National Farm Safey Week

The most Dangerous of them all...... MY dad!

Pop and his broken glass cab tractor!  The air is having to work double time.  

Pop-the Boss Man-- the stubborn, strong willed one

        The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health states that,  "Over one million people are employed in agricultural."  The also relay that, "On average 113 teens under the age of 20 die annually from farm related accidents."  That is way to young to die. That is one of the reasons Congress implemented Farm Safety Week, which was last week.  On our farm we take safety very serious, well minus my dad and granddad!  They are risk takers and sometimes like recently it bit them in the rear! On a Hay Tedder ( a machine that spread the hay out so it can dry)  there is a string that raises and lower the sides.  My Granddad (Pop), got this genius idea of pulling the string attached to the tedder into the cab tractor and closing the window on the string to hold it so he wouldn't have to get in and out of the tractor to raise and lower it.  He then proceeded to drive on a rough spot on our farm, and BAM!  the string was yanked out of the window and the window shattered.  My Pop was covered in glass and the ground is still salted with glass shards, I'm just glad it wasn't where the cattle walk.  Jobs in the Agricultural industry are very dangerous because #1- we deal with machinery all day #2- sometimes very large animals are involved #3- kids are helping a lot.

My mom is what I call "Over protective".  She has always told me to stay away from this, run from this, don't touch this. etc. Despite her overprotectiveness (Is that a word?) Sometimes things happen. Statics can be seen here. The main fatality causes are tractor roll overs.  My Pop was in tractor when it turned over, once.  Luckily,  my dad puts roll bar cages on all our tractors so he was okay! Taking precautions can save a life, like it did for my Pop. I have noticed that stubbornness has caused a lot of pain on our farm! Haha! I was recently involved in an accident that could have been much worse.   I was unhooking a trailer from our BRAND NEW truck.  I had it on blocks but little did I know,  that there is science related  to block placement.  The trailer rolled off the blocks into the truck bed.  We now have two dents in the tailgate.  I'm just glad I wasn't under the trailer when it happened.  You never know what could go wrong.  I defintely could have lost my arm.  My dad is a risk taker and my mom is not, so hopefully I have a good balance of wisdom to listen to.   If you're going to do something stupid at least know you could die.  Think about it before you do and evaluate if the consequences are worth it.   Be alert around animals.  We think we know them but remember they are ANIMALS!! It always saddens me to hear about farm injury stories.  Most everyone I know lives on a farm and I care for them deeply.  I want you to be around for a long time! Be safe.