Area students learn about farm safety at Safety Acres
By Jenna Wilson
With harvest season approaching, it’s an important time to teach children about farm safety.
For 10 years, the St. Joseph Safety and Health Council has held the Safety Acres program to educate hundreds of elementary students in the St. Joseph School district on ways to prevent farm-related injuries.
Safety Acres also addresses other safety topics including seat belt safety, ATV safety, firearm safety and water safety.
“We have a lot of rural areas surrounding us, so a lot of these kids live on farms,” said Frank Till, executive director of the Safety Council. “But also, if your kid goes to school in St. Joe’s, it’s very likely that they have a friend that has a farm. So, they may go out on the farm and not realize some of the dangers that are there.”
Students learned how to prepare for extreme weather and fire safety measures around the farm, as fires can spread quickly and, oftentimes, results in the loss of an animal, valuable equipment or a building itself.
Third grader Brecklyn Kirschner who attended the fall session of Safety Acres said she has far more knowledge on safety than she initially had, especially when it comes to buckling up your seatbelt when operating farm equipment.
“I learned how to be safe on tractors and inside the car,” Kirschner said. “My favorite part was watching our instructor Frank forgetting to put his seatbelt on and getting tossed out of the car. It was funny to watch but it also taught me a lot. I always try to wear my seatbelt as much as I can but now, I will be sure to always put it on because it looked dangerous.”
Crashes involving ATVs and UTVs have risen statewide, and officials are urging parents to teach kids safety around these vehicles.
“UTV crashes are on the rise,” Till said. “So kids need to understand the dangers of tractors, and power take-offs and grain bins. It’s always best for them to come and learn in a real hands-on environment because all these things can be life-threatening if not safely operated.”
Safety Acres and other educational programs held for students year-round through the safety council can be found at https://www.stjoesafetycouncil.org/.
