181 youth gathered from across Chickasaw County at the fairgrounds for the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day sponsored by Chickasaw County Extension. Youth learned how to identify and deal with a wide variety of hazards that they could come across on the farm and home throughout the camp. Camp offered a time for students to learn how to be responsible for their own safety, respect parents’ safety rules and learn safety tips.
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Hands on experiences led by local community members taught camp participants lifetime farm and home safety lessons. Over time, Kendra Crooks, ISU Extension Youth Development Specialist and Camp Coordinator, said she hopes that by sharing and applying these lessons learned at camp, participants will help to reduce the number of rural children who are injured or die in farm related accidents. In addition to attending camp, each student received a safety day T-shirt, take-home goodie bag, UV bracelet and mini first aid kit to reinforce some of the lessons learned.
When youth were asked what they were going to do to be safer at home or on the farm the following responses were given:
· “don’t go by power lines on the ground” – 12 yr old
· ‘make a fire escape plan with my family” – 11 yr old
· “don’t play in gravity wagons or bins” –4th grader
· “wear a life jacket that fits you” –11 yr old
· “stay away from chemicals and wear gear when riding my dirt bike.” – 11 yr old
· “wear protective clothes – wear a helmet snowmobiling.” 4th grader
· “stay away from things your parents tell you to” - 4th grader
· “be careful with my animals and not tease them”. 12 yr old
· “not mess around tractors and PTOs” – 11 yr old
· “you have to be 16 to drive an ATV” – 11 yr old
The Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Camp was sponsored nationally by Bunge North America, John Deere Credit, Farm Plan, Bayer CropScience, Bayer Animal Health, Case IH, Farm Credit System Foundation, Kawasaki Motors Corp., Monsanto Company-C3ND, Shell Lubricants, State Farm, Progressive Farmer Magazine, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Agrium, Buck Knives, Agriliance LCC, CHS Foundation, Great American Insurance Company, Kubota Tractor Corp., PotashCorp, Tyson Foods, Nationwide Agribusiness, MacDon Industries Ltd, Jacobson Companies, National Shooting Sports Foundation and AEARO. State sponsors included Iowa Farm Bureau Foundation and Farmer’s Mutual Hail Insurance. Other state level in-kind donors include Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and JEL.
The day camp’s success is due in large part to the generous support of many local organizations and volunteers. The following individuals, businesses and organizations donated either services and/or equipment to support the camp: Big Four Fairgrounds, Boos Implement, Butler REC, Chickasaw County Conservation, Chickasaw County Farm Bureau, Chickasaw County Public Health, Crystal Griffin, Fredericksburg Fire Department, Hometown TV and Appliance, Joanne Tupper (lunch), John Deere (Waterloo-Works), ISU Extension, Leroy’s Repair, Mercy Medical Center of New Hampton, Nashua Fire Department, Nashua-Plainfield FFA, New Hampton Fire Department, New Hampton FFA, NOAA (National Weather Service, La Crosse, WI) and Sumner-Fredericskburg FFA.
Chickasaw County Extension has already decided to conduct another Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Camp next year. Individuals interested in serving as volunteers for the camp or businesses and organizations interested in supporting the event can call Kendra Crooks or Kim Booth at 641-394-2174 or e-mail kcrooks@iastate.edu for further information.