Ed Bell grew up on a family farm that now produces “tons and tons and tons” of strawberries as well as raspberries and asparagus, all sold at retail to crowds who come out by the thousands to his pick-your-own farm. The berries are raised chemical free so they can be eaten right in the field while being picked.
“We wanted to eliminate the middleman as much as we could,” he explained.
When he was in school, his teachers told him farmers would have to farm bigger to survive or they would have to get better at being small.
“I thought: I’ve only got 72 acres. I’m already small. All I have to do is be good at it,” he recalled.
One acre of strawberries can yield eight tons or more. Bell and his family grow six acres of them.
But that’s not what’s most unusual about the farm. Bell’s been paralyzed since he was 21 and has modified all of his equipment and buildings to accommodate his disability.
“I have to plow around my problems,” he said.
The same week that a shooting at Fort Hood, Tex., resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, Bell traveled to Oklahoma to tell his story of how a jealous ex-boyfriend broke in on he and his girlfriend and ultimately shot him twice with a 44-caliber handgun.
“They didn’t have stalking laws in those days,” he said. “I’m not a policeman or a soldier. I’m a farmer. But I managed to keep myself alive.”
Bell spent several weeks completely mobilized and remained in the hospital for several months. He had more than a year of physical therapy.
“I had to learn to live and work on a farm again,” he said.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, people tend to take stock and find things for which to be grateful. Bell is no different.
After the shooting, he went on to marry his girlfriend Debbie. Though doctors were skeptical that the couple could have children, in 1992 they welcomed their daughter Nellie, who they named after his grandmother. In 2006, the Indiana Farm Bureau recognized the Bell family as the Indiana Farm Family of the Year. He is a representative for North America’s only manufacturer of wheelchairs equipped for standing, which he demonstrated on-stage during the Oklahoma Farm Bureau convention.
In addition to giving motivational talks, Bell assists and advocates for other farmers with disabilities. He has been involved with AgrAbility, a nationwide network of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs begun through the 1990 Farm Bill.
The goal of the National AgrAbility Project is to inform, educate, and assist farmers, ranchers, and their families who have injuries or health challenges.
Each state has its own program.
In Colorado, AgrAbility is a partnership between Colorado State University Extension and Easter Seals Colorado. (All information, education and services are free to those who need them.
This winter AgrAbility is hosting workshops in 11 communities across Colorado, including in Pueblo, Yuma and Sterling. A complete listing is available at www.agrability.cahs.colostate.edu.)
Bell and his family have helped others adjust to changes that come with a disability or with being thrust into a caregiver role.
“If you’re going to have adversity in your life, it’s good if you are a little pig-headed,”
Bell said, alluding to the difference in temperament between hogs and sheep. “I’ve seen people waste their lives waiting for life to be fair. Complaining doesn’t change it.”
Bell offered his audience a number of truisms.
Put people first.
Good things take effort.
“Zucchini might be the exception,” he joked.
Don’t choke on the elephant.
He doesn’t like the old adage he’s heard many times that God won’t give you more than you can handle. His spin? “God won’t give you more than He can handle. I’ve found that helpful.”
He reminded everyone to pop the bubble wrap — which he did by riding over a piece of it in his wheelchair — and enjoy the small victories.
At the conclusion of his talk, Bell passed out 44-caliber bullets, each a replica of the one that changed his life forever when it lodged in his spine back in 1982.
“Don’t let little things keep you down,” he said.
Okalhoma City, Okla. —
