In 1990, Easter Seals Wisconsin (ESW) expressed interest in a partnership with the University of Wisconsin Extension (UWEX) to help farmers with disabilities to continue farming. For the project to be a success, ESW needed a Safety Specialist. At that time the position was vacant, so ESW approached Dr. Schuler who had the ideal combination: a background in agriculture with the expertise of machinery and modifications. He joined the partnership, and since that time, he has become an intricate element in the creation and growth of AAW.

When ESW first came to Schuler, the USDA was developing the first funding program to help farmers with disabilities. In the fall of 1990, an official announcement was made that funding would be available to qualifying states. Schuler took that opportunity and asked Cheryl Skjolaas, the current UWEX Safety Specialist and National AgrAbility Program Manager, to write the first grant proposal for funding of this new program in Wisconsin.

With the grant’s approval, AAW became one of the first five states to receive funding. Today Wisconsin is the only remaining state of those original five to have received funding approval continuously since 1991. According to Schuler, "The success of the program is due to hiring good people and getting out of their way."

Schuler’s career started on a dairy farm in Valders, Wisconsin. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Agriculture and Mechanical Engineering. After serving in the army, he then went on to obtain his Masters and Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering. Schuler worked as a professor at North Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, before finally settling at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as a professor and Chair in the Biological Systems Engineering Department. His knowledge of and passion for agriculture and engineering is obvious in everything he does.

While his extensive career has gained him a considerable amount of recognition, he is modest about his personal contributions to AAW. Many of AAW’s clients are not aware of who Dr. Schuler is and the significant impact he has had on the program over the last 15 years. AAW has seen a variety of faces in numerous positions since its inception, but the one constant has always been Schuler, as he continued to lead and strengthen the program.

Even though he does not take credit where credit’s due, Schuler has proven his value to the program. This became obvious when Wisconsin submitted the National AgrAbility Grant and the USDA approved the proposal in 2000. This opportunity allowed Schuler to organize a staff to coordinate the AgrAbility program nationwide and increased his responsibility as a Project Leader for the National and the Wisconsin programs. National AgrAbility is currently in its seventh year in the state of Wisconsin.

The UWEX, ESW, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection have developed strong partnerships thanks in part to the encouragement and support provided by Schuler. He notes that the partnerships’ development was a long process that continues to evolve.

When asked about his proudest accomplishment with AAW, Schuler didn’t talk about himself. He is most proud of the accomplishments of the program. He recalled a story about a client to explain why this program is so vital to Wisconsin farmers. The dairy farmer had a farm auction scheduled and canceled the auction when an arrangement was made to lease a pipeline milking system through the efforts of AAW. The pipeline system allowed the farmer to eliminate lifting milking buckets and to ease the strain on his back. Schuler says, "Seeing farmers with disabilities succeed as a result of the assistance provided by AgrAbility of Wisconsin is one of the greatest accomplishments."

When one talks to Schuler, his words express how proud he is of every farmer that has successfully continued to farm after the program.

Paul Leverenz, Vice President of the FARM program, worked with Schuler when Leverenz was the only Rehabilitation Specialist involved with AAW. Since those early days of one rehabilitation specialist and 20 clients per year, the program has grown to five rehabilitation specialists and over 400 clients. If the growth of the program is not enough proof of how invaluable Schuler is to AAW, one just needs to talk to the number of people who know him, though in Schuler’s case, it may be harder to find someone who does not know him or is not related to him. Those of us who do know and work with him can speak to his passion for agriculture and the AAW program. It is the work of his life.