It's not an easy job but Tatiana MacDuff loves it - most of the time.
"I spent that last two months staying up every three nights for 24 hours at a time because we had babies being born," she said. "Goat and sheep. It's a love-hate relationship with the goats."
No, she loves being a farmer all of the time.
"I've always wanted to be a farmer, it was a childhood dream," Tatiana said.
Which is why she was devastated when she almost had to close her farm because of an injury. Tatiana had to push a 1,500-pound bale off a truck by hand, which gave her two hernias. Her husband had a broken back at the time.
"While he broke his back I was doing a lot of stuff by hand that I really shouldn't have been doing," Tatiana MacDuff said. "I think I would have thrown the towel in before we got the help from AgrAbility."
The Colorado AgrAbility Project is a collaborative grant that helps farmers and ranchers impacted by injury, illness or any other functional limitation. Candiss Leathers, an organizer for the group, says that rural America often gets forgotten.
Leathers is with Colorado AgrAbility and holds workshops throughout the state to reach any farmers or ranchers that may need help.
"Agriculture seems to be the second most dangerous occupation that anyone performs and therefore a lot of injuries and accidents can happen as well as life happens to these people," Leathers said.
People like Tatiana and Alec MacDuff. Colorado AgrAbility was able to help them get a tractor. She said the stress taken off their bodies has helped them move large equipment - instead of large piles of manure or hay. And its helped the pair keep Tatiana's dream of having her farm alive.
"Hang in there if you love it because that's why I do it," she said.
Colorado AgrAbility is holding six more workshops this month. Click here to see them.
