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Caledonia resident Jim Hoscheit, who knows firsthand the importance of farm safety, offers two key pieces of advice, “Respect the equipment; they are very powerful pieces of machinery.” Continuing, Jim added, “Don’t be in a rush even though you might have a shortcut for something that takes that extra 10 seconds, five seconds, two seconds. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way.”
At 13 years old and in the eighth grade, Jim was seriously injured in an accident on his family’s dairy farm, located just a mile south of where he lives today with his wife Deb and their four daughters. The accident, which happened in 1985, left him with life-changing injuries.
Life on the family farm was “a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun,” shared Jim. “We worked hard and had a lot of responsibilities, like milking cows, feeding calves, and baling hay. Your day-to-day chores. You got up in the morning before school and did your chores, went to school, came back and did chores again.” He added that he would not change growing up on the farm for anything in the world.
On November 29, 1985, the day after Thanksgiving, Jim lost both his arms when his coat became entangled in a power shaft. “It was quite a blizzard and windy kind of a day. Me and my dad were blowing corn up into the silo. There was some corn on the ground that I needed to get a shovel and get it off the ground and get it back into the blower.” Jim explained that he reached over and grabbed the shovel, which is the last thing he remembers. Jim’s coat got caught in the PTO (power take-off) and flipped him over.
Due to the weather or because the ambulance was busy, Jim was transported to Mayo Clinic in Rochester by ambulance rather than helicopter. His stay in the hospital, considering the severity of his injuries, was only 17 days but he had to promise that he would come back every day.
The doctors attempted to attach his left arm but were unsuccessful. “I’m very lucky to be alive.” He said, “It was a life-changing experience for us all.” He underwent numerous surgeries and skin grafts, which are too many to remember.
He had the great opportunity to be helped by the Shriners Hospital out of the Minneapolis St. Paul division. They fitted him with prosthetics and tried different things. He opted against bionic arms, finding them too heavy. He has two sets of prosthetic arms, one of which is waterproof, allowing him to swim. Jim said he has to stop and think about what he is going to do that day, so he remembers to wear the right arms. He continues to see doctors twice a year.
Fast forward to 2024, and Jim has adapted with the support of his family, friends, school, community and the medical community. Jim is very goal driven, which is evident in his personal life as well as his professional life.
Before the accident, football was a crucial part of Jim’s life. To keep up with his studies and not fall behind, he received tutoring at home.
Despite the challenges, he returned to school after the accident and continued to play football, serving as the kicker or placekicker for the Caledonia Warriors. However, when he attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, he had to give up playing football. He tried out for the team but soon realized balancing academics with athletic commitments was too demanding. He needed accommodations like note takers, causing the workload to become overwhelming. As a result, he didn’t complete his college football career but thoroughly enjoyed his high school career.
Two of his daughters are in college, one in high school, and one in eighth grade. They share his passion for sports and athletics.
Jim now works remotely for Staggemeyer Stave Company after previously serving as the general manager of Miken Sports, a company known for manufacturing baseball bats and helmets.
Jim remains a devoted Viking fan, as evidenced by the Viking memorabilia displayed in his home, and he confessed that he watches a lot of football, confirming, “I still love the sport.”
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