COLUMBUS, Ohio — Farms can be great places for children to work and play, but they’re considered one of the most dangerous areas for youth. With the arrival of spring comes the kickoff of the Ohio Farm Safety Day Camp season.

These camps teach youth about the hazards of the farm through educational sessions focusing on rural safety. The camps are a collaborative sponsorship of The Ohio State University extension and Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, and are designed to offer youth real-world experience and emphasize farm safety.

“This marks the 15th year of the Farm Safety Day Camps and each year we reach approximately 2,000 youth,” said Kathy Mann, program coordinator for Agriculture Safety and Health at OSU. “These camps teach the kids about the hazards on the farm through educational sessions that focus on rural safety.

“The issue if very important for Ohio farmers, considering that statewide, 33 youths under the age of 20 were involved in farm-related fatalities from 2001 to 2010.”

The camps will cover such issues as why there are rules on the farm, how quickly equipment and livestock react and what to do in emergency situations, she said. This year the camps are placing a special focus on ATV safety, as Ohio ranks 13th in the nation for ATV-related fatalities. It is the goal of this specialized effort to lower that ranking.

These camps will be spreading the ATV safety message to “Ride Right” – ride the right size ATV, wear the right gear and ride the right terrain. Additional educational sessions will help students understand why there are such rules.

“Through this specialized effort, the program sponsors believe this (fatality) ranking can be reduced,” Mann said.

The day camps are free, with some being open to the public and others offered to school districts for school trips. “These educational sessions provide information for those who live on the farm as well as those youth who visit a farm,” Mann said. “We continually strive to spread the farm safety message to both youth and their parents across this state.”

All dangers possible on a farm, however, are targeted. “When it comes to injuries and youth, tractors, machinery and manure pits are the lading agents regarding fatalities in Ohio,” Mann said. “During the day camps, the youth hear safety messages about the hazards related to these agents.”

According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the state had more than 98,000 family farms in 1976. Today, it has fewer than 78,000 in operation; however, this trend has not eliminated the incidence of farm-related injuries occurring to children.

According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistic Service (NASS) there were 22,648 agriculture-related injuries, which occurred to children or adolescents under the age of 20 who lived on, worked on or visited a farm in 2010. Of all the children injured in farm-related accidents, just over 48 percent of them lived in the Midwest.

In Ohio alone, there were 35 farm-related fatalities involving children from 1993-2002. In response to these statistics and public concern, extension has coordinated nearly 75 farm safety camps throughout Ohio, reaching over 13,000 youth since 1997.

Seven Farm Safety Day Camps are scheduled around the state. They include:

•Morrow County – May 11 at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. The camp is open to school groups only. Contact Becky Barker at 419-947-1070.

•Fulton County – May 11 at 4-H Camp Palmer. The camp is open to school groups only. Contact Bill Goodson at 419-237-2247.

•Auglaize County – May 17 at the Four Seasons Recreation Complex and Park. The camp is open to school groups only. Contact Don and Lois Baumer at 419-628-3420.

•Muskingum County – June 8 at the Muskingum County Fairgrounds. The camp is open to the public for students in grades 4-6. Contact the Muskingum Soil & Water Conservation District at 740-454-2767.

•Ross County – In August, with the date and location to be determined. The camp is open to the community, with ages still to be determined. Contact Kathy Mann at 614-292-0622.

•Monroe County – Powhatan Elementary School, with the date to be determined. The camp will be open to school groups only. Contact Bruce Zimmer at 740-472-0810.