At The Farm Gate

By Joanie Stiers

April 2008



Life depends on careful routines



Two-year-olds are into routines. The fruit snack after nap time, the song before bed, and the method of brushing her teeth with a Disney character toothbrush. The morning off-to-work routine always starts the same: Daddy needs his keys, billfold and coat before his “big hug and big kiss.” The 2-year-old’s parting phrases are “See you tonight, Dad,” and “Put your hood up.” Mine are “I love you” and “Be careful.”

Be careful. It’s the phrase I inherited from Mom, who is known to preach safety on the farm even when the words are returned with knowing glances. A recent local tragedy reminded us of why she says it every day. A man died at a grain elevator less than 10 miles from our farm home. The man became trapped in a grain storage bin, the large silver structures travelers see dotted throughout the Illinois countryside. Farmers and employees desperately tried to save him, scooping away the soybeans the bin held in hopes of finding and reviving the man, a local son, husband and father.

I think about the incident each trip past the agribusiness. I didn’t know the man, but had nightmares of his struggle, the equivalent of drowning in quick sand. The accident is a reality of the industry my family knows best. As my husband said the day of this accident, you don’t think about dying to earn a paycheck.

Farm-related occupations are among the nation’s 10 most dangerous jobs, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The fatality rate for farmers and agricultural workers is higher than that of police officers and firefighters, though less dangerous than commercial fishing and logging.

Agricultural equipment is large and powerful. Agrichemicals can be toxic if handled inappropriately, and most livestock outsize farmers. The dangers are all around the farm and often increase in busy seasons, most commonly the fall harvest and ongoing spring planting season. This is when farmer exhaustion peaks and when farmers and their equipment come in contact with the general public on roadways.

Farm organizations push safety during programs throughout the year. Farm families must make safety No. 1 in their daily routines. But the general public is involved too. Make it routine to watch for these farmers when traveling Illinois’ rural roadways. Not only are these people our nation’s food and fuel producers, but they may have a 2-year-old who looks forward to the piggy back ride around the kitchen table, which is routine when Daddy gets home.