WOOSTER, Ohio — The farm is a home, a playground and a place where children learn to do chores. But they also need to recognize the special hazards associated with a farm and take responsibility for their own safety.

That is why Wayne County Farm Bureau, OSU Extension Wayne County and The Westfield Group in conjunction with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation, have teamed up to sponsor a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day on Saturday, June 10 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster, Ohio from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The idea for the safety day came about when Dawn Schirm and Nancy Wise, co-chairs of Wayne County Farm Bureau’s Promotion, Education and Image committee saw a similar event advertised by Tuscarawas County.

“We went down and spent the day at their event and we thought it was something that we needed to do in Wayne County,” Schirm said. Wise added that because agriculture is such a big part of the county’s economy, children need to be aware of the hazards on the farm.

“They don’t always think that where they live and work can be a hazardous situation,” he said. “If we can save one life, this program is worth it.”

During the safety day, children will learn about potential dangers on a farm such as small and large tractor and machinery safety, pond and water safety, large animal safety, chemical safety, seatbelt, helmet and bicycle safety, electrical safety, food and water safety and what to do if they are first on an accident scene.

The ultimate goal for participants is to help them build a lifelong healthy respect for farm hazards and ultimately reduce the number of injuries and deaths among the farm population.

A $5 registration fee or $15 for a family group of three or more children covers lunch, snacks, a take-home bag and safety day T-shirt.

Parents can obtain registration forms at www.wayne.osu.edu and return the forms to Wayne County Farm Bureau, 2690 Akron Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691. The deadline for registrations is May 10.

This farm news was published in the April 26, 2006 issue of Farm World.