’s headgate.
#7 – Performing Herd Health
Tasks on Larger Beef Cattle
 Because Mr. Farmer is selling on contract he also has to weigh
his cattle as well as corral and house them. If a model of headlock
squeeze chute were purchased that included a scale on it, it would
eliminate the need to handle the cattle a second time, reducing the
stress and pain in his back associated with these activities.
Therefore, I recommend a headlock squeeze chute with a scale,
and I recommend that this be mobile so that Mr. Farmer can use
it wherever he needs it.
 The vendor from Buetsch Implement can also supply load-bars
for the scale, and the scale itself. Mr. Farmer said that he could
put the load bars on for the scale. There is a portable chute for
$1,635.00. This vendor also suggested moving the chute with the
pallet fork recommended in problem 5 above. Mr. Farmer felt
that this would work for him.
Squeeze Chute
#8 - Moving Calves to Larger Pens
 Job Task
See page 12 in report
When the calves get older, Mr. Farmer moves them
from 4 x 4 cubicles to larger pens that hold groups of
calves. Mr. Farmer must move panels for each pen to
effect this change.
 Limitation
Mr. Farmer cannot move these panels and must rely
on others to perform this task.
#8 - Moving Calves to Larger Pens
 Goal
Mr. Farmer will be able to move the panels independently to
change his calves’ housing as they mature.
 Options
 Fabricate and install plastic dividers with a hinge system.
When the time comes to move the calves into larger pens,
Mr. Farmer would simply open the panels against the wall,
making a larger pen for a group of calves.
 There are no other vendors who sell these dividers already
cut to size, and so this is offered as a sole source.
The “Nursery”
Calf Hutches
Housed here for
7 weeks
The “Nursery”
“Transition”
Super Hutches
“Transition”
Once a free stall barn…
Bull Pens
Before
After
Feeding Time…
Any Questions???
Memorandum of Agreement
 Agreement with Wisconsin DVR
the power of closure stats
Important Note:
The outcome of the assessment is
not equipment.
AgrAbility of Wisconsin
Promoting Success in Agriculture for
People with Disabilities