Using a demonstration tool provided by the Farm Bureau, HHS senior Deacon Dittmer teaches onlooking sixth graders about some of the dangers of grain bins. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
Students are teachers at 6th grade Ag Safety Day
Many kids in the Holyoke area live on farms, but even those who don’t can benefit from learning some basic safety principles that should be observed in agriculture. On Sept. 24, the Haxtun Conservation District teamed up with Holyoke High School’s ag mechanics and ag business classes to teach local sixth graders ag safety.
Jayde Van Cleave of the Colorado Farm Bureau was in attendance with one of the bureau’s safety trailers, which contained tools to demonstrate several different safety lessons.
Stations were set up in and around the ag shop so sixth graders could take turns learning about helmets, driving on inclines, grain bins and power takeoffs. Van Cleave took time at the beginning of the day to teach the HHS ag students about each station, and the high schoolers then taught the sixth graders.
Tad Huser and Landon Shaffer of Highline Electric Assocation were also in attendance with a station set up to teach electrical safety.
With memorable demonstrations, the lessons learned at Ag Safety Day should be lasting. Students learned that helmets for such things as bikes, horses and motorcycles aren’t interchangeable. They must be worn properly to be effective, and they have an expiration date.
When driving tractors up or down steep hills, it’s important not to make turns that could result in a rollover. As when riding in a car, seat belts should be worn, too.
Grain bins can be dangerous whether empty or full. Students learned that gasses are a risk in an empty grain bin, and a hands-on activity showed them how hard it would be to pull someone out of even a small amount of corn.
When using any machinery, it’s essential that there be no loose hair, clothing or jewelry that could get caught. A stuffed animal was used to show how quickly someone can be pulled into a power takeoff if they’re not careful.
At the Highline station, students were asked whether their bodies were insulators or conductors of electricity. They also received practical tips to stay safe around power lines.