Safety

Grain Dust Explosions Declined in 2025, but Fatalities and Injuries Saw a Sharp Increase

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:40:16 GMT

According to Purdue University’s nationwide report, there’s a concerning trend where the total number of grain dust explosions decreased in 2025, but the severity of those incidents—measured by injuries and fatalities—increased significantly.

There were seven grain dust explosions reported in the U.S. in 2025, a slight decrease from the nine reported in 2024.

However, despite fewer incidents, the human toll was higher. The 2025 explosions resulted in four fatalities and 10 injuries, compared to zero fatalities and two injuries in 2024.

Facility Types: The incidents occurred across a variety of operations, including:

Two grain elevators
One farm-operated grain elevator
One seed processing facility
One feed mill
One flour mill
One biofuel plant

The explosions were concentrated in the Midwest and South, with Texas and Ohio reporting two incidents each, and Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska each reporting one.

Grain dust was the most common fuel source noted from incidents in 2025 having caused five explosions. The primary ignition sources identified also included smoldering grain, equipment maintenance work, and overheated bearings.

As such Purdue’s Kingsly Ambrose emphasizes the critical need for:

Minimizing dust accumulation to prevent secondary explosions
Performing preventive maintenance on equipment (especially bearings) before peak handling
Properly aerating stored grain to prevent smoldering, which can act as an ignition source

The Purdue group has been collecting data related to grain dust explosions in the U.S. since 2012, and the initiative is supported by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

Tragic Turn: Trailer of Show Pigs Bursts Into Flames on I-80

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:23:41 GMT

With the windows rolled down and the sun on his face, Chad Rieck admits he was having a pretty good day driving down Interstate 80. He was pulling a trailer with four gilts, and one of those gilts was bringing home the title of Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt from the Aksarben Stock Show.

For Chad and his wife, Amy, spending precious time with their 17-year-old daughter Hollynn at a stock show is something they don’t take for granted. Their busy daughter, now a senior, was juggling the show weekend with homecoming, volleyball and dance team. Because of this, she drove separately to the show with her mom to squeeze in more of her school activities.

Separated by a couple minutes on the interstate, they were chatting on the phone keeping each other awake on the drive from Grand Island, Neb., back to their farm in Creston, Iowa. Suddenly, the traffic slowed down and their day took a tragic turn.

A car burning alongside I-80 held up traffic for miles.

(NDOT)

Igniting the Fire

“I remember my wife saying, ‘Traffic is starting to get bad,’” Rieck recalls. “I told her there was an accident up ahead and we’d get through it eventually.”

When he came upon the scene, he discovered a car burning alongside the road. By this time, he had rolled up his windows and slowly drove by the car. No emergency vehicles were on the scene, so Chad estimates the fire had probably started within three to five minutes of when he passed it.

“The front of the car was fully engulfed in flames,” Rieck describes. “The driver’s portion to the back of the car was starting to get hot – hot, hot flames. My fear of driving by was, ‘What if there’s a gas tank there, and that gas tank blows? That’s going to be bad.’”

When he drove by, something burst.

“It wasn’t the gas tank that blew, but something, whether it was a fuel line, a tire or whatever, blew a ‘poof’ of flames,” he says.

About a mile after he passed the car on fire – maybe one or two minutes at most – Rieck noticed smoke rolling out of the trailer. At first, he thought maybe some smoke from the fire got in through the open trailer windows. Then, he wondered if he blew a tire.

“I’m looking in the mirrors checking for that and continually rolling,” he says. “I see a semi behind me begin to flash his lights at me. That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got problems.’”

Fortunately, he was coming upon an exit ramp. He jumped off the interstate and threw the truck in park as soon as he could.

“My wife’s still on the phone with me at this point,” he says. “I jump out of the truck and see the trucker running up with a couple of fire extinguishers. Because of him, I was able to get the back doors opened on the trailer. We got most of the flames down but didn’t have enough to get the fire completely out.”

When he opened the door, he saw that their banner-winning Poland China gilt was already dead, but the three other pigs were hanging on to life.

“The Poland gilt was on the back of the trailer and had somehow broken out of her pen trying to get away,” he says.

The burning trailer was caught on camera by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT).

(NDOT)

Roadside Rescue

The fire picked up again as he tried to figure out how to get the pigs off the trailer.

“When I parked the trailer at the show, we left some tack in the trailer. So, I locked the ramp and the driver side walk-through door,” he explains. “I ran to get the key that I thought was in the truck, but there was no key there. Now, I’m just frantic.”

With no way to get to the three pigs still on the trailer, he grabbed for the big cart they hauled tack with that was standing upright in the back pen.

“Not a smart deal,” Rieck recalls. “I grabbed it with my hand, and now I’ve got some nice blisters. But even if I could have moved that cart, it wouldn’t have mattered. I had to get the pigs out the side ramp.”

The trucker ran back with a crowbar and Rieck broke the latches off the ramp door to get the ramp down. Flames greeted him. He was running out of options. He ran around to the other side’s ramp, broke that latch off and ended up getting two pigs out.

“The third pig was scared and wouldn’t come out, so I had to reach in through one of the sides to push her out,” he says. “I ended up with some burns on my arm from that, but I finally got her out.”

At this point, the trailer is still on fire. The trucker told Rieck to unhook his truck and pull it away from the trailer now that the pigs were out.

“I would have never thought of doing that,” he adds. “We had a gas can and small generator in the tack room of the trailer, so I went to work to get that out of there before we had an even bigger problem. Fortunately, the tack room was in decent shape, likely because there was a door between it and the main part of the trailer.”

Once the fire truck arrived, they focused on the trailer first. Megan Hobbs says she was able to gather buckets from the tack room to start filling to get to water all three pigs who were alive at the time. Unfortunately, they lost the Duroc, so they had to turn their focus to the remaining two.

(Megan Hobbs)

Meanwhile, people began showing up and helping with the pigs that were now scattered.

“I had one pig walking down the exit ramp,” Rieck says. “Meanwhile, one gilt was hunkered down under a tree in the ditch and the third was dying alongside the exit ramp. I’m in shock at this point – walking around and asking myself why.”

Stock show people he had never met before like Joe and Megan Hobbs of Newton, Kan., turned around and came back to help.

“As soon as we arrived at the scene, there was another young lady who worked for Legacy Livestock Imaging that had also stopped to help,” explains Megan Hobbs. “We immediately just jumped into action getting any and all water available to help cool the pigs down. At the beginning all we had was cooler water and water bottles. In those situations you don’t ask for permission, you just go with what your gut tells you to do.”

(Chad Rieck)

A Little Bit Ironic

When the York Fire Department showed up, they quickly went to work extinguishing the fire in the trailer. Hobbs says she kept running water back and forth from the firetruck to the people caring for the gilts alongside the road.

“God put us in the right place at the right time,” Hobbs says. “We trusted our gut turning around to go help as we just knew it was probably one of our own from the livestock industry that needed help.”

The firefighters on the scene also reached out to a firefighter in a nearby department, David May, who had show pigs.

“I received a call from dispatch when I was about 5 miles from my farm heading home with pigs from the show,” May says. “They said there was a vehicle fire involving a trailer with larger pigs and asked if I could help wrangle and haul the surviving pigs. Of course, I didn’t hesitate and was already on the move.”

May devised a plan to get his pigs off his trailer quickly and navigate through the piled-up interstate traffic.

“I had my 16-year-old daughter Braxtyn with me, so we began talking through things on the drive there,” May says. “I even joked with her, ‘It’s probably someone who kicked our butt today.’ But that didn’t cause either of us to hesitate to help however possible.”

When May got to the scene, he immediately recognized the pickup. It had been parked directly beside his truck during loadout about 45 minutes ago.

“I recognized the people and confirmed I didn’t know them,” May says. “I parked and walked up to assess and gather information. Within a minute, another Iowa trailer showed up to get the live hogs. We discussed what to do with the now two deceased pigs. I offered to put them on my trailer and dispose.”

After all the pigs were on trailers and the firefighters had inspected Rieck’s trailer to confirm it was safe to haul home, Rieck went over to talk to Braxtyn and thank her for coming to help.

Hollynn Rieck’s Champion Poland and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Legacy Livestock Imaging)

“For some reason, I wanted to try to cheer this kid up who had just seen this devastation,” Rieck says. “I tried to distract her by asking if she showed a pig that day, and she said, ‘Yes, I was third place with my Poland gilt.’”

It was definitely a little ironic, both dads admit. Their kids had been competing against each other just a few hours earlier. They loaded their pigs up beside each other and took off about the same time. As they got back into their trucks and trailers for the second time that day, they both spent some time reflecting on their drive home.

A Case of Bad Luck

Hollynn drove her dad back in the truck and trailer because he was still in shock. All Rieck could think about was what he could have done differently.

“I saw a number of trailers roll right on by as we stood there with the trailer smoldering,” Rieck says. “I know the next time I see a car fire, I’m going to feel like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. I’m going to be like, ‘Don’t drive through it.’ Maybe I could have gotten in the ditch more, but that’s not safe either.”

It was the kind of incident that you could never predict, May says. Typically, a trailer fire starts with a bad wheel bearing, then the wheel gets hot or locks up. Eventually, the tire catches on fire and results in heavy black smoke that’s easily visible.

(Chad Rieck)

“Most livestock trailer fires start on the outside of the trailer,” May says. “But this fire started inside the trailer. This was a completely freak accident.”

The odds of something hot coming off the car at the precise moment Rieck drove by while also entering the trailer is one in trillions, he adds.

“It’s a bad-luck lottery. It could never have been predicted,” May says. “But, just like so many instances in life, you just have to react and adapt as plans change.”

Still, Rieck says he learned some valuable lessons going through this experience. He will make sure his next trailer has fire extinguishers. He won’t travel with his doors locked on his trailer. He’s also going to invest in some wireless cameras to put into his trailer.

Stock Show Support

When they returned home, a veterinarian confirmed the gilts who survived the trailer fire needed to be euthanized, as their injuries were too severe. Rieck says it was hard on Hollynn to walk through an empty pig barn the next day. Although it’s not an uncommon thing, as every show season comes to an end, this was not the ending she expected. She had high hopes of taking the Poland gilt to the American Royal in a few weeks.

Hollynn won Champion Poland China Gilt and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Amy Rieck)

For Rieck, the hardest part was calling the breeders who leased them the gilts and telling them what happened.

“The personal financial portion of this isn’t much compared to having to contact those breeders and let them know about the fire,” Rieck says. “We work with Hunter Langholff to get some of our pigs. I can only imagine what the conversation was like with me screaming and yelling about the pigs right after it happened. I’ll never forget Hunter calmly saying, ‘Do not worry about that. These breeders will only care that you, Hollynn and Amy are fine. Pigs can be replaced.’”

With a few tears in his eyes, Rieck says he never wants to take his stock show friends for granted.

“Stock show people are pretty special,” he adds. “Because guess what? We all wanted to win that day. We raise our kids in the show ring and in the show barn for a reason. It’s so we can be around these people. My daughter is going to be a much stronger person because of the experiences that she’s had winning and losing in the show ring and yes, even going through this trailer fire.”

Hollynn says she’s already learned a lot from the fire.

“I am so thankful for all of the people who stopped to help us during our emergency,” she says. “This is living proof that the stock show industry is the best thing to be a part of. The amount of love, thoughts and prayers I have received from people has been astronomical. At the end of the day, I am just grateful my family is ok and that I will forever be a part of such an amazing industry.”

As May reflects on what happened, he says he’s not surprised by the overwhelming support people provided to the Rieck family.

“It’s what we do for each other in all aspects of agriculture, not just livestock,” May says. “I’m glad I was able to assist as needed here and glad my daughter was able to see value in helping others even when it’s not always pretty fairy dust and rainbows.”

National Farm Safety and Health Week: Stay Safe This Harvest Season With Expert Tips

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 21:12:05 GMT

Farmers spend a good chunk of their professional lives out in nature, producing healthy crops that feed communities and the world. But if there is one drawback to farming, it’s that it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S., according to Laura Siegel, AgriSafe Network.

Whether you’re talking about tragic grain bin entrapment , dangerous combine harvester fires, or just the simple fact that farmers, their family members and employees spend a lot of time in and around heavy equipment, the bulk of on-farm accidents unfortunately often involve farm machinery.

Siegel spoke with AgDay anchor Clinton Griffiths (video above) about how farmers can help reduce accidents and injuries. She says one approach that significantly reduces accidents is getting enough sleep.

“Harvest is coming up and we know a lot of people are losing sleep because with technology you can use those lights to stay up and work until the job is done,” Siegel says. “But honestly, working [with] your machinery with less sleep is as dangerous as if you’d been drinking [alcohol]. So, it’s important to make sure we’re getting enough sleep.”

Siegel shares these reminders to help everyone stay safe this fall:

If you currently have a pair of boots or gloves with holes in them, you should replace them to “prevent you from [having] any contact with harmful chemicals or organic materials.”
When working with machinery, make sure that your clothes are tight and not loose fitting. “And if you’re wearing a cover-up, make sure that the sleeves aren’t hanging loose because those can get caught in the equipment and cause accidents.”
Take the time to slow down and always be aware of your surroundings when you’re driving or towing farm machinery. “Even if you’ve taken these same roads every day for the past 50 years, ag roadway accidents are some of the highest [occurring accidents] compared to any other area, despite having less traffic.”
Practice smart, defensive driving on public roads. “You don’t know when a big farming vehicle might be coming down [the road] and they can’t stop as fast as you might be able to in your pickup truck or ATV.”

Side-Marking Machinery

(Lindsey Pound)

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s John Shutske has 40 years of experience advocating farm safety best practices. He spends a lot of time talking about the dangers of slow-moving vehicle (SMV) and car/truck interactions on rural roadways.

Shutske says tractor-auto incidents on rural roads are increasing due to a handful of factors, including the higher average age of farmers (60-plus in many areas), a growing need to operate farm equipment on public roadways due to farm growth and consolidation, and distracted drivers. And most rural roads don’t have wide shoulders where you can quickly veer off to avoid a collision, with many lined by deep drainage ditches.

The average vehicle operator driving at 55 mph and approaching a SMV traveling in the same direction, like a tractor hauling two grain carts at harvest, on a two-lane highway with good visibility will have 11 seconds to slow down before an accident occurs, he says. If the driver of the car or SUV is distracted or simply does not see the SMV right away, it significantly reduces the amount of time needed to stop safely.

(ifloortape.com)

One answer, according to Shutske, is for the owner-operator of the SMV to make the vehicle more conspicuous, or recognizable, to oncoming traffic. There are many ways to do that, one of the easiest is to mark all vehicle and implement dimensions (rear, sides, front, etc) with side-marking tape and/or SMV signs (the red upside down triangle) made from retroflective material, which is engineered to reflect light back at the same intensity that is shined upon it.

“The side-marking tape [at your local hardware store], you can find it for $25, and you can essentially outline every piece of equipment,” Shutske says. “It’s an incredibly cheap investment and one that can save lives.”

He also says there are new safety products available from Amazon and other retailers that are made with LED lights and retroflective material that can be “bolted or clamped on, or affixed with magnets” for under $300 to add safety lighting and markings to any piece of equipment, regardless of age.

What About Trailers?

(Lindsey Pound)

It’s important to use side-marking tape on your trailering equipment, Shutske adds. You don’t have to mark a machine continuously across its side, he says you can simply outline a box or upside-down triangle with the tape at each end point. And always make sure your trailer is loaded and balanced correctly, and you have sufficient braking power for the load you’re hauling.

As more farmers embrace automation and robotics — remotely-piloted machines often must be hauled from field to field — more trailers will be seen loaded up with farm equipment on public roads. Spray drones often require large, bi-level trailers with a lot of heavy equipment packed on, like nurse tanks and power generators.

“We’re seeing a lot of big and small robotic equipment, and transportation is really going to be an issue,” Shutske says. “Right now, most have a steering wheel and seat for the operator, but I do see a future where we need to think about regulations and safety standards [for driverless farm equipment]. Trailering [safety] is going to be a lot more important in the future.”

If you want to learn more tips and tricks for staying safe, AgriSafe Network’s National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025 is happening this week. The agency is hosting 10 free online webinars exploring best practices for staying safe around the farm.

Get registered and check out the webinar topics at learning.agricafe.org/NFSHW.

Your next read: Drought Conditions Intensify Threat Of Field And Combine Fires

Illinois Farmer's Grain Bin Entrapment Turns Fatal, Son Shares Tragic Story to Save Lives

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:18:38 GMT

Illinois farmer Tom Ritter was more than a farmer. At 73 years old, he was a man who still lived to serve.

“Dad was someone who just absolutely loved agriculture,” says Cory Ritter. “I like to tell people he taught us how not to say ‘no.’ So whenever there was something that needed to be done, whether that was serve on a local Farm Bureau or a local board of some sort, if Dad was asked a lot, he said ‘yes’ a lot.”

Illinois farmer Tom Ritter with his granddaughters.

(Cory Ritter, Tom’s Son)

Just weeks away from his 51^st harvest, Tom was doing something he had done countless times before on the farm. He was cleaning out a grain bin on his farm before harvest. But this time, things suddenly went wrong.

“It happened on Aug. 20, and he was wrapping up our last empty in our last bin of corn and using a vac system,” Cory says. “There was something that went wrong with the vac or something, and he knew better than to crawl in the bin but just thought he would try to fix it from the outside. He got frustrated, like we all do on the farm, he popped in the bin real quick and some corn slid down and killed him.”

In an instant, Tom was gone. And a rescue mission by surrounding fire departments, turned into a recovery mission for those involved.

When the call came in that Tom Ritter was trapped in a grain bin, Cory Ritter says eight different fire departments and multiple farmers rushed to the scene to help.

(Cory Ritter )

“His love for community was really shown when all the farmers started showing up. Fire departments, I think there was eight fire departments, that showed up. There were over a hundred people on-site that day,” Cory says.

With the loss of his dad just weeks before, and their family still coping with such a tragic loss, Cory says he’s wiling to share his dad’s story in hopes his tragedy will help prevent accidents on other farms.

“If something good can come out of this tragedy, it’s other people thinking twice before doing something by themselves that’s slightly unsafe,” he says. “We just want to talk to make people think twice. If we can save somebody else, that’s a win and something that I’m going to be comforted in.”

Purdue University reports no fewer than 51 cases involving agricultural confined spaces were documented in 2024, including 22 fatal and 29 non-fatal cases.

(Cory Ritter )

Grain bin entrapments are a continued risk of farming. Purdue University compiles data annually, and the latest report showed 51 grain bin entrapments, and 41.2% of those resulted in a death. That compares to the five-year average of 49.7%.

However, that number is more than likely too low. As the report indicated, over two-thirds of current U.S. grain storage capacity is on farms, which are exempt from OSHA injury reporting requirements, meaning it is highly likely the summary does not encompass all grain-related entrapments.

It's Hot Out There: Avoid Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion This Summer

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:01:10 GMT

As the temperatures begin to soar, we all know farm and ranch work never stops, even in the hot weather.

“Wear lightweight, long-sleeved, light-colored clothing, or a cooling vest and take short, frequent breaks in a shaded or cool area to stay cool while working outdoors,” says Tawnie Larson, a program manager in Kansas State University’s Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health Program.

She says technical cooling vests “are essentially like wearing air conditioning.”

“The vests use specialized fabric and fibers to circulate cooling products to keep body temperatures low during hot days,” she explains.

Larson also suggests using equipment with a canopy, such as a Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) with a sunshade.

“Usually, the ROPS with canopies cannot be folded down, which in turn provides more safety for operators because the ROPS is always activated,” Larson says. “Equipment that has an enclosed cab often times comes with air conditioning and has a built-in ROPS. Both of these options provide safety from rollovers and can help prevent heat-related illness.”

Because each individual reacts to hot days different, it’s important to listen to your body, Larson says. Take frequent breaks and stay inside during the hottest part of the day if possible.

“Medication may also play a role in affecting one’s body’s ability to stay cool, making it harder to handle the heat,” Larson says. “Before working outside this summer, check with your doctor to see if you’re at higher risk for heat-related illness and whether you should take extra-precautions due to medication.”

Is it Heat Stroke or Heat Exhaustion?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes, and before becoming thirsty. The CDC also recommends keeping sugary and alcoholic drinks to a minimum. Replace salt and minerals with snacks or a sports drink.

Heat stroke symptoms include high body temperature; hot, dry, red or damp skin; fast, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and lack of consciousness.

If a person is suffering from heat stroke:

Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Move the person to a cooler place.
Lower the person’s temperature with cooler clothes.
Do not give the person anything to drink.

“Heat exhaustion is different and usually not as serious,” Larson says.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include:

heavy sweating
cold, pale and clammy skin
fast, weak pulse
nausea
tiredness
headache
fainting

“If this occurs, take action by moving to a cool place, loosen clothing, get cool, sip water and seek medical attention if symptoms last longer than an hour or get worse,” Larson says.

Your Next Read — July Weather Outlook: Goodbye Rain, Hello Heat

Third Chinese National Accused of Smuggling Biological Materials into Michigan

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:38:04 GMT

Another Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological materials related to roundworms into the U.S. for work at a University of Michigan laboratory. This is the third such charge of a Chinese national by the U.S. federal government in a week.

Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the United States and making false statements, according to a criminal complaint , said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday.

“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory — is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., in a prepared statement. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”

On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States.

CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States.

At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI.

During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to roundworms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, in a prepared statement.

Han is pursing a doctoral degree from the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint.

The Detroit Free Press reports Han made an initial appearance June 9 in federal court and was temporarily detained. A detention hearing is set for June 11, according to court records.

Less than a week ago, on June 4, AgWeb reported two Chinese nationals had been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus , Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

Jian is currently in U.S. custody where she awaits a detention hearing June 13. Liu, who had attempted to enter the U.S., was returned to China following questioning by U.S. customs officers.

Your next read: Chinese Scientist Accused of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

She Found Her Fiancé Clinging to Life After a Major Anhydrous Leak and Then Miraculously Helped Save Him

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:30:08 GMT

This story originally aired on U.S. Farm Report in December 2023. One year after the accident occurred, we are once again sharing the miraculous rescue during our 2024 Harvest of Thanks Special.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

It was calm across the rolling fields of central Iowa on Nov. 19, 2023. It was a Sunday, and Kendra Vander Leest says it was prime for fall fieldwork.

“Before lunch, Joe decided it was fit to pull ammonia,” Kendra says.

Her fiancé, Joe Rempe, spent all afternoon in the field that day applying anhydrous ammonia.

“When evening rolled around, I checked on his Life360 and everything seemed fine at that point.

About 7:30 p.m., she heard the tractor crawling toward the house. She thought it meant Joe was calling it quits for the night.

“I was in the kitchen making our daughter Josie’s bedtime bottle and prepping her bottles for daycare on Monday. I went to put her bottles in our daycare bag and happened to look up, out the window, and I saw the tractor and a plume of anhydrous smoke. At that point, it was like time started moving really slowly,” Kendra says.

A Giant Plume of Smoke

Seeing that plume of smoke, and knowing what it was, her heart dropped.

“I knew it was Joe,” she recalls. “I knew instantly it was Joe. I knew what I was seeing, but it was just surreal.”

Full of fear, she rushed to grab her phone.

“As I’m running up the steps, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s gone. There’s no way.’ As bad as that is, I thought there’s no way [he’s alive].”

She decided to call him, knowing Joe might not be alive to answer.

“I knew I couldn’t run out there into the plume. Otherwise, I would wind up dead or hurt. So, I called him and he answered,” she says.

“I think she said, ‘Joe!’ All I could say was ‘help me,’” he remembers.

“I hung up and called 911, but I knew by the way he said ‘help me’ he was badly hurt,” Kendra recalls.

The 911 Call

Farm Journal was able to track down the 911 call Kendra made that day.

“Pella 911, where’s your emergency?” says the dispatcher.

“We have an anhydrous ammonia accident,” Kendra says. “I need an ambulance. I need a HazMat crew. This is bad, bad.”

The 911 call even captured the moment Kendra ran outside her house and found Joe.

“I’m on the phone with 911. You need water? Oh, God,” you can hear Kendra say. “Just lay down. I’m going to get water. Lay down. I’m going to get water.”

“All right, he inhaled?” you can hear the 911 dispatch operator ask.

“Yes, his lungs are burned. He said his lungs are burning,” Kendra says.

“The tank is completely unloading, but there’s no houses nearby for anyone to get hurt. It’s, it’s bad,” she says.

Kendra Found Joe Clinging to Life

Kendra says when she rushed outside her house, she found Joe crawling on the gravel road, which was about 200 yards from the tractor. She says he was fighting for his life.

“I could hear him coughing. He was crawling toward the house, and as soon as he heard me, he just collapsed,” she says.

Kendra says the second she saw the plume of smoke, she immediately knew it was anhydrous. That’s because her full-time job is with the Iowa Department of Agriculture in the Feed and Fertilizer Bureau. Part of her job is conducting anhydrous ammonia inspections at retailer facilities across the state. From her training and experience, she knew exactly how bad the damage could be.

“He didn’t have any burns on his skin, so the water I grabbed didn’t really do any good. There was nothing for me to dump the water on. All his burns were internal in his nasal cavities, his throat, his lungs, those were all burned,” she says.

“I was badly luck burned inside,” Joe says.

Fire and rescue responded, and a Life Flight carried Joe to Des Moines. From there, he was transferred to Iowa City.

The Anhydrous Accident

As Kendra was driving to the hospital, she still didn’t know what had just transpired in the field. All she knew is Joe was applying anhydrous, something he’s done for nearly 30 years.

“I had just got hooked up to a new set of twins [anhydrous tanks],” Joe says.

Typically, the anhydrous tanks have a hose holder, but he says that pair of tanks they had received did not.

“So, I tried to put a loop on the hoses. Well, my hose must have come loose. And when I was turning on the corner, the left front tire of the twin tank must have run over my hose and then broke the front or pulled the threads out. And the hose came apart,” he says.

He was toward the back of a nearby field when he heard a pop, and gas immediately started shooting straight toward tractor.

“Gas was blowing right at me. It was hitting the back of the cab, the vapor, and going around the tractor,” Joe says.

He tried to turn different directions to change where the smoke was shooting, but he says there was no wind that day. So, it didn’t do any good.

“The whole field was turned into fog, and I knew I had to go to Plan B. I did not know what to do,” he says.

That’s when Joe decided his only option was to head toward the house, all while he couldn’t see and was losing his ability to breathe.

“I knew where the bottom terrace would come out, so I knew I could follow the terrace,” he remembers.

But as he got to a crossing that was in a low spot of the field, he says he couldn’t see anything.

“I lost where I was. I just drove by feel,” he remembers.

Somehow, Joe made it past the crossing, and at that point, the smoke cleared enough to see a gravel road.

“I came east towards the house, and when I crested the hill I was blacking out, because I was losing air. And I really thought I was pretty close to dying,” he says.

At that point, the tractor stopped moving. Inside the cab of the tractor, Joe’s eyes were already so badly burned, he couldn’t see his phone to call 911 or Kendra.

“And I remember I was so darn scared to get out of the tractor. I only pulled 1.1 acres off that tank, so I knew that sucker had a lot of anhydrous in it, and it kept blowing at the tractor. I was so scared to get out, but I knew I had to because it was my only choice.”

At that point, Joe put on a sweatshirt he had with him, as a way to protect his skin. He also grabbed a bottle of water he knew he had on the floor. After he climbed out of the tractor cab, he tried to run toward the house, but he quickly ran out of air.

“And I went down, so I started crawling,” he says.

Diagnosis: Extensive Internal Burns

When Joe was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital, Kendra says she still didn’t know if he was going to survive.

“Two doctors came in and told us what was going on. They told us they could not intubate him because his throat was swelling shut. And so they cut in a cricothyrotomy, which is an emergency trach, to get air to him,” she says.

The doctors used saline bags with tubes to try and flush his eyes out. Once in Iowa City, Kendra learned even more.

“When I got to Iowa City, they said that he had grade one to grade two burns in his sinus cavities, throat and deep into his lungs,” says Kendra. “It basically burnt his vocal cords, his voice box, and his mouth and tongue were completely swollen.”

Kendra says the anhydrous burned the outer-most layer of his eyes, and even today, Joe can’t see enough to read, nor can he stand bright light.

“The only thing the eye doctor said he can’t fix is the dry eyes. So, he’ll just take gel eyedrops forever, but considering everything that happened, we will take that,” she says.

Kendra Nursed Joe Back to Health

Joe spent 10 days in the hospital, but the real work for Kendra started when they sent Joe home.

“I have taken about a month off work, and the nurses trained me how to take care of him, how to administer his meds, and crush medications,” she says.

It’s something Kendra does every 45 minutes. A home health nurse comes twice a week, but the best nurse, Joe says, is Kendra.

“She’s…. good,” says Joe.

“She Saved Me.”

In this Christmas miracle, Joe knows Kendra is his angel.

“She saved me, there is no doubt in my mind,” he says.

In Joe’s eyes, November 19, 2023, is filled with many miracles, including Kendra seeing that something wasn’t right.

“If she was over there, or another spot, she wouldn’t have seen me. She had to be right there, and she happened to be looking [outside]. I would say there was about 15 to 20 miracles from that tractor to the corner of the yard, to Des Moines and to Iowa City.”

Joe fought for his life that day and now shares his story of survival.

“I started yelling to myself, in my head, ‘You cannot die. You cannot leave Kendra by herself,’” he says.

Joe’s story of survival is also thanks to Kendra, who’s cherishing the fact she can celebrate this Christmas with all their family.

ADM Sued for Alleged Misconduct, Lack of Safety Inspections

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:58:25 GMT

By P.J. Huffstutter

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co intentionally failed to test and maintain safety systems on its grain equipment for years, which contributed to an explosion that immolated a worker and put him in a coma last year, according to a lawsuit filed against the company.

The explosion was part of a string of safety incidents at ADM facilities in Decatur, Illinois, site of the global grain trader’s North American headquarters.

ADM on Thursday declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The company’s shares have been under pressure this year from a global glut of grain supplies, and it is also facing U.S. government investigations related to accounting irregularities.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Macon County Circuit Court in Illinois, alleges that worker Antonio McElrath was in a Decatur facility known as the West Plant in April 2023 when a supervisor told him to shut down a grain “leg” tube that started smoking.

An explosion occurred when the tube was opened, and McElrath was standing in its direct path, according to the lawsuit.

McElrath, now 44, was in an induced coma for two to three weeks following the accident, his attorney Timothy Shay said. “He has suffered significant injuries and is still in recovery.”

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that ADM failed to inspect or test critical safety systems in the explosion that injured McElrath and two other workers.

ADM had fire and explosion suppression systems in place to prevent problems and keep workers safe, but the systems were not working, the lawsuit alleges.

ADM’s sprawling grain and oilseed processing complex in Decatur also suffered dust explosions in 2018 and 2019, fires in 2019, and a smoldering event this summer at the West Plant, according to the lawsuit.

Separately, workers were injured from an explosion at the site’s East Plant in September 2023. And on Monday, an industrial fire broke out at ADM’s sorbitol production department of its East Plant, according to the Decatur Fire Department.

ADM has focused on safety efforts companywide, ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said in an email statement late on Thursday.

At its Decatur complex over the past year, the company has hired process safety engineers and taken other steps to improve safety in its processes, among other steps, Anderson said. “We are fully committed to learning and improving when an operational event occurs so that it does not happen again.”

(Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Leslie Adler)

Meet AGwagon: The American Truck Built By Farmers, For Farmers

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 21:35:00 GMT

There are many distinct varieties of trucks — fire trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks and cement trucks, for example — but oddly enough, there has never been a pickup truck 100% purposely-built for farmers and ranchers, until now.

Certified Agriculture Dealerships (CAD) has teamed up with Fox Factory Performance Vehicles to create AGwagon pickup truck aftermarket kits. The kits convert off-the-factory-line trucks into rugged and tough, back 40 devouring, farm equipment hauling beasts.

Before the AGwagon, most farmers upgraded and ruggedized trucks with cash out-of-pocket. That can get expensive. Original equipment manufacturer-installed front ends, for example, are not built to withstand the pounding that driving fields and hauling equipment and other heavy loads everyday places on a pickup. Many farmers end up replacing a farm truck’s worn out front end every other year or so, according to CAD reps.

AGwagon offers Ultra HD front bumper with winch mount and grille protection, along with premium fog lights and a front bumper light cannon upgrade.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Now, farmers can finance and order a purposely built AGwagon through CAD’s 200-plus dealer network, and it shows up ready to take an absolute pounding from day one, from the beefed up front end to the ultra-heavy-duty back bumper.

There are several pre-configured options and features to choose from, starting at $30,000 for a basic tier of upgrades and topping out at around $50,000 for the top-of-the-line package. Farmers can also order ala carte to pick and choose the features that best fit their intended use.

The kits are brand agnostic (it just needs to be a new domestic truck and over half a ton) and assembled in the USA at Fox Factories’ Trussville, Ala., plant.

The AGwagon kits were built off feedback from a panel of 14 farmers and ranchers. The features that made the final cut are mainly centered around making trucks more durable and rugged, as well as adding in high performance and comfort features. Notably, there is an option to install a ruggedized Starlink Internet terminal on top of the cab for on-the-go connectivity, and there is an integrated two-way radio system available.

“What CAD and Fox Factory were able to do with AGwagon is what I personally don’t see enough of in the ag sector, and that is going to the farmers first, and to the ranchers first, and finding out from them what they need for a pickup truck to be more functional,” says farmer Jeff O’Connor.

O’Connor raises soybeans in northeast Illinois (Kankakee to be exact) and he participated in the farmer panel. Having reviewed the first AGwagon prototype, O’Connor likes the stepped-up durability, internet connectivity and LED lighting add-ons that will help farmers working long days.

“I’ve still got a 79-year-old dad — who’s soon to be 80 — helping me,” O’Connor states. “I’m upgrading lights in our shed just so it has better lighting for safety. You hate to lose skilled labor because they can’t see where their feet are going. So I am glad to see they really made [lighting] a major, major part of the truck and its ability to serve the operator.”

CAD hosted an unveiling of its prototype model, built onto a Ford Super Duty pickup, in Columbus, Ohio, last week. Speaking to reporters, CEO Pat Driscoll highlighted how the company worked alongside farmers to bring their feedback to life.

“They said ‘give me a heavy-duty front end that will hold up for years’, and that’s what we have here,” he says. “Easy bed access was also at the top of the list. That’s why you see the fold-away steps on the side, because none of us are getting younger and we need a little help. One of the other things they wanted was high intensity, 360-degree LED lighting because work doesn’t stop when it’s dark. This truck gives you 360-degrees of LED lighting for as long as you need it.”

For those curious, the AGwagon name was picked because the truck “captures the defining characteristics of the original AGwagon aerial application plane — reliability, longevity and capability,” Driscoll says.

Special financing is available, and all AGwagons include a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty on all installed components. Learn more about the AGwagon’s features and multiple upgrade packages at agwagon.com .

The AGwagon will only be available from Certified Agriculture Dealerships. To locate your nearest CAD, head over to AgTruckTrader.com .

Your Next Read: Purdue Study Shows Grain Entrapments Decrease By 35% Since 2022

Can Static Electricity Spark A Combine Fire?

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 20:32:23 GMT

The spinning steel and plastic components of a combine, insulated from the ground by rubber tires and plastic skid shoes on small grain platforms, have been proven to create a static electric charge in machines under certain harvest conditions. Does that electrical charge create a fire risk?

Probably not.

“There is no doubt that static electricity builds up on parts of combines under some conditions, but there is no evidence to support static electricity as a prime cause [of combine fires],” wrote the late Dr. Graeme Quick, a professor at Iowa State University who did extensive research on fires in harvest equipment in his homeland of Australia as well as in the U.S., in “An Investigation into Combine Harvester Fires.”

“The static energy from a [combine] discharge ranges from about 10 millijoules (mJ) to 150 mJ in a single-discharge spark,” said Ben White, a research engineer for the Kondinin Group, an agricultural consortium in Australia. “The static electricity required to ignite a fire [in crop residue] is around 500 mJ in a continuous arc.’

White cited testing done by Chilworth Global in New Jersey, a consulting company that tests, under controlled conditions, the hazardous properties of materials during their processing. Controlled Global found that even an exceptionally large single-discharge static electric spark of 500 mJ didn’t ignite powdered crop residue because it didn’t provide the requisite continuous arc.

White acknowledged buildup of static electricity attracts fine dust on combines, especially under low-humidity conditions. Since surface temperatures of modern diesel engine exhaust systems often exceed 500 degrees, accumulations of dust near exhaust components can grow large enough to ignite without an actual static electric discharge. Dust accumulations become a fuel supply and exhaust heat a source of ignition.

Quick noted in his report a distinct bias for combine fires to be in the left rear quarter of the machines. Exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, mufflers, diesel particulate filters and other exhaust components, sitting downwind from high-volume cooling fans, are prone to collect crop debris. The fact many combine fires are on the left rear sidewall of machines suggests debris lodges near exhaust components, ignites and becomes embers easily dislodged by fan blast, which then fall onto pockets of debris lower on the machine.

Fires in other areas of combines, when investigated, were identified as caused by overheated bearings, sparks from metal components rubbing together or electrical system short circuits.

Your Next Read: Timely Claims Ensure Insurance Coverage

Landus Launches New Health Insurance Program, Details Recent Acquisitions

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:06:41 GMT

Landus, an Iowa-based agriculture solutions and farm technology provider, has announced affordable, farmer-focused health coverage options are now available through its new Landus Health and Conduit Health program.

The initiative is powered by Momentum Ag, a Division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC, and will provide comprehensive health insurance coverage through a nationwide provider network, ensuring health care is affordable and accessible for thousands of farmers across the nation.

Momentum Ag may sound familiar to some readers. Back in January, FBN spun off its health insurance project to Patriot Growth Services , which rebranded the FBN health insurance program under the Momentum Ag moniker.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the process, Landus had previously come to a tentative agreement with a separate entity to underwrite its health insurance program, but Landus and the unnamed entity mutually decided to part ways due to lack of coverage for accidents involving motorized vehicles. Landus then pivoted to an alternative partner to launch the program, with Momentum Ag entering the equation.

According to a Landus press release, health insurance programs for farmers and their employees have been overwhelmingly expensive, and coverage has been limited across the ag industry, with farmers paying the majority of expenses out of pocket. Landus Health and Conduit Health makes health coverage available for farming operations of any size and is specifically designed with rural families’ needs in mind, the cooperative adds.

“There are plenty of people out there that are thinking about what’s happening now, but one of the key advantages is going to be investing in the farmer themselves,” says Dehra Harris, senior director - training and performance. “One of the biggest changes is actually having affordable health care insurance, and we need to make models where it comes to you. Those resources don’t mean that you’re leaving the farm for five hours at a time. This is the stuff that actually works for you.”

Landus Health and Conduit Health offers, among other benefits:

Comprehensive Coverage: Program includes $0 preventative and telemedicine along with care coordination and disease management for chronic conditions.
At-Home Access to Care: All farmers who sign up for Landus Health or Conduit Health will receive a TytoCare kit for convenient, efficient at-home access to health providers and diagnoses regardless of proximity to provider locations. According to Landus representatives, enrolled farmers, their employees, and their families can be seen by a medical professional virtually with no upfront co-pay expense via the TytoCare kit.
Affordable Program Options: Multiple program options are offered to fit every budget with solutions for employee only, employee/spouse, employee/children, or family.
Nationwide Provider Network: Available options use the Cigna nationwide network, so it’s easy to find an in-network provider wherever you are.

“We listened to our farmers. Rural vitality is central to our mission here at Landus, and affordable, high quality health coverage is a key part of that,” said Matt Carstens, Landus and Conduit president & CEO. “I look forward to partnering with a farmer-focused company like Momentum Ag to get this critical support in the hands of farmers.”

Additional developments

Landus also shared the following news items this week:

The acquisition of DSM Advantage, a strategic move that marks the launch of a new freight brokering division, Landus Advantage. The cooperative says the addition will increase its ability to support farmers with quality freight service year-round. By entering the freight brokering industry, Landus is now positioned to offer its farmer-members and other customers competitive freight rates, reliable service, and a streamlined experience, according to the cooperative.
The acquisition of independent, Iowa-based distributor Wickman Chemical, which Landus says will bolster a variety of chemical products and service offerings for customers in Iowa and Kansas. The acquisition also opens up Wickman Chemical’s customer base to have access to all that Landus has to offer. The purchase agreement will go into effect on October 1, 2024.
A collaborative venture with Wessels Oil Company to spur the creation of Landus Energy, which the cooperative says will significantly enhance the customer experience for both Landus and Wessels Oil Co. and deliver energy products (off-road diesel, regular diesel, gasoline, LP, etc.) to Landus customers.

The financial terms of both deals were not disclosed as of press time.

You can visit Landus.ag to learn more.

Your Next Read: How Landus Is Blazing A New Path in Ag Retail

Avoid “Weird Science” On the Farm

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 22:00:15 GMT

Remember high school chemistry demonstrations where the teacher poured two innocent-looking liquids into a beaker, and the beaker erupted into a volcano of foam? Similar, but less dramatic, chemical reactions can happen when incompatible herbicides are not mixed correctly.

“The days of glyphosate and water made us forget everything we knew about mixing farm chemicals,” says Jim Reiss, vice president of development and technical services for Precision Laboratories. “But as we return to tank mixing products, we’re dealing with complex chemistries that can be very sensitive to chemical compatibility, mixing sequence and other subtleties that can lead to big problems if they’re ignored.”

Here are considerations that can determine whether a tank of blended herbicides provides effective weed control or becomes a weird science chemical disaster.

Mix In Sequence.
“There are situations where products are compatible and work great if you mix Product A with Product B, then add Product C,” Reiss says. “But if you mix A with C then add B, it could turn to cottage cheese. Mixing sequences are detailed in the fine print on product labels, or you can use our free ‘Mix Tank App’ at precisionlabs.com to see if products are compatible. The app also details what sequence to mix them, and other information that can help prevent problems in a spray system.”

Make Sure You Use Enough Water.
“Mixing concentrated pesticides together in a 1,000-gal. solution tank with only 100 gal. or 200 gal. of water in the bottom, or in a mixing vat or induction cone without water at all, is a mixing sin,” says Dr. Bryan Young, professor of weed science at Purdue University. “Mixing instructions on labels recommend filling any mixing container half full of water before adding any product to make sure there’s enough water to absorb all the chemicals.”

Proper Mixing Takes Time.
“People will glug one jug of chemical into an inductor, then glug another one right in behind it before the first chemical can fully mix with the water or carrier,” Young says. “We’re trying to mix things as fast as we can, and we’re forcing too much chemistry to happen all at once.”

Hard Water Can Affect Chemicals.
“Glyphosate is the poster child for problems with mineral hardness,” says Dr. Fred Whitford, director of Purdue University pesticide programs. “If you’re using Glyphosate in hard water, you’re definitely not getting full effect of the glyphosate on weeds. Hardness levels above 200 mg/L of calcium can cause problems with some chemicals.”

Be Aware of Water pH and Mineral Content.
“Some chemicals, like glyphosate, work best in slightly acidic water, around 5.0 to 5.5,” Young says. “Other chemicals are more soluble at higher pH, while some pesticides may not be stable at the higher pH.”

Understand Agitation.
All spray mixes require agitation at each step of mixing, from pre-mixing through application. “Physical agitation is best,” Reiss says. “The turbulence of just pumping chemicals into a tank isn’t enough. Sloshing down the road in a transport tank isn’t enough. If a transport tank sits on the side of a road for an hour, waiting to refill a sprayer, it should be agitated before transferring to the sprayer.”

Sitting Means Separation.
If a transport tank sits for an hour on the side of the road waiting to fill a sprayer, or overnight, it should be re-agitated before use. Even if the components don’t come out of suspension and settle to the bottom of the tank, they can stratify. Stratification means the solution at the bottom of the tank is “hotter” than the layers at the top, which can lead to mysterious in-field streaking and poor weed control as the load is sprayed off.

Don’t Trust Tank Markings or Free Measuring Tubes.
The gradations on plastic transport and sprayer tanks can be off by 100 gal. in a 1,000-gal. tank. Adding enough chemicals to treat 1,000 gal. to a tank that actually only holds 900 gal. wastes money and risks over-application.

“Misjudging volume can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a spraying season,” Whitford says. “Calibrated flow meters provide good accuracy. Or, knowing that water weighs 8.34 lb. per gallon, you can weigh a tank full of water to know exactly how many gallons it actually it holds.”

The tubes and measuring cups provided with dry chemicals aren’t especially accurate. “They warn you on the tube or cup that they can be off by 7% to 10%,” he says. “A good set of scales only costs $75 to $100 and can pay for itself by not over- or under-applying.”

When in Doubt, Add Water.
If products clump, change color or look weird during mixing, add water immediately. Water is a universal solvent, and since many coagulation and consistency problems with spray mixes start with mixing chemicals too quickly or without enough water, adding water can sometimes rescue an early-stage disaster.

“But in many cases,” Young says, “once an actual chemical reaction between two products has developed, there’s no going back. It may be best to stop and clean the system while things are still flowable, because if things actually coagulate into cottage cheese, you’ll have to clean out the tank and every valve, screen and hose on the machine.”

Stop the “If Only This Would Happen” Game Now

Tue, 07 May 2024 21:09:35 GMT

You need to do what you need to do to make your life better. Is it really that simple? Ted Matthews, a mental health practitioner with Rural Minnesota Mental Health Support , told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory that far too many people hear mental health and immediately think mental illness.

For many farmers that Matthews talks to, it’s “not that bad.” Farmers say they can handle the stress, Matthews says. This works until it doesn’t.

“We’re constantly pressured into this concept that it has to get to a certain point before we take care of ourselves,” Matthews explains. “And that’s absolutely stupid.”

Instead, farmers need to take care of themselves now, so they don’t have to worry about going down that road later.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Not only is it a time to address the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, but it’s also a reminder to take care of your mental health.

“Everybody’s different,” Matthews says. What drives one farmer crazy may not phase another farmer at all. He encourages people to take a step back when stress sets in and evaluate what’s under their control and what’s not.

“We can’t control the water. We can’t control the sun. We can’t control a lot of different things,” he says. “But we can focus on the things we can control. That will give us enough energy to get those things done. Far too often I see people get so wrapped up in all the things that they can’t do, that they end up not doing the things they can do because they’re so stressed.

Knowledge, however, doesn’t always result in the stress going away.

“Just because I know something, doesn’t mean I’m not going to get stressed,” he explains. “That’s something that we always need to look at. I always tell people, be nice. Take care of yourself. Do what you need to do to make your life better.”

Click here to download the eBook “Your Guide to Mental Health.”

Matthews says if you want to be more supportive of a farmer, say, “It must be really hard,” and let them tell you how they’re feeling about it. Don’t tell them what they should feel. Let them tell you what they do feel.

Everyone is always racing around like they’re at the Indy 500, he adds.

“I’m not saying it’s not important to get the crop in, but if you can take an extra half hour to have a cup of coffee, take an extra 10 minutes to talk to your wife or your kids or both, it will help,” Matthews says. “Take care of that end so it does not become an overwhelming stressor.”

Remember that your thoughts matter. When stress sets in, ask yourself these questions:
-What can I do to make life better?
-How can I listen better?
-How can I take care of myself better?
-How can I look at my mental health in a way that says, ‘I’m feeling better, and if I’m not, I’m responsible to make myself feel better.’

It’s time to stop waiting on others to step in, he adds.

“If only they would do this. If this happened, then I would (fill in the blank),” Matthews says. “Stop thinking those thoughts because we have no control over them. Focus on the things you do have control over, and you’re going to be a healthier person.”

Read More:

Mental Health on the Farm: One Swine Production Manager’s Story

5 Ways to Work Through Difficult Times

By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope

Pay Attention to Warning Signs of Stress

Lack of Understanding Leads to Loneliness in Farmers

Toxic Grit: Is Our Greatest Strength Our Greatest Weakness on the Farm?

Stress: Action is Key

Farmers, Ranchers Have Ways to Manage Stress

Suicide Prevention: Your Worth Isn’t Measured By The Markets

Don’t Let Social Distancing Lead to Social Isolation

Connect With Farmers In-Person On Mental Health

Simple, Daily Habits to Help Manage Stress

Pay Attention to Warning Signs of Stress

When Your Trampoline Breaks: Avoid Isolation

7 Steps to Reduce Farm and Financial Stress

How and Why to Laugh, Even When it’s Hard

Watch for Signs of Suicidal Risk on Your Farm

Wild Pigs Kill More People Than Sharks, Shocking New Research Reveals

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:43:28 GMT

Hogzilla or Jaws? More humans are killed annually by wild pigs than by sharks, a startling new study reveals. By slice, puncture, hook, and gouge, the global number of fatalities from wild pig attacks is rising by the decade.

Between 2014 and 2023, the average yearly number of fatal shark attacks worldwide was 5.8, while the average number of fatal wild pig attacks was 19.7. In 2024 alone, there have already been seven deaths from wild pig incidents.

According to groundbreaking research published in 2023, the number of humans killed by wild pig attacks steadily climbed from 2000 to 2019, for a total of 172 deaths—including a freakishly grisly fatality in southeast Texas.

“Most of the public doesn’t know the facts about wild pig attacks on humans,” says John J. Mayer, lead author of the study and wild pig research pioneer. “It’s not sharks, wolves, or bears that kill the most people—it’s wild pigs, and the numbers are consistently trending up.”

1,532 Attacks and 172 Deaths

In 1973, well before the global pig bomb exploded, Mayer began noting wild pigs’ capacity for habitat destruction. At a steady drip, he also heard anecdotes of pig attacks on humans. Although many of the stories initially could not be verified, by the 1990s Mayer accumulated a folder bulging with confirmed encounters, and in 2013, he published research detailing wild pig attacks.

The public reaction to his findings surprised Mayer: “I got a significant number of negative responses from people who refused to believe wild pigs were dangerous. I had people telling me the stories of attacks on humans were pure nonsense. Interestingly, if you asked those same people about sharks, they would, to a person, say that sharks are dangerous.”

A decade later, after collating a global dragnet of sources with colleagues James Garabedian and John Kilgo, both USDA wildlife biologists, Mayer published Human Fatalities Resulting From Wild Pig Attacks Worldwide: 2000–2019 , and the report is packed with eye-opening detail: 1,532 wild pig attacks on humans from 2000-2019, resulting in 172 human deaths in 29 countries.

Of the 172 fatalities, 88% occurred in non-hunting circumstances; 77% of victims died due to blood loss; 86% of attacks occurred in daylight; 84% of victims were male and 62% of victims were adults; 38% of attacks involved farm workers engaged in agriculture; almost all attacks were by solitary pigs, except for 20 encounters featuring multiple pigs; and average pig size in each incident was 240 lb.

“Tigers, Indian elephants, Nile crocodiles, and venomous snakes kill more people than wild pigs, but wild pigs are certainly worse than bears, wolves, and all shark species put together,” says Mayer, technical program manager at the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, S.C. “Wild pigs are nowhere near the worst of the worst, but they’re far more dangerous than people believe.”

“These attacks can be horrific,” Mayer adds. “Typically, wild pigs don’t bother anyone if they don’t feel threatened, but they can deliver tremendous damage to the human body in a matter of seconds in a very gruesome manner. We found that in fatal attacks, 55% of people died on the scene. A wild pig is at the waist to knee range for most humans, and when pigs slash in that area, they do tremendous damage to the arterial system.”

Sincerely. Boars deliver stab-and-slash wounds, often around the groin area, with tusks that operate as nails and razors.

7x Predatory

Boar tusks are extremely sharp, with 60-70% of a canine enclosed in the jaw and roughly 1”-4” outside the socket. The upper and lower tusks rub against one another each time a boar opens and closes its mouth, honing the lower tusks into cutters via a perpetual sharpening process.

“Boars punch holes with their tusks, making rough-edged slashes and gouges,” Mayer describes. “They can also break bones with a powerful bite. Sows have smaller tusks, proportionally almost like dogs, so a sow tends to bite, rather than stab or slash. Therefore, most fatal attacks are by males with large canines, and often to the inner leg and femoral artery. On top of that, they can run in short bursts up to 30 to 35 miles per hour.”

Mayer’s benchmark report makes clear that almost all fatal wild pig attacks are associated with defensive behaviors. However, he documented seven attacks “during which the pig’s behaviors appeared to be predatory.”

“If they can get their mouths around something, they’ll eat it. It’s rare, but without question, they sometimes attack unprovoked,” Mayer notes. “We found one case in India where a young girl was walking with her father when a wild pig emerged from brush, grabbed her and picked her up in its jaws, and carried her away. The father gave chase and caught up, but both the father and daughter ended up in the hospital and the little girl died from her wounds.”

“And then there was the 2019 case in Texas where a lady endured the worst,” he adds. “That case is as terrible as it gets.”

As in, maneater. Wild pigs as maneaters.

Feeding Frenzy

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, 2019, arguably ranks as the most savage wild pig attack on record.

As caregiver at the home of an elderly couple living in rural Chambers County, Christine Rollins, 59, arrived to work at roughly 6 a.m., in clockwork fashion. Rollins parked a Chrysler sedan in the yard of the well-kept property, directly beside the driveway, and exited her vehicle. She likely was dead within minutes, partially consumed while alive.

At approximately 7:45 a.m. law enforcement arrived at the property and found Rollins—5’1” and 130 lb.—on her back against the manicured lawn, 6’ from the Chrysler. Rollins’ clothing was torn away. A shirt and jacket were bunched high on her torso; pants and shoes were gone.

Her body, head to toe, was a roadmap of injuries—bites, punctures, and lacerations, including large portions of her legs devoid of flesh. Gone. Eaten.

Arriving on site as an investigation unfolded, nothing in Sheriff Brian Hawthorne’s 35-year southeast Texas career prepared him for the scene.

“I’d never seen anything like it in my life,” he recalls. “Miss Rollins was annihilated. A third of her body was mutilated and in ghastly condition. We could see that she’d been attacked by wild animals and we could see clear signs of hog rooting in the yard. The area around the property was rural and partially wooded, and the elderly owners told us they had major wild hog problems.”

“The owners also had two dogs outside, a 14-year-old Lab and a dachshund, a classic wiener dog. The Lab was extremely friendly toward us and was happy to see the deputies.”

Designated as an “unknown death,” the incident automatically triggered a criminal investigation. Hawthorne reserved judgement, pending an autopsy.

The autopsy was telltale.

“It was tragic. Miss Rollins bled to death,” Hawthorne says. “She had wounds over her whole body, but the lower extremities were horrific. People tried to attribute the attack to dogs, but the evidence was clearly to the contrary. The pathologist found no canine bites on the body. There certainly were bites and tusk marks of all sizes and different widths, but they were made by hogs. Material was sent to labs for DNA testing, and those results confirmed the wild hog attack.”

“It can only be speculation, but we believe she exited her car while the wild pigs were coming around the house,” he continues. “Initially, she was an obstruction, but then became the center of a feeding frenzy by multiple adult hogs and multiple juveniles of various sizes. I’d compare it to the frenzy of domesticated pigs when slop is dumped in a pen, or the frenzy normally associated with sharks at feeding.”

Glaringly, the 2019 wild pig attack in Chambers County accords with Mayer’s research and study. “Every part of me wishes Christine Rollins’ death was attributable to something other than wild hogs, but every bit of evidence says it’s not so,” Hawthorne concludes. “This attack was an exception, but I tell people all the time: Wild hogs are problematic and a danger to be around. Period.”

No More Skeptics

Why do most of the attacks and deaths from wild pigs go unnoticed? Over half (51%) of all fatal pig attacks occur in India, followed by China (8%), with the U.S. well behind at six recorded fatalities in the past 100 years, as noted in Human Fatalities Resulting From Wild Pig Attacks Worldwide: 2000–2019 .

However, the attack rate is trending up everywhere, Mayer says. “In the last 30 years, the global wild pig population has exploded, and we expect encounters to climb alongside, and now the news media is also catching up and the data is more available. In America, for example, I’m certain there were more wild pig fatalities in the past century, but those accounts were never documented. No doubt, there are more lost in family histories.”

In the early 1970s, when Mayer first began giving presentations on wild pig expansion, he was met with puzzled looks and a frequent question: “Why study an animal with no relevance?”

Fifty years later, with the U.S. wild pig population ballooning to 7 million, and annual damage to the agriculture economy at $1.5 billion, according to USDA estimates, no one questions Mayer over the impact of wild pigs.

“You hear about shark attacks all the time in the news, but you almost never hear about wild pig attacks. I hope our study increases awareness about wild pigs and makes people more cautious,” he says. “Wild pig attacks are rare and fatal attacks are rarer, but the rate is still much, much higher than people think—high enough to place wild pigs over sharks in cause of death.”

Sincerely. By the numbers, Hogzilla defeats Jaws.

For more articles from Chris Bennett ( cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

American Gothic: Farm Couple Nailed In Massive $9M Crop Insurance Fraud

Priceless Pistol Found After Decades Lost in Farmhouse Attic

Cottonmouth Farmer: The Insane Tale of a Buck-Wild Scheme to Corner the Snake Venom Market

Tractorcade: How an Epic Convoy and Legendary Farmer Army Shook Washington, D.C.

Bizarre Mystery of Mummified Coon Dog Solved After 40 Years

While America Slept, China Stole the Farm

Are You Disposing Pesticides Properly? Here’s How to Know

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:57:35 GMT

As you prepare to spray fields this spring, consider these tips to ensure you’re complying with federal regulations when it comes to pesticide disposal.

In a recent webinar held by the Agricultural Retailers Association, Carlye Patterson, associate at Faegre Drinker law firm in Des Moines, shared anyone disposing pesticides needs to check the instructions on the pesticide label, state and local laws, and the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. However, she says the first step to proper disposal begins before the pesticide is even used.

“The user needs to aim to only mix enough pesticide for the job,” Patterson says. “Then, if there is any extra product they can’t use or can’t be mixed into the sprayer, the product needs to be stored according to regulations.”

Disposal Programs
If you are storing leftover, unused pesticides, Patterson shares one option for disposal is to find a local waste management program.

“Each state actually has its own Clean Sweep program which will dispose of the pesticides for farmers and commercial users,” she says.

Because these programs vary state to state, The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance has created a database on its website with the necessary information for each program – including who to contact, who can participate, and what’s eligible.

It’s important to note that according to the EPA, farmers and commercial users generally cannot dispose of pesticides in household hazardous waste programs that may be offered outside of Clean Sweep.

Container Disposal
Pesticide containers have different regulations for disposal than the pesticides themselves.

Patterson says depending on the type of container, one of two methods can typically be used to prepare it for recycling and disposal.

“Triple rinsing involves flushing the container three times and pouring the rinse water into your applicator tank and induction cone,” she says. “Pressure rinse, on the other hand, is for plastic containers. It has a special nozzle, and it punctures the container and the rinse water goes into the applicator tank.”

The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance also recommends rinsing containers as soon as they are emptied. They warn leaving the container too long without rinsing will lead to dried residue that is nearly impossible to clean.

John Phipps: What We Still Don't Know About PFAS

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 19:23:16 GMT

Two comments from Maine viewers about municipal sludge:

“Sludge and sewage contain PFAS and the state of Maine has banned using it since 2022. I disagree with the Report John made Sunday morning.” - Eric Edmundson

“I’m curious why John did not mention PFAS in his recent discussion on using waste treatment sludge as fertilizer? Its use has become a disaster here in Maine.” - Rick Blease

It is not a coincidence that two viewers from Maine responded – Maine has the only and strictest limits on chemicals called PFAS in the country, and also previously encouraged the use of municipal sludge. Very few states have any regulations at all.

The EPA continues to study the situation, but has not defined a PFAS contamination limit. PFAS contain carbon-fluorine chains and were widely used in consumer and industrial products, largely due to water repellant qualities. They became categorized “forever chemicals” which strikes me as meaningless since water and granite are forever chemicals if you stop and think about it. There are over 4,000 man-made forever chemicals.

We don’t know how PFAS enter the food chain. For example, soil treated with sludge containing PFAS grows contaminated lettuce, but not potatoes; corn stalks may contain PFAS, but not the kernels.

Despite considerable alarm from Maine farmers – the handful of which I read about were organic producers – there is no consensus on how harmful these substance levels are. It seems that the closer to the consumer the greater the possibility of PFAS being passed from sludge, which complicates growers who consider this close connection a benefit. Not all municipal sludge contains significant PFAS contamination.

In fact, here’s what the EPA says we DON’T know: How to detect PFAS, how much exposure people are experiencing, how we are exposed, how harmful they are, how to remove them from water, and how to dispose of them. Landfills and incinerators may actually be worse than spreading sludge.

PFAS are rapidly being phased out by industry. There are farm operations ruined by PFAS due to the inability to meet organic standards, but no evidence to date of a pervasive threat to people or land.

The debate will undoubtedly intensify as more research is conducted.

Toenail Clippings Of Farmers Needed For Chemical Exposure Research

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 17:29:30 GMT

Iowa farmers, get out your toenail clippers! Anna Proctor, a University of Iowa (UI) Ph.D. student, is collecting samples for a study she will conduct later this year using Iowa farmers’ toenails.

Proctor says the nail clippings will help assess farmers’ exposure to arsenic, pesticides and other chemicals.

“I’m trying to see what kinds of chemicals have built up in farmers’ bodies as a result of them doing their job. Farming is a super diverse occupation and there’s a lot of occupational demands that may change daily,” Proctor says. “This can result in a lot of exposures to multiple contamination sources, and these contaminates can be stored in the body.”

Essentially, Proctor wants to take an inventory of pollutants found in farmer’s bodies, using toenails as a biomarker.

Why toenails? Toenails can provide a 6- to 9-month record of a person’s exposure to the contaminants. They’re also easier to collect, handle and store than blood or urine, the typical samples used to determine environmental exposure.

“Toenails are a great noninvasive biomarker,” Proctor explains. “They measure long-term exposure rather than acute. They are stable so they’re easy to transport and store. They aren’t biohazardous material.”

Not to mention, cutting toenails is something most people do and it doesn’t require any medical expertise, she adds.

Why Farmers?

This project was created because Proctor wants to focus her career on improving the health of farmers.

“If the results of my dissertation show us what farmers in Iowa are being exposed to, we can better understand how to protect against those exposures,” she says. “To go about doing that, you need to know what the specific contaminates being built up are so you can have tailored remediation approaches to mitigate exposures to chemicals that are believed to be health hazards.”

In addition to Iowa being the nation’s top producer of corn, hogs and eggs, some parts of the state, in particular the north central region, have high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater that may be tapped for drinking water, researchers explain in an Iowa City Press-Citizen article. Highly toxic, arsenic has been tied to prostate and other cancers as well as to conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.

Although this research is starting in Iowa, Proctor believes it can be expanded.

“I want the work I’m doing now in Iowa to eventually be used on a larger scale. Since different states have different types of agricultural practices and production, I think it could be interesting to see how farmers’ contaminant profiles across the U.S. compare with each other,” she says. “However, I think it’s important to start small and prove that you have effective scientific methods before expanding to something larger.”

Proctor, who most recently worked inside Iowa hog confinements for her master’s thesis, hopes this research will provide Iowa farmers with information that could help them better protect their health.

^{Anna Proctor says this is an easy study to participate in. Photo provided by Anna Proctor.}

“I come from a family of farmers and ranchers and I take this work really seriously,” Proctor says. “Farmers are typically not at the forefront of the country’s mind, which is unfortunate considering how much work and dedication goes into food production.”

She genuinely hopes the work she produces will provide a launch point to identify further areas of research to better protect and promote farmers’ health.

“I want farmers to know that agricultural research efforts are alive and well and researchers respect and want to protect farmers, agricultural workers and members of the food production system,” Proctor adds.

Clipping Toenails Is Easy

Farmers are busy and it’s hard to pull them away from the farm. That’s one of the reasons why toenail clippings are a great way to look at exposure to chemicals.

“You don’t need to be a medical professional to cut your toenails,” Proctor says.

Information gathered will be pooled so individuals’ identity will be protected. Proctor expects the study to take about a year and she plans to provide participants with an overview of the results.

In the study’s next phase, a more targeted group of farmer participants would be recruited to gather more details about their health, lifestyle, farming practices and livestock production.

That work, which isn’t expected to begin for another year or more, could begin to provide answers about farmers’ risk for disease.

How to Join In

Iowa farmers interested in participating in the study should email Anna Proctor at arproctor@uiowa.edu and she will provide a kit that includes a clipper, bag for returning the nail clippings, and a short questionnaire. Proctor expects it will take about 10 minutes for farmers to provide the sample.

Read More:

Iowa State Football Players Go Viral in ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ Campaign

Is Prop 12 to Blame for California’s High Prices and Low Sales of Fresh Pork in August?

Rural Revival: Why 3 Pig Farmers’ Wives Quit Teaching and Bought a Coffee Truck

ATV and UTV Safety: Stay Alert, Stay on Task

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:37:13 GMT

Daykin, Neb. farmer David Endorf will never forget the moment he found himself trapped under his ATV, alone and a quarter mile from his home.

“I didn’t have my mind on what I was doing, and when I backed up, the rear wheel dropped off the side of a small ravine,” Endorf recalls for the Telling the Story Project. “The sprayer, four-wheeler and I went down about 7' into a dry bed with the machine on top of me.”

He was bruised but otherwise OK, albeit stuck. Luckily, his cell phone survived the tumble and he was able to call for help.

Endorf isn’t alone in his experience. Ask almost any farmer about an ATV/UTV wreck or near miss, and they are sure to share a tale. These popular machines are useful, but they are also notoriously dangerous if used outside the wire of standard protocols. According to the latest data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, roughly 60% of work-related deaths on ATVs involve agriculture.

David Endorf’s story is featured in the Telling the Story Project. Click here to read more of his experience and other injury prevention messages.

“It doesn’t take six degrees of separation to find someone who’s been deeply impacted by an ATV incident,” says Megan Schossow, outreach director and coordinator of the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that on average, there are more than 700 deaths and 100,000 emergency room treated injuries on off-highway vehicles each year, with ATVs accounting for more than 95% of them.

This harvest season, as teams gopher from one field to the next, here are some safety considerations to help stay on task and off the incident report.

Wear the Helmet.
Make sure the helmet is sized correctly, hasn’t been in an incident or in use for too many years. “With kids, especially, it’s non-negotiable,” Schossow says. “It’s really important to prevent traumatic brain injuries.”

Use the UTV Seatbelt.
The roll cage won’t provide protection if the seatbelt isn’t properly worn. ”Many of these machines won’t go above a certain mile per hour without the seatbelt buckled,” says Brian Kuhl, president and CEO of the Progressive Agriculture.

Right-Size Your Ride.
Match body size and age to an appropriate machine. Keep hands on handlebars, feet on foot pads and maintain center of gravity in the seat. Most child injuries/fatalities are from using too big of machines.

Tanks Get Tippy.
Adding weight to the front or back of the machine changes the center of balance. “A machine with water on it or a spray tank will tip at a much less steep angle,” Schossow says.

Be Road Aware.
Most ATV/UTV are intended for off-road operation and lack public road equipment, such as signals, appropriate lighting and tires meant for paved surfaces.

Operate With Care

“These machines are not designed for pavement as they are really designed for gravel, dirt or something that’s looser and rougher,” Schossow says. “These machines just aren’t designed to do what our cars and trucks do.”

Experts recommend learning and understanding more about these important tools.

“I know equipment and other assets are important, but shouldn’t people be the thing we really care about the most,” Schossow asks. “We want to keep those people around.”

Purdue Study: Grain Entrapments Rise to Highest Level in a Decade

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:40:07 GMT

The Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program released the 2022 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities, which showed a 40.7% increase in the number of reported cases from 2021 to 2022.

Of the 83 incidents reported, 42 were grain-related entrapments, which made up 44.8% of cases — the highest number reported in over a decade. Because not every case is reported, these numbers are approximate.

States having the most documented confined space cases of all types in 2022, including fatal and non-fatal, were Iowa (24), Indiana (6), Minnesota (6), and Ohio (6). The report findings follow the aftermath of a grain elevator collapse in Tynan, Texas outside of Corpus Christi where silos ruptured and collapsed causing fatalities on the July 4 holiday.

Out-of-condition grain plays a large role in raising the risk for accidents.

“Many entrapments result from someone entering a bin or structure to break loose clumped, spoiled grain. Keep the grain in good condition to eliminate the need to enter the bin,” says Edward Sheldon, research associate, Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program .

Purdue urges farmers and agribusiness employers to recognize the hazards of grain bins, silos, manure storage and other confined spaces and use educational resources, such as Gearing Up for Safety by Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Related News:

Rural Heroes: John Deere Supports Volunteer Firefighters With Documentary Film

To the Rescue: First Responders With the Right Tools Can Make the Difference in Grain Bin Accidents

Close Call to Story of Survival: How a Missouri Farmer Beat Death After Trapped In Grain Bin for 2.5 Hours

Exclusive: Iowa Man Explains How He Miraculously Walked Out of a Grain Bin After Frightening 2-Hour Entrapment

Smoky Skies and Reduced Air Quality Return to the Midwest and Mid-South

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:11:18 GMT

Wildfire smoke from Canada returned to the upper Midwest and extended to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic this week, resulting in poor air quality in some regions along with reduced visibility.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a report on Wednesday, saying “wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.”

Unhealthy levels of pollutants from the smoke spread across states in those regions including most of Michigan and Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, according to tracker AirNow.gov.

The NWS is encouraging anyone with underlying lung conditions or asthma – especially children and the elderly – to limit their time outdoors in those regions affected by wildfire smoke.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises monitoring pets and farm animals that could also be affected by the smoke.

“If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals – both pets and livestock – safe,” the AVMA encourages.

The wildfires range from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, and 239 were categorized by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) on Tuesday as being “out of control.”

Reuters reports that Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to the wildfire season, which has already burned 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres), an area a little bigger than West Virginia.

Little Concern For Crops, So Far

USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey told Farm Journal editors last week that he doesn’t believe smoke from the fires – some of which have been burning several weeks now – has had any direct impact on row crops so far.

His greater concern is the indirect impact the smoke could have on crops, especially corn. Specifically, a concentration of smoke over a period of several weeks could contribute to lower temperatures and fewer growing degree units (GDUs) because of reduced solar radiation, Rippey explains.

Sunlight is critical for corn to maximize photosynthesis and crop yield, adds Mark Jeschke, Pioneer agronomy manager, in his in-depth online article, Is Smoke from Wildfires Affecting Crop Yields?

“Among the many potential effects on crop growth (from smoke coverage) are three primary factors with the capability to directly impact photosynthesis: reduced sunlight intensity, increased sunlight diffusion, and increased ozone (O3) levels,” Jeschke writes.

“Corn, in particular, is susceptible to reduced yields and reduced standability if the plants need to remobilize carbohydrates from the stalk to make up for a deficit in photosynthesis,” he adds. “This weakens the stalks and opens the door for stalk rot pathogens.”

Follow Your Nose: One Easy Fix If You Smell Chemicals in the Cab

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 20:20:07 GMT

It’s not uncommon to get minor headaches or deal with sniffles when spraying agricultural chemicals. If the cab of your tractor or self-propelled sprayer is well-sealed, and the problem isn’t simply due to air leaks, then activated charcoal cab air filters might be a solution.

A seed corn company in my area that sprays herbicides or pesticides all summer long had problems with its sprayer operators complaining of headaches and sinus problems. They switched the cab air filters in all their self-propelled sprayers from standard paper elements to activated charcoal elements, and those complaints went away. Their rule of thumb for their sprayer operators is now: “If you start to smell chemicals in the cab, change the [activated carbon] air filter.” (Overtime activated charcoal filters become “saturated” and lose their ability to absorb annoying fumes.)

Several mainline self-propelled sprayer manufacturers offer optional activated charcoal air filters through their parts system. Otherwise, do an internet search for “activated charcoal air filters for tractors/sprayers” and several options will appear.

Rural Heroes: John Deere Supports Volunteer Firefighters With Documentary Film

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:42:33 GMT

Farming looks different when you are saving your neighbor’s farm.

Rural America is tightly woven by the threads of community. While the population is increasing, the number of volunteer firefighters is dwindling rapidly. John Deere and the National Volunteer Fire Council recognize the deficit and have partnered to educate and recruit volunteer firefighters to the call through their documentary film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.”

Approximately 75% of our country is protected by volunteer first responders, many of them farmers and ranchers. With their working knowledge of farm systems, building construction, mechanics, and an intrinsic passion for serving, they are ideal volunteer firefighters. With the recent spike in equipment costs and fuel, lack of training resources, and the growing population, rural fire departments have seen a large decline in both personnel and infrastructure. The COVID pandemic shut down many training opportunities for volunteer firefighters. An overall lack of time and bandwidth due to farm operation requirements and other family obligations for potential volunteers is also stunting the growth of the volunteer fire service as a whole.

Volunteer fire departments have been greatly affected by the rapid inflation of equipment costs, fuel, and insurance for members. A new engine now costs, on average, $500,000 to $1 million. A new ambulance can have a price tag of more than $200,000. Many volunteer fire departments have resigned themselves to purchasing well-used and, in many cases, older emergency response vehicles just to have the ability to mitigate emergencies. These departments often have to cover the cost of gear and equipment in order to keep the service open.

Why John Deere Supports Firefighters

The company’s founder, John Deere, was a volunteer firefighter in the 1800s. Today, Deere employees volunteer their time and expertise to support volunteer fire departments across the country.

Nate Clark, John Deere’s global director for corporate social responsibility and president of the John Deere Foundation, said Deere’s employees reported more than 13,000 hours volunteering as firefighters and emergency responders in 2022. John Deere, himself, fell victim to two fires before moving his business to Moline, Iowa. He never forgot the need to have emergency services directly on the site of his factory and built the Deere Hose Company in the 1870s.

Together, John Deere and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have joined forces to support the new documentary film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.” The idea for the film came from the rich heritage of community partnership and volunteer service that has been paramount to protecting those in their greatest time of need. Farmers and firefighters often work hand in hand to respond to emergency calls for service during snow and thunderstorms. My husband has personally witnessed farmers bringing their own farm equipment to the homes of their neighbors to assist with the removal of trees in the aftermath of a tornado that swept through our area earlier this spring. Farmers are often seen at the site of field fires cultivating the farm ground to prevent expansion.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, emergency medical response accounts for nearly 75% of all emergency calls for service. Though only a small percentage of these medical calls are for truly life-threatening situations, the dwindling number of EMS providers available to volunteer their time to respond to these calls only taxes the medically trained that much more. Farmers are human too. As is often the case, the farmer/volunteer firefighter will come home after a 16+ hour day in the fields or tending to the animals and go to bed exhausted. A call for emergency response will be toned out at 3 a.m. at the house of a neighbor or colleague, and the farmer will get out of bed, get dressed, and respond to help in any capacity he or she can at that time. The sense of obligation to protect lives deep in the hearts of volunteer firefighters and their efforts deserved to be highlighted.

These valiant efforts were not lost on John Deere Corporation and the National Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, who teamed up to highlight the sacrifices of farmers who give more to their communities than just a farm. The film is the result of countless hours of research by both organizations to benefit rural volunteer firefighters and their communities.

How You Can Help

Visit oddhoursfilm.com to watch the teaser, discover volunteer opportunities, and learn more about the “Make Me a Firefighter” initiative .

Is Your Local Fire Department in Need of a Grain Bin Rescue Tube and Training? Nationwide Wants to Help

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:43:08 GMT

Grain bins dot the countryside across the U.S., but did you know that over the past 50 years, there have been 900 cases of grain bin engulfments ? That’s why Nationwide and supporting partners hold Grain Bin Safety Week each year, hoping with enough discussion, the number of grain bin entrapments continues to decline, while the number of successful rescues continues to increase.

In 2014, Nationwide launched Grain Bin Safety Week , an effort to not only get the essential grain bin rescue tools in the hands of first responders, but also the essential training.

“We started this program back in 2014, to really partner with our agents and with a bunch of sponsors across the country to get the tools, the training, and more importantly, the resources out there to allow these folks to be educated on the dangers and the risks, but also help these fire departments and some lifesaving maneuvers that they can do to help save people if if the in the event something bad happens,” says Laramie Sandquist, associate vice president of Risk Management, Agribusiness for Nationwide.

In 2019 alone, there were 29 different entrapments, that resulted in 11 fatalities, and it’s estimated about 30% of grain bin rescues are never reported. Seeing the continued need for more tools and training, Nationwide introduced a program to help award grain bin rescue tubes to fire departments across the country, which also includes the necessary hands-on training that can be costly.

“Most of these tubes run anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000,” Sandquist says. “And the training itself, if you got it on the open market, would be somewhere in that same range. So, you’re looking at a $6,000- to $8,000-investment that a fire department would have to make.”

Each year, Nationwide partners with agricultural safety and training organizations to award emergency first responders with grain rescue tubes and the necessary hands-on rescue training. Sandquist says over the past decade, Nationwide has supplied more than $1 million worth of resources and training to local fire and rescue departments across the country, and the program isn’t finished.

From now through April 30, you can nominate your local fire and rescue department that still needs the grain bin rescue tube and training. This year alone, Nationwide hopes to award 50 grain bin rescue tubes from KC Supply , and necessary training, as the company continues to see those rescue tools help save lives.

“One of the more humbling statistics that we have is we’ve been able to at least save six lives as part of this program itself,” says Sandquist. “And we actually just had a recent save in Delaware, which used these tubes. So, the awareness is getting out there.”

To learn how you can nominate a fire and rescue department in need of rescue equipment, as well as training.

Related Stories:

Exclusive: Iowa Man Explains How He Miraculously Walked Out of a Grain Bin After Frightening 2-Hour Entrapment

Close Call to Story of Survival: How a Missouri Farmer Beat Death After Trapped In Grain Bin for 2.5 Hours

How to Avoid the 7 Common Grain Bin Storage Problems

To the Rescue: First Responders With the Right Tools Can Make the Difference in Grain Bin Accidents

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 19:06:27 GMT

Tragic stories of grain bin accidents are all too common. While they can be prevented, trained emergency responders in many rural communities are a call away to help rescue those entrapped or engulfed in a grain bin.

First responders, such as EMTs and firefighters, in many rural communities participate in training courses to learn how to perform a rescue. Megan Schossow, with the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH), says many first responders receive training on how to use grain tubes.

“The rescue equipment that we typically see are really big plastic tubes,” she says. “Some of the newer more updated ones have rigid bottoms so folks can actually push that around the person who needs to be rescued and what that does is really help take that pressure off.”

The pressure around a victim, even just knee deep, is equivalent to 1,500 pounds of down pull. These grain rescue tubes are critical to save lives and decrease injuries from grain engulfment.

“Having that tube put around someone helps get them out with as few injuries, pain or poor outcomes as possible,” Schossow says.

There are various companies and organizations associated with agriculture helping to provide those life-saving devices. Schossow encourages communities to contact these groups to get a unit for their first responders.

Top Lessons to Help You Avoid Machinery Fires

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:57:50 GMT

Drought conditions across the Corn Belt and really the entire U.S. set the table for combine and equipment fires. Some things I’ve learned too late about machinery fires:

1. Warning lights and grain cart drivers should never be ignored. If multiple warning lights in a combine’s cab starting flickering, or engine and slow shaft speed warning systems all come on at once, there’s a good chance a main wiring harness has melted back in the engine compartment due to engine fire. Perhaps the best early warning system for combine fires is an attentive grain cart driver who always scans the machine as they approach it.

2. Carry nothing less than two of the biggest fire extinguishers available, whether they are chemically-charged or water-charged. Make sure they’re both accessible from ground level. I’ve seen more than a few charred fire extinguishers still clamped in the engine compartment of burned-out combines.

3. Strong tailwinds can whip chaff and debris into the engine compartment and against exhaust manifolds on older combines. Newer combines have “enclosed” engines to reduce but don’t eliminate that risk.

4. Never assume a combine fire is out. Big, corrugated plastic wiring harnesses in the engine compartment often get packed with super-dry crop dust. That dust can smolder like a fuse inside those harnesses for dozens of feet from the actual fire. It’s tough to get water inside those plastic harness protectors, but a fire isn’t out until all of those protectors are cool to the touch.

Kids on the Farm: Don’t Take Your Eyes Off Safety

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:54:10 GMT

About every three days, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident, and each day, at least 33 children are injured. During the past decade, youth worker fatalities in agriculture have exceeded all other industries combined.

Although the rate of non-fatal injuries to children in agriculture has dropped since the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety was established in 1997, agriculture remains hazardous for children and youth, explained Barbara Lee, director of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety .

“We’ve come a long way,” Lee told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory. “We had really good injury data for about 12 years, and it shows the rate of injuries declined by about 60%. The rate of fatalities of children dying in farm accidents has stayed fairly steady, however, despite the decline in the number of farms and number of kids on farms. I think the most revealing thing is that for both injuries and deaths, more than half of them occur to kids who are not working – they are just bystanders in the farm environment.”

Lee said this is where the industry needs to keep its focus.

“Certainly, we want to protect the kids who are working. We believe work is good for them, inherently valuable. For kids working in agriculture, it’s really important to match the child and the child’s characteristics with the work at hand,” Lee said.

But it’s also important to keep a close eye on kids who stop by the farm or find themselves part of the farming background.

Be on Watch

“We’re entering into a dangerous time of the year for farm families,” Flory said. He asked Lee to share some of the biggest safety concerns right now.

She said the greatest number of deaths for young people are related to accidents with tractors, skid steers, moving implements and other forms of transportation.

“It’s really important that we factor in the dangers and the ability of a child to really handle machinery. I always think about when things go wrong, will the child be able to handle it? Bad weather? Equipment failure? Is the child mature enough to handle when things go wrong?”

She also encouraged parents to remember to parents first and farmers second. She said that means adopting the principles of safety for all kids.

“I can’t state it often enough about the little ones who really should not be in the work environment,” Lee said. “When you’re working, you have got to focus on the work. With nearly every child who was injured or killed on a farm, there’s an adult nearby. It’s not they aren’t supervised, but farming can get complicate and little kids are unpredictable.”

Reflecting on 25 Years

On May 19, the center will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a free webinar. Speakers will include Lee, Marsha Salzwedel, project scientist and agricultural youth safety specialist at the National Children’s Center; Marilyn Adams, founder, Farm Safety 4 Just Kids; Dennis Murphy, professor emeritus, Penn State University; and Jana Davidson, program manager, Progressive Agriculture Foundation.

“This anniversary has really given us time to reflect back at how this all got started, what has changed in our work, and what’s changed in the workers and work environment for children. There’s a lot of good things happening and a few challenges still ahead of us,” Lee said.

Learn more and sign up for the free webinar.

Read More:

One Family’s Tragedy Sparks Nationwide Farm Safety Project

In the 'Silo': Hulu Film Sheds Light on the Dangers of Grain Bin Entrapment

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:53:58 GMT

It’s not very often you see movies being made about rural America, least of all a film that showcases the dangers of farming.

The Man in the Moon (1991) and The Dressmaker (2015) are two films that ring a bell, but no others come to mind. However, Hollywood tides look to be turning as agriculture and its safety risks are gaining traction in the film industry.

Not Just Fate

Sam Goldberg—a New York City boy turned film producer—was far removed from anything dealing with agriculture. That is until he found himself in the midst of a tragedy.

News of a grain bin entrapment on a farm in Mt. Carroll, Ill. caught up with Goldberg in 2010, shifting his film lens from the city to rural America.

“The story hooked me so hard, I called my business partner and told him I’m not working on anything else until Silo gets made,” he says.

Goldberg shared when he first set out to make his grain entrapment film, Silo , he was focused on telling a compelling story—a movie he would want to go see. However, that spotlight quickly morphed into a bigger lesson.

“The more we got into making the story of Silo, the more people in ag were telling us how important this might be to the community for farm safety.”

The Plot

According to Goldberg, Silo takes place over the course of 24-hours on a small grain farm in the Corn Belt.

“It follows the story of Cody Rose, an 18-year-old who was a farmhand, working before harvest season,” he says. “Due to a bunch of bad domino effects, Cody gets trapped in a grain bin and the film is a rescue mission as to whether or not they’ll get him out.”

While the story involves a grain bin, Goldberg says he chose the title “Silo” not to confuse his audience, but to get them thinking.

“’Silo’ has double meaning—it’s a movie that’s really about people who are siloed from each other, even though they’re living in close proximity,” he says. “These people should be close and have a bond, but they’re not communicating well, which is why this accident happens.”

Communicating internal issues and issues with one another is pivotal in a farm setting. Goldberg says that’s exactly the message he’s trying to convey to the audience—communication is key.

An Outsider’s Insider

As someone who moved from the city to the countryside, Goldberg says he used to be a filmmaker making a movie about agriculture, “but now I’m a farm guy who happened to make a film.”

He admits, prior to the film, he didn’t know the difference between a grain bin or silo, nor the reason for production ag tractors. He says his few 1000 square foot apartment in a 12-story building in the middle of New York City provided him “nothing” when it came to knowledge of rural America.

“So many people are generations removed from working on the farm that they don’t really understand where their food and energy comes from,” says Goldberg. “It’s been cool to become an outsider’s insider in the ag industry.”

Watch Your Next Move

In 2019, Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program reported 38 grain entrapment cases with 23 of those cases leading to fatalities.

It’s stories like these that continue to haunt Goldberg. From his work in Silo, he knows producers need to enter bins now and again. With his knowledge in hand, he offers a few safety considerations:

1. Harness up
Harnesses are available between $100 and $200, according to Goldberg, with used options at a much lower cost. He says it’s not uncommon for fire departments to loan or gift farmers a harness when an inquiry is made.

2. Phone a friend
Goldberg suggests farmers tell at least two people that they’re going into the bin.

“Call your wife, a farmhand or even a volunteer firefighter that you know,” says Goldberg. “Send out a mass text letting people know you’re going into your bin and if they don’t hear back from you in 20 minutes, call.”

3. Buy a lock-out tag
Auger lock-out mechanisms can ensure the auger stays off in the event of an accident. A few auger accidents have occurred, according to the film producer. He says this lock-out “could save a life.”

4. Grain Handling Safety Coalition
The grain entrapment in Mt. Carroll, Ill. that shifted Goldberg’s career also led to the beginning of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, which offers grain handling information, training and certifications.

What’s in Store

Goldberg says the ultimate goal of any film is to get people in the room talking about issues. Upon Silo’s release, he says the ag community cracked open another idea for the film maker: mental health.

“Suicide is like an epidemic in the ag community,” says Goldberg. “We wanted to come up with a way to tell a story that tackled the subject of suicide in farming, so we’ve scripted a 6-part limited T.V. series, Perfect Sundays, about a dairy operation that’s struggling to stay afloat.”

While the show is ready to be filmed, Goldberg says the setting is season-dependent, meaning the production team needs good weather to film. He thinks the Pennsylvania film will be produced over the course of the next few years, if the stars align.

In the meantime, Goldberg asks anyone with questions or comments to reach him by email: sam@silothefilm.com.

More on mental health and farm safety:
By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope
Here’s Why You Need to Find Time for A Nap During the Busy Season
Kids on the Farm: Don’t Take Your Eyes Off Safety