Farm Safety

When Marilyn Adams’ 11-year-old son, Keith, suffocated in a gravity flow wagon on her family’s Iowa farm in 1986, she made it her life’s mission to spread awareness of childhood farm safety.

During National Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and other agricultural organizations are reminding farmers, farmworkers and rural residents that resources are available when they need help.

It’s spring planting season, and that means drivers need to be watchful on rural roadways as farmers move their equipment from field to field.

While the number of women counted as principal farm operators has increased across the U.S., so has their exposure to unique risks associated with agricultural work that can impact fertility, pregnancy and infant health.

Farmers and rural residents are starting to feel more comfortable opening up about their mental health struggles and seeking help for them.

From developing a good work ethic to learning responsibility, farm work instills valuable skills in youth that they can use throughout their lives. But farm work can be hazardous.

Planting season is underway in Virginia, and drivers are being encouraged to use caution when encountering farm equipment on the state’s roadways.

Grain bins that store loose, dry bulk material like corn can enhance profitability on farms, but they pose a grave danger to farmworkers who access them.

To help encourage worker safety on farms, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation will highlight agricultural safety and rural health issues during Ag Safety Awareness Program Week, Feb. 28 through March 6.