AgrAbility Quarterly. Client Story – Bill Putnam: Determination and flexibility describe this New Hampshire farmer

Client Story – Bill Putnam: Determination and flexibility describe this New Hampshire farmer

Over 85 years ago, the Putnam’s farming tradition began near Piermont, New Hampshire. Bill Putnam grew up on a registered Holstein dairy farm and became part of the family’s agricultural heritage by farming full-time after graduating from high school in 1974. Today, the Putnams milk 110 cows from their herd of 200 and raise alfalfa, corn and grasses on 250 acres.

In the early 1990’s, Bill began to experience migraine headaches and a tingling sensation on the left side of his body. Concerned that he may have a pinched nerve or even worse, may have had a stroke, Bill went to the doctor. His doctor was able to rule out a pinched nerve or stroke, but was unable to determine the underlying cause of Bill’s symptoms. For 18 months, Bill worked with several doctors to determine the cause of his symptoms which included tremors and difficulty using his left hand and leg. In 1993, a specialist finally delivered the diagnosis to the 37-year old farmer -- Parkinson’s Disease. Bill began treatment immediately to slow the disease’s progression and continued farming with his wife, Cindy, and their three children: Timothy, Carrie, and Dan.

Color photo of Bill Putnam working on his 250-acre dairy farm near Piermont, New Hampshire.
Bill Putnam working on his 250-acre dairy farm near Piermont, New Hampshire.

As time passed, the disease affected Bill’s balance, coordination, and walking speed, caused fatigue, stiffness, and heat sensitivity, and had an impact on his speech and mood. These symptoms made milking and driving a tractor extremely difficult and dangerous. By 1998, his tremors and other symptoms had progressed to the point where Bill could no longer use a fork or even write his own name. He underwent pallidotomy surgery in an effort to suppress the disease’s effects on his left side. “It helped tremendously,” Bill said. “It’s really remarkable.”

Color photo Bill Putnam sitting in his utility vehicle outside his feedlot.
Bill Putnam in utility vehicle outside his feedlot.

Bill made a few of his own adaptations around the farm by installing handrails and additional steps to vehicles, before he had heard about the AgrAbility project from previous AgrAbility clients. In February 2004, he contacted the Northern New England AgrAbility Project serving Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. AgrAbility staff members, Therese Willkomm and Bill Snow, visited the Putman farm that spring. After an agricultural worksite assessment, they suggested several ways the family could modify their operation to accommodate Bill’s changing abilities. Recommendations included: a utility vehicle to reduce walking and carrying five-gallon buckets of milk to feed the calves, a railing and cover for the gutter cleaner to prevent slips and falls, zippers for his shoes and a canopy over his tractor to protect him from heat stress that exacerbated Bill’s other Parkinson’s symptoms. He tried a cooling vest but found the tractor canopy more effective for his situation.

AgrAbility helped coordinate Bill’s case with the New Hampshire’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. Dee Brown, VR Rehabilitation Technician, said, “It was a joy to work with Bill and get him what he needed. He was very appreciative and requested only items that were necessary.” Five years ago Bill didn’t think he needed any help. But he found the assistance from AgrAbility and VR very helpful and encouraging. “Bill (Snow), Therese and Dee have been wonderful to work with.”

Bill doesn’t milk the cows anymore. His wife, Cindy, assumes a majority of the milking with help from their daughter, Carrie. Tim, their eldest son, does the feeding and cleaning along with his younger brother, Dan. Bill cares for the calves that are raised in hutches about 1,000 feet from the barn and drives the tractor for crop work. Bill said he always liked milking, but learned that there are a lot of other things he can do equally as well and enjoy. “You just have to be flexible,” says Bill. He credits a supportive family, many good friends and being productive for helping him manage this disease. Bill says “(I simply) can’t say enough how much family has helped out.”

Focus – Parkinsons Disease

In This Issue
Section 1: Client Story – Bill Putnam: Determination and flexibility describe this New Hampshire farmer Section 2: Focus – Parkinsons Disease Section 3: Assistive Technology Notes – Parkinsons Disease	Section 4: State Project Feature – Northern New England AgrAbility Project Section 5: References Section 6: Contacts