Kids helping family on the farm or ranch have a lot to gain. They learn responsibility, they develop a great work ethic and they get plenty of exercise. However, farm accidents do happen and children are especially susceptible. This year during the 2015 National Farm Safety & Health Week Sept. 20-26, there is a focus on safety with kids involved in agriculture.
Grandparents, parents and others people working on the farm need to closely monitor their kids as well as teach them safety. “You really need to be diligent when there are kids around,” says Lisa McFarland who farms and ranches with her husband near Molt. “Our daughters are 7 and 8 years old and we have stressed basic safety tips since they were young. We farm and operate large equipment, so our first rule is that if you can’t see mom and dad, they can’t see you. We never move a piece of equipment until they stop and we acknowledge each other.”
McFarland advises anyone on the farm needs to look twice or even three times behind and in front before moving equipment or a vehicle. “It only takes a few seconds for someone to move into your pathway and you can’t see them,” the Yellowstone County Farm Bureau President says. “We never leave our daughters alone on the ground. They need to be with an adult or in a parked vehicle.”
She notes as a general safety tip to shut down equipment before you work on it.” It only takes a few more minutes to turn off that equipment, but that can save a life,” McFarland says.
As for not getting lost in a field of corn, McFarland offers simple advice to their kids. “It’s easy to get disoriented in a corn field, so follow the rows and that will always lead out of a field to a road, lane or ditch where you can be seen.”
Working around livestock presents its own set of challenges. “Our girls have to be right beside an adult in any large livestock pen, and they are not permitted in small pens where we are working in close quarters with an animal,” says McFarland. “Children need to learn that livestock need space and respect that. No matter how calm an animal might be, livestock tend to look at small ‘people’ similarly as they do predators and seem to have a flight or fight mentality when small children are around.”
Many farm and ranch kids have been taught well by their elders. Taryn Martinell’s ranch work includes helping move cows, pushing cows up the chute, cleaning pens, bottle feeding bum calves and helping with sheep shearing.
“I started helping when I was about 7,” says the 11-year-old whose family ranches in Dell. She explains certain safety practices she uses to stay safe when doing chores or planning to ride her horse. “Make sure your cinch is tight. Have an adult there when you are getting on and off a horse, and make sure your horse knows you are there when you walk in its stall. It’s important not to put your arm in the alley with the cows, and stay away from the poles in the alleyway. When you’re pitching hay, be careful not to stab anyone with the pitchfork.”
The best advice Taryn has received from her parents is ‘pay attention.’ “Do what you’re told, and stay out of the way of tractors and equipment. Only go around the animals my parents say are okay to be around.”
Although kids in the country must practice more safety than kids in town, Taryn loves ranching. “I get to ride horses and see nature up close every day, and I get to be around puppies, kittens, lambs and calves which is really fun,” says Taryn. “I get to work with my grandparents, cousins, siblings and parents which is great.”
With agriculture being such a positive influence on young people, keeping them safe is part of that equation.
Source: Montana Farm Bureau Federation
