AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 7, 1991
OPINION
A new report from Penn State’s College of Agriculture indicated
that farm fatalities declined between 1985 and 1989, but emphasizes
that farming remains a hazardous occupation.
“Pennsylvania farm Fatalities During 1985-89” compares the num
ber and type of fatalities during the last half of the 1980 s with those
that occurred between 1980 and 1984.
“The overall trend is fewer fatalities per number of farms,” says Dr.
Dennis Murphy, professor of agricultural engineering, who compiled
and wrote the report. “An average of 51 people died in farming acci
dents each year during the first period, while an average of 39 died
each year between 1985 and 1989.”
Despite these findings, Murphy says the report indicates an urgent
need for farm safety education programs - particularly for younger
and older farm workers, who normally are not found in other hazard
ous occupations. “Fifty percent of the total farm fatalities between
1985 and 1989 involve children under 14 and workers 65 and over,”
he says. “That’s up almost nine percent from the 1980-84 period.
“That these groups account for half the total fatalities dramatically
underscores why agriculture remains a dangerous industry. Both age
groups are extremely difficult to reach with traditional safety educa
tion programs.”
Two-thirds of the accidents to the 65 and older group are tractor
related, with a large majority of those involving an overturn. “This
strongly supports the notion that older workers lose their abilities to
safely operate tractors,” Murphy says.
The younger group were much more likely to be killed as extra rid
ers on tractors. Also, a substantial number of young victims are run
over while on the ground. “Most of these accidents happen to very
young children - under five years old - who are playing around a
tractor when the equipment is started and moved,” Murphy says.
Tractors accounted for just over half of the 194 fatalities that
occurred between 1985 and 1989. Sixty percent of the tractor deaths
were due to rollovers, with the remaining fatalities involving extra
riders, drivers falling or being thrown off the tractor and victims
being run over on the ground.
Machinery-related fatalities made up 14 percent of the total. “Com
handling machine accidents were responsible for 34 percent of the
machinery deaths,” Murphy says. “Silage handling, hay baling and
manure handling machinery each had 11 percent of the fatalities.”
Incidents involving animals were responsible for six percent of the
total fatalities, while drownings accounted for 3.6 percent. The
remaining 21 percent were caused by a variety of other accidents,
including slips and falls, vehicle and tree accidents, suffocation, elec
trocution and fires.
Murphy compared the number and types of fatal accidents that
occurred during the two five-year periods and found little difference
in either type or incidence. “The types of accidents that kill farm
workers have not changed much over the last decade,” Murphy says.
“Agriculture remains an extremely hazardous industry.”
Be careful.
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Farm Calendar
Mon Valley 4-H Dairy Show,
Westmoreland Co.
Fairgrounds.
Penn Jersey Crop Management
Field Days, Rutgers U. Snyder
Farm, Pittstown, N.J., 9 a.m.-3
p.m.
Bucks Co. Farm and Conservation
Tour.
S.E. Pa. 4-H Horse Show, Berks
4-H District Dairy Show, Clear
field, thru Sept. 9.
113th PennAg Convention, West
ern William Penn, Pittsburgh,
thru Sept. 10.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stemman Enletprme
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright IMI by Lancaster Farming
Be Careful
Green Township Fair, Commo
dore, thru Sept. 14.
Southwest 4-H Dairy Show, Clear
field Co. Fairgrounds.
Bellwood-Antis Farm Show, Bell
wood, thru Sept. 12.
Poultry Management and Health
Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant,
Manheim, noon.
Tiogo Co. Wool Pool,
Lancaster Co. Bee Growers meet
ing, Farm and Home Center, 7
p.m.
Albion Area Fair, Albion, thru
Sep. 14.
UNCUE OTIS, I
NEED TO USE THE
PIPE EXTINGUISHER
(Turn to Page A 39)
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To Remember
Safety
I am seeing the results of too
many farm accidents. Hospital
stays, emergency room visits, and
funerals as a result of an accident
are all things we can do without
To avoid accidents, you must
constantly think safety and realize
an accident can happen to you.
Some areas to be especially con
cerned about this fall season are;
• Silo gases work in pairs
and keep silos, feed rooms and
stables well ventilated.
• Big machinery —we are see
ing bigger machinery with a lot of
power. Respect it Keep guards in
place, stop machinery before mak-
Farm Forum
Editor:
According to the World Agri
cultural Supply and Demand
Board US milk production for
1991/92 is projected at 149.6 bil
lion pounds. This estimate is mar
ginally higher than the previous
year’s production of 149 billion
pounds. My question is how can
milk prices drop so much in one
year when the supply of milk
moved only slightly up? How can
600 million pounds of milk,
LESS than 114 days supply—
drop prices so much? Not since
the thirties have dairy farmers
faced the collapse of prices and
drought together.
Besides investigating the price
fixing of major dairy processors in
school milk programs, (Pet, Inc. of
St Louis agreed to plead guilty in
SC Federal Court to rigging prices
charged to schools, (2c per half
pint or $3.63 cwt) according to
Federal Prosecutors) maybe the
Justice Department should inves
tigate prices paid to farmers. (Piz
za manufacturers announced yes
terday that they were raising
prices due to increased costs of
cheese!!!)
Just pause for a minute. On my
last milk check, there was a 15c
deduction for milk promotion, the
5c tax for Graham-Rudmann defi
cit reduction (Think— is there any
other group in this country helping
to reduce the 368 billion dollar
deficit besides dairy farmers?) Do
(Turn lo Page A 23)
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V IN THE.. • 7
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ing repairs, adjustments, and
before attempting to unplug a
clogged machine.
• Be aware of curious children
take a few extra seconds and
walk around and look underneath
machinery before moving it.
• Keep alert take rest breaks
and switch operators.
Remember, you are important to
your family and friends!
Composting Farm
Mortality of
Poultry
The proper disposal of farm
mortality of poultry is becoming
an increasing concern among poul
try producers.
With the rapid expansion occur
ring in the local broiler and turkey
industries, farmers need to consid
er a safe an economical way to dis
pose of farm mortality. This is
necessary to eliminate water pollu
tion, reduce the spread of disease,
and increase farm income.
On-farm incineration is becom
ing extremely costly and produces
odors unacceptable to neighbors.
Many rendering companies cannot
accept the increase number of
birds. Thus, composting becomes
a very viable alternative.
The concept, developed at the
University of Maryland, has been
tested by many universities and
farmers. Composting produces a
disease-free product, very little
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SBUSILS
WHEN THE CHURCH
NEEDS A BARNABAS
September 8, 1991
Background Scripture
Acts 9:26-30; 11:19-30; 12:25
Devotional Reading
Acts 12:25 through 13:3.
In my life I have known many
churches named for St. Paul. In
contrast, I can recall only one or
two —if that—honoring St Barna
bas. In the way the world reckons
these things, that is probably
appropriate, for no one would ever
dispute that Paul's contribution to
Christianity has been far, far more
important and lasting. If these men
were alive today, Paul would
undoubtedly be a churchman on
the level of the Pope or Billy Gra
ham, while Barnabas would be a
worker behind the scenes.
Still, we know that God does
not necessarily see and evaluate
things as the world does. In the
ministry of Jesus there are a num
ber of people whom he notes
appreciatively, even though they
were regarded as "unimportant"
by society: the good Samaritan,
the widow who gave her mite, the
lepers he healed, among others.
TOO FEW, TOO LOW
Wc need to keep this in mind
when viewing our own disciple
ship. Too often we discount that
we can do for Christ because it
v
odor, and an environmental safe
product at a very low cost.
If you are planning on expand
ing your poultry operation, build
ing your first poultry bam, or
replacing your current poultry dis
posal system, I would encourage
you to consider composting. Infor
mation is available by contacting
me at the Lancaster County
Cooperative Extension Office,
1383 Arcadia Road Room 1, Lan
caster, PA 17601.
Crops Following
Corn
Robert Anderson, extension
agronomy agent, reminds all far
mers to read pesticide labels before
planting crops following com,
especially small grains.
A primary concern is the possi
bility of herbicide carryover. This
year’s lack of rainfall will increase
the possibility of herbicide injury.
If your herbicide program con
tained atrazine or simazine (Prin
cep), there is a minimum restric
tion of 10 months from the time of
application and planting a small
grain crop.
So, before planting any crop fol
lowing com this fall, review your
herbicide program for that field
and read the appropriate labels to
make sure that crop may be
planted. A few minutes reading the
label could save you a lot of money
by eliminating a crop failure.
seems our endowments are too
few and our place in the scheme of
things too low. Without taking
anything away from the Pope and
Billy Graham whom I have picked
because of their obvious status in
Christendom), it may well be that
what you and I do as Jesus's disci
ples is no less important in God’s
sight thlan what these two world
celebrated Christians do.
Barnabas is a case-in-point.
When Paul was converted to
Christ, Barnabas was accorded a
certain amount of status in the
church, enough so that, as the wri
ter of Acts tells us, “But Barnabas
took him (Paul) and brought him
to the apostles, and declared to
them how on the road he had seen
the Lord, and had preached boldly
in the name of Jesus” (9:27).
Later, it is Barnabas who is sent to
Antioch and, as a result of his
efforts, a large number of people
“turned to the Lord” (9:21).
WITHOUT BARNABAS
From there, Barnabas went to
Tarsus “to look for Saul,” and
having found him, he took him
back to Antioch where the two
ministered together for a whole
year. Later, Saul became the suc
cessful apostle and Barnabas
slipped from notice. So today we
revere Paul and barely remember
Barnabas; but it is obvious from
Acts that had there been no Barna
bas, there might not have been a
Paul.
The church may not be aware of
it —because it pretty much judges
as the world docs —but often it
needs you and me as much as it
needs its Popes and Billy
Grahams.
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