Dairy Farmer Determined to Keep Farm Despite Blindness, Nominated for Award

Mr. Rudy Kurz, a self-employed dairy farmer from Lonoke, has been nominated as a candidate for the Annual Consumer of the Year Award to be presented by Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Services for the Blind (DSB). The overall winner will be named at the end of the year.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Debera Coleman nominated Kurz “because of his great commitment and dedication in continuing to operate his dairy farm and need to care for his wife and three young girls. Although Mr. Kurz has met with many obstacles, he continues to work on his farm that was handed down three generations. He shows pride in his family-owned dairy farm that he has worked all of his life and despite of his limitations he is determined to keep it going. After his accident, which was the cause of his vision loss, he could have easily given up but his unwavering strength of character and true determination made me feel that he deserves this recognition.

While working on his dairy farm on September 13, 2006, Kurz said he received severe chemical burns to both eyes, resulting in sudden and irreversible blindness.

Kurz demonstrated a determined spirit from the onset of his accident. Prior to the accident, he was able to independently program what cows went to which milking machine and the computer would do the rest. As a newly blinded individual, he found this to be a challenge in that he could not identify the cows nor could he enter the information into the control board. Fortunately, the technology to identify cattle already existed; however, it was not accessible. Working in partnership, Kurz approached his bank to obtain financial assistance for purchasing the equipment needed, and DSB purchased the assistive technology to make it accessible. Now he has taken control of his dairy farm once again.

He has worked on the family dairy farm all of his life. He received a Masters degree in dairy science to enable him to efficiently manage the farm, but his degree did not prepare him in conducting day-to-day farm activities as an individual who is blind. DSB's technology staff traveled to his farm and provided training on how to use the adaptive software and equipment that would enable him to identify his dairy cattle and their milk output. Prior to receiving this assistance, he was totally dependent on his family.

Kurz became sole proprietor of the family dairy farm in 1984. After the accident that robbed him of his sight, he overcame numerous hurdles, including financial stress and adapting to blindness. “DSB's support was crucial in enabling him to maintain his status as soul proprietor of the family farm, but his determination,fortitude and indescribable pride provided the spark that keeps the flame burning,” his counselor says.

“Services for the Blind did a wonderful job on all of the services and assistive technology that was provided for me. It has helped me tremendously in my day-to-day living,” Kurz says. 

He was born a dairy farmer, and he is determined that his visual impairment will not prevent him from keeping the family farm going. Kurz has two daughters that assist him on the farm. They are too short to operate the pedals, so they steer the tractor while he controls the gas based on the daughters' instruction. His wife Tracy has been a tremendous support to Kurz as well.

Kurz demonstrates tremendous pride and prefers to exhaust all resources available through his own means, but he is aware of local and state resources available to him if he should need them.

Kurz is more than a number to DSB; he’s a success and an inspiration. DSB is privileged to recognize Kurz for a job well done and trusts that success will continue to follow this deserving individual, who has demonstrated that with determination, blindness is not a barrier to competitive employment. Hundreds of Arkansans with a disability return to work each year after receiving vocational rehabilitation services.

DSB provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind or severely visually impaired and whose goal is successful employment. DSB also serves youth and older blind individuals. People wanting information about DSB’s programs and services can call 1-800-960-9270 or 501-682-5463 or visit the DSB website at http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/dsb/NEWDSB/index.htm.