03 Oct 2022 Progressive Agriculture Safety Day
On Wednesday, September 28th, over 450 Clinton County 6th grade students participated in a Progressive Ag Safety Day sponsored by the Clinton County Ag Literacy Coalition. Ag Literacy Coordinator Susan Kleiboeker served as the program coordinator for the event, with the assistance of many other county groups and volunteers.
This was the 11th Annual Progressive Ag Safety Day in Clinton County. This year students from Albers, Aviston, Bartelso, Breese, Carlyle, Damiansville, Germantown, Trinity Lutheran, All Saints Academy, and Wesclin Middle Schools rotated through 8 different safety-themed stations from 9 am to 2 pm. The day was broken into a morning and afternoon session, with approximately half of the students attending at one time. Stations included: Electrical Safety, Chemical Safety, Water Safety, Call JULIE, ATV Safety, Animal Safety, Confinement Safety, and PTO Safety.
The goal of the program was to educate kids about how important farming is for all of us, while also teaching them about safety around the farm and home. Although safety around the farm was stressed, many stations focused on general safety items that can apply to everyone whether involved in farming or not.
The program was again kicked off by a welcome from AITC Coordinator Susan Kleiboeker and brief comments from Russel Halleman, a farmer from Sorento who was involved in a farm accident in November of 2009. Mr. Hallemann lost part of his right leg in an accident while attempting to clean out a clog in a self-propelled silage chopper. Mr. Halleman’s message to the kids was simply to encourage them to take the extra time to think through what they’re doing in potentially dangerous activities around the farm or home. Mr. Halleman also stressed that when accidents happen it’s important to keep your head and know that you can get through it.
Following the brief welcome message, students rotated through 4 of the 8 available safety stations. They learned how to be safe around water and answered questions about animal safety in a Jeopardy-type game. Students also witnessed a straw dummy being
wrapped up in a PTO (power-take-off) shaft. The ATV station stressed the importance of wearing helmets and other safety gear and riding a properly sized ATV. Clinton County Electric Co-op also set up their LIVE Line demonstration and talked to the kids about the hazards of electricity. Contacting the JULIE (811) number before digging was covered, and volunteers from the Maschhoff’s covered
a station on confinement safety around livestock facilities and a chemical safety through a “Chemical Look Alike” station.
Students attending the event received free Farm Safety t-shirts provided by the Progressive Ag Safety Foundation as part of a nationwide program teaching kids about farm safety.
This program is only possible with the large number of local volunteers giving their time to educate students about safety. FFA Chapters from Breese Central, Carlyle, Mater Dei, and Christ Our Rock also assisted with the program. Over 50 students and others
volunteered to make this day possible. A special thanks to all those local volunteers!
-
- Participants played animal safety Jeopardy with categories including: horses, livestock, cats and dogs and a miscellaneous category.
-
- Volunteers from the Maschhoff’s covered a station on chemical safety with “Chemical Look Alike’s”.
-
- FFA Chapters from Breese Central, Carlyle, Mater Dei, and Christ Our Rock also assisted with the program.
-
- Students learned about PTO safety and witnessed a demonstration of entanglement hazards at the expense of a straw-filled “dummy”.
-
- Clinton County Electric Co-op demonstrated the hazards associated with high voltage electricity during the safety day program.
-
- The ATV station stressed the importance of wearing helmets and other safety gear and riding a properly sized ATV.
-
- The ATV station stressed the importance of wearing helmets and other safety gear and riding a properly sized ATV.
-
- Students learned the importance of water safety.
-
- Volunteers from the Maschhoff’s covered a station on confinement safety around livestock facilities.
-
- Volunteer from JULIE (811) presented on the safety of calling before you dig.
-
- Students learned about PTO safety and witnessed a demonstration of entanglement hazards at the expense of a straw-filled “dummy”.
-
- AITC Coordinator Susan Kleiboeker introduced Russel Halleman, who talked to the students about the accident that took his right leg to set the tone for the day’s activities.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.