92-year-old gets a second chance at farming 
Farming has been a way of life for Hope, N.D. native John Olstad for nearly six decades.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching the crops grow,” he said.
This love for the land is also a family affair involving Olstad’s son and grandson, Parker. Together, they farm about 1,500 acres of corn, beans and wheat.
At age 92, John’s daily summer routine involved climbing ladders to get behind-the-wheel of a tractor or combine until a knee injury sidelined him from the farm.
“He was a little blue and pouty about the injury,” Parker recalls with a smile. “So, I started reaching out to anyone I could to try and figure out a way to keep him going in field.”
Getting help was easy
Parker called a family friend who worked for the North Dakota State University Extension Service. She referred John and Parker to the Fargo Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office.
A VR counselor partnered with an ND Assistive occupational therapist to help John. They drove to the farm to complete a functional assessment on him and discuss potential options to get him back in the tractor or combine cab.
The assessment showed John would benefit from a portable power lift and six months later it was delivered to the farm. It safely elevates him from the ground to the top step of a tractor or combine in less than two minute using easy-to-use hand controls. The portability gives him flexibility to use the lift on any piece of farm machinery.
“I can now continue doing what I like to do,” John said.
The whole process was a win-win for everyone and a reflection of the VR team's commitment to HHS' priority to deliver best-in-class customer centered experiences to a North Dakota family.
“It was a very seamless process. Everybody was extremely helpful and informative,” Parker said. “Everyone went the extra mile for us.”
Building priceless memories
The power lift has allowed John to remain engaged in farming and build family memories.
“Every day when we get to the farm, he's dressed, his lunch is packed and he’s sitting ready to go before we have even started working,” Parker said. “This has given him a lot of excitement and renewed energy for the job he gets to do.”
The power lift also has neighbors talking in the small-town community.
“I’ve had a couple of people ask me about the process, so they can start looking into this for their parents to help them keep farming,” Parker said.
Learn how Vocational Rehabilitation can help North Dakotans with disabilities find or keep a job they love.