Mower County to host Progressive Ag Safety Day

Published 6:12 am Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Mower County 4-H, Riverland Community College and the Center for Agricultural and Food Science Technology will host a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day in Austin this summer.

This event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on  Wednesday, June 26, at the Mower County Fairgrounds. The event is free and open to any area youth who completed grades 3-6 in 2019. In case of rain, activities will be moved indoors.

Children will participate in interactive activities that reinforce the importance of taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules and sharing safety tips with their family and friends.

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Hands-on demonstrations will teach participants lifesaving first aid techniques and reveal the hidden hazards of farm surroundings. Topics include ATV/bicycle safety, tractor safety, fire protection, first aid, grain bin safety, chemical safety, electrical safety and more.

“Children often see farm and livestock operations as exciting playgrounds providing endless hours of fun and adventure,” said Nick Schiltz of Riverland Community College, who is serving as the lead coordinator for the event. “But these facilities and the livestock and equipment on them can also set the stage of tragedy.”

Local funding and donations have been provided by the Mower County Farm Bureau, Mower County American Dairy Association, Compeer Financial, Thrivent Financial and Read’s Brown Swiss.

Registration is open to the first 100 participants. The free registration includes lunch, snacks, a take-home bag and a Safety Day T-shirt. Registration remains open until June 1.

To register, download a copy of a registration form at https://z.umn.edu/ProgressiveAgSafetyDayRegistrationForm2019 or call the Mower County Extension Office at 507-437-9552. Completed registration forms can be mailed or dropped off at Mower County Extension, 1105 ½ Eighth Ave. NE, Austin, MN 55912.

To learn more about the event, contact Schiltz at nick.schiltz@riverland.edu or 507-402-6175 or April VonRuden, Mower County 4-H, at 507-437-9552.