Advanced technology such as computers and cell phones help perform some farm tasks more efficiently. Another alternative is pursuing an allied agricultural business such as furnishing market reports or assisting with farm management. While Bill Field's area of expertise is farm machinery technology and adaptive engineering, and Duane Brusnighan's background is vocational and occupational training, both know agriculture intimately as well as where to go for rehabilitation assistance. Also, they each have learned the different demands prompted by upper or lower extremity amputation. If you look at all the states in the AgrAbility Project, amputation is a relatively common injury second only to spinal cord.
Loose clothing caught in machinery is another factor in both upper and lower extremity amputations.
And it's up to every person whether to try adaptive equipment and to use or not use a prosthesis. I know of an arm amputee who shoes horses as an avocation and he also drives a multi-horse hitch in parades. He wears a myoelectric arm but others generally use the Dorrance hook. Unlike many disability groups which have little access to technical services, we have 150 people on campus that we can tap into for assistance. We have everything from childhood development specialists to rehabilitation engineers.