Mobility lift helps Saskatchewan farmer return to the field

More than a year and a half had gone by since Taron Ham last sat behind the wheel of a tractor.

The 25-year-old, who farms with his family in southern Saskatchewan, was brimming with nerves and excitement as he buckled himself in, rose up in the air, and swung over to the tractor door.

“It was a little sketchy, honestly,” he laughed. “But it was nice to get into the tractor, for sure.”

An agricultural mobility lift was installed in Ham’s truck in February, giving the young farmer a new lease on life.

While driving to his family farm south of Frontier in August of 2022, Ham’s car went off the road. His spinal cord was injured in the crash, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

He was airlifted to a Regina hospital where he stayed for five weeks before being transferred to the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. He returned home in November, 2022.

While he had lost the use of his legs, Ham held firm to his belief that he would find a way to continue farming.

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“I knew that I was going to find a way to do it one way or another. That’s who I am and that’s what I like to do,” said Ham.

When an occupational therapist told him about agricultural mobility lifts, Ham’s goal to get behind the wheel of a tractor again felt more attainable than ever.

Earlier this year, his dream became a reality. Ham’s truck was modified and a pilot lift was installed by PrairieHeart Mobility in Regina.

The lift, which sits in the back of his truck, uses a combination of hydraulics and electric motors to move the seat in all directions, allowing Ham to raise himself from his truck to any piece of farm equipment he needs to operate.

“You just go right from the truck seat right to the tractor seat,” he said.

Ham said the first time using the lift was nerve-wracking.

“You’re a long way up there,” he laughed. “The first couple times are a little scary, but after that it’s not a big deal at all.”

He said he’s looking forward to using the lift more frequently in the months to come.

“Once seeding and harvest come along, that’s when I’ll really use it the most. It will be really beneficial to be able to be in a tractor, because that’s 90 per cent of farming,” he said.

Ham farms along with his father and two brothers, and is eager to be back in the field and working alongside them this year.

“When my accident happened, they had to do a lot more work. Now that I have this, I can do a lot more,” he said.

Ham said he’s grateful for the encouragement he’s receiving from his family as he navigates his return to the field.

“They are supportive in a lot of ways,” he said.

“With farming, not everything goes as planned. You’ve got to get in and out of the tractor a lot, so they are always around to help with the little things that I can’t jump out of the tractor and grab.”

Ham, who has been involved in his family’s farming operations for as long as he can remember, is thrilled to continue doing the job he loves.

“I’m just happy to be able to have (the) opportunity to farm and continue the life that I had before,” he said.

“I can do a lot of things that I was doing before. It just takes me a little longer to do the little tasks. I just find a way and figure it out.”