Testimonials
“I grew up on the farm. It’s always been a passion of mine, something I love,” said Ryan.
Ryan is grateful for the support and resources provided by AgrAbility PA and OVR. Ryan received a flatbed truck lift from Life Essentials. It is a crane-type piece of equipment that sits in the corner of a truck bed and articulates around to allow access to the truck door, bed, and back to a trailer or hitch-receiver. Ryan is able to transfer directly across from a driver's seat to a tractor seat using a wireless remote.
Ryan also received an Action Trackstander, which is a power wheelchair on rubber tracks that allows him greater access to the barns, his workshop, and the rugged terrain around the farm.
Ryan and his family are currently converting their dairy farm into a beef and grain operation, and he could not imagine his life, if he were not working on the farm.
“It’s in my blood. It’s where I’m going to stay.”
~ Ryan Frye, RDR Farms, near Blairsville, PA
“Farming is just a way of life for the Deans. We've been farming the same land for all of these years, since 1840, it'd be a shame to see that change," said Phillip Dean, about working with AgrAbility PA to modify the milking parlor in his barn.
"It is great to have people come to the farm and see what we do," said Phillip. "I can only hope that they know how much their support and generosity has meant to me and my family. It has meant everything."
~ Phillip Dean, Dean Farms, a dairy farm in Lawrence County, PA
“What we do around the farm is hard stuff, and my husband and I were facing some tough questions about the future of our farm with my limitations," said Dawn Custer, on working with AgrAbility PA and OVR to add assistive equipment to aid in her work around the organic vegetable farm.
"I need to be there to help. I want to be there. With the assistance I received, we no longer have those questions. Our farm has a bright future ahead," said Dawn.
~ Dawn Custer Goodness Grows, an organic farm in Bedford County, PA