By Kerry Hoffschneider
In 1993, Todd Batterman was attending the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and coming home any time he could to help his Grandpa Leyon revive the family farm near Fairfield, Neb. At that time, he didn’t know a Valentine’s Day event in his future would change his life forever.
“I grew up in Bellevue, Neb.,” Batterman began. “My Grandpa Leyon was renting out the farm I live on now – this is where he grew up. He had a construction company in Omaha, and we would come out here every weekend when we were growing up to help with mowing, maintenance and other farm chores.”
“In 1992, grandpa decided to go back and forth to the farm he grew up on from Omaha and I started coming out to help him. At the end of my sophomore year, Grandpa had a heart attack. He had purchased some cows by that point, and I decided to go to school at Central Community College so I could live with him and continue to help him take the farm back over because he had been renting out the farm at that point,” Batterman went on.
Six years later, the up-and-coming farmer took over the farming management completely, “And in 2003, grandpa died from West Nile. At that point, I was fully thrown into farming.”
Then, the life-changing Valentine’s Day event unfolded. He vividly recalled, “In 2004, on Valentine’s Day, I developed tunnel vision and had a hard time seeing. I was like, ‘What the heck is going on?’ My eye doctor said I needed to see more than an eye doctor. Then the retinal specialist said I needed to see a neurologist. That’s when the neurologist said I needed a spinal tap. After that, they told me I had MS (Multiple Sclerosis).”
Overnight, Batterman’s life had changed. He was now in treatment and was told he was going to have to take a shot three times a week and was to be put on a strict medication regimen, “The shots were Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. The problem with that was Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday you are sick from the shot. It was just a mess.”
Facing that he may someday be in a wheelchair was sobering for the fulltime farmer. However, right now, Batterman has been managing his disease and has not lost his full mobility. There are times when things become too much though, “Looking at me, people don’t know, unless they spend some time with me and then they see things I deal with. My MRI has shown that I have a few lesions on my brain. I take fewer of the shots now because they make me sick, but I am always on the oral medications. There are times in the heat that you get tired or can get stressed and your face will go numb, or your feet will just drop – your toes will grab and trip you.”
Trying to navigate farming without his partnership with his grandpa, while also learning to live with MS was a change for the entire family. That’s where the Nebraska AgrAbility program became a godsend, he said, “I wouldn’t be doing everything I am today without Nebraska AgrAbility. They have helped so much.”
AgrAbility was started about the same time Batterman was graduating college and heading to farm. Since 1995, the program has helped individuals with disabilities find and secure the resources they need to help them continue their agricultural endeavors. Rod Peterson serves as a Rural Rehabilitation Specialist for the organization and has helped Batterman navigate the Nebraska AgrAbility program.
“When we started farming out here, all we had was an open cab 70-horsepower tractor. Before I was connected with AgrAbility resources, I had purchased a used bobcat that did not have air conditioning. One of the big things with MS is the heat. The first thing Rod helped me with was trading in the old skid steer for a new one with air conditioning. That was a huge help. Early on, they also helped me acquire an ATV four-wheeler,” he explained.
“Then, about a year or two ago, Rod contacted me to see how things were going. He came out and suggested some more adaptive equipment. I was struggling traversing rough pastures, so Rod recommended a side-by-side utility vehicle with a box on it that has helped tremendously. We also discussed putting a door put on the quonset building because a lot of stalks are blowing into the building and some people, unfortunately, started to steal things too. Grandpa and I had gotten quite a long way with the farming, but I don’t know what I would have done without Nebraska AgrAbility’s help,” he said appreciatively.
Batterman is optimistic about the future as he works with his two young sons, Chase and Collin (ages 10 and 12), on the farm, “We have cattle and grow corn and soybeans on rotation and 
alfalfa. My one son really loves animals, so we are going to try raising Herefords too. My other son likes to help on the farm, spend time outdoors, and enjoys playing sports.”
Encouraging farmers not to give up and check out the AgrAbility program, Batterman said, “Don’t let pride get in the way. Without my wife Michelle, family, and Nebraska AgrAbility, I would not be able to continue farming like I have. It doesn’t hurt at all to reach out.”
Nebraska AgrAbility is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded opportunity that is free to clients and delivered in tandem by staff of Easterseals Nebraska and Nebraska Extension.