Local organizations host farm safety and education days for children across the province in the spring and through the summer.
What do the children actually think about what they see?
One of the newer initiatives is Progressive Agriculture Safety Day, held in Oxford County and rotated to a different school each year.
Planning committee member Jessica Nicholson asked some of the students and here’s what they had to say:
- “They let us touch some of the equipment,” said Lucas, a Grade 4 student at AJ Baker. “They taught us everything you need to know about safety with tractors, ATVs, lawnmowers and roads.”
- Andrew, a Grade 4 student added, “I learned that a lawnmower has already gone around 40 times before you can even pull your hand away from the blades. Never go near the blades of a lawnmower.”
- Kaitlin, a Grade 8 student at AJ Baker said “It was nice that they had a visual representation of what they were talking about.”
- “They actually had tractors,” Ella, a Grade 5 student added. “Chemical lookalikes taught me to be safe around chemicals.”
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The students got to experience fire safety stations this year as well.
- Erin, a Grade 7 student at AJ Baker said, “I liked how we could do hands-on stuff like using fire extinguishers to put out real flames.”
- The CPR and AED station was also enjoyed by students, including Janneke, a Grade 8 student who said, “I learned how to do CPR on the mannequin.”
Marian Sterk and the Embro and Zorra Agricultural Society brought Progressive Agriculture Safety Days to Zorra Highland Park Public School in 2016, Thamesford Public School in 2017, and now AJ Baker Public School in 2018.
The events provide students throughout Oxford County training to keep themselves safe on the farm and in the community, as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to handle emergency situations should they arise.
