For a number of years, Steve Conrad and others from the Pendleton County Farm Bureau, along with the Pendleton County West Virginia University Extension Service, have worked to bring together Farm Safety Day to instruct area young people about how to avoid injury or illness whether working on the farm, or enjoying outdoor recreation. Volunteers and staff gathered at Pendleton County Middle/High School last Thursday to help attendees come away with information to help them stay safe.
This year, seventh and eighth graders enjoyed instruction at PCM/HS instead of the community building. With WVU Extension moving to the General Services Center, it was decided to hold it at the school rather than ask the students to climb the steps to the new office.
Brooke Alt, one of Pendleton County’s WVU Extension agents, said, “It’s exciting to be here.” She thanked Zachary Tennant, the new PCM/HS agriculture instructor, saying, “He generously opened up his shop for us. That was really helpful.”
Because of the brilliant blue skies and seasonably warm sun, most of the seven stations were placed outside.
The first station seen by those entering the agriculture education area between the school and the greenhouses was a fishing and outdoor safety station. Small groups of students moved through each station to get the benefit of learning from all.
Jessica Streets came from the Tucker County WVU Extension office. She carefully questioned the kids about potential problems in the outdoors and what their safety solutions might be, asking at one point, “What do you need if you trip and fall and hurt yourself, maybe you’re bleeding a lot?” Students answered “first aid kit!” They also discussed both sun and wind burn, along with how to prevent each. “I live in Tucker County,” Streets told them. “It’s windy up there all the time. My kids always carry ChapStick.”
Bob Grimm and Dave Ellis, both veterans of Pendleton County Emergency Rescue, came in the roles of instructors with the West Virginia Hunter Education Institute. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources offers 12-hour hunter safety courses that one must complete to obtain an initial hunting license. Traditional face-to-face hunter safety classes are free.
Part of the instruction focused on the real power of firearms, particularly rifles. Grimm picked up an instructional rifle clad in blaze orange. He then pointed to the top of the ridge rising to the east of town and said, “This .22 would reach the top of that ridge up there.” He added, “You need to know how far it would go. A bullet from one of those high-powered rifles can travel as far as Long Mountain General Store.” Some students brought up the effect of gravity over distance. Grimm acknowledged it, but said, “You still need to know what’s past the target.”
The two also covered step-by-step how to both fire and care for a gun once the day of shooting is concluded.
Jessica Hoover, also an agent with the Pendleton County WVU Extension Service, was joined by Greg Mitchell and Trey Kiser from Farm Credit. They explained how to avoid injury when using tractors or other heavy farm equipment. Some of the most effective points during the presentation came when they showed what could happen in one second or less. They used stuffed trash bags to stand in for bodies and balloons with smiley faces drawn on for heads. One of the young men at the presentation shared some safety tips his father taught his family.
Mitchell also urged that “if you have to go up a hill, do it up and down if you can, not sideways.” He also warned that everyone needs to pay close attention to equipment at all times because “farming is the most dangerous work.”
Alt explained that Farm Safety Day works to address all kids, not just those who live or work on a farm. She said of the students that “if they don’t live on a farm, they know someone who does. It’s such a rural county, a lot of these kids have already driven tractors.”
Stations also included information on diseases transmitted by wildlife, such as ticks and rabies-carrying animals, and chainsaw safety from personnel hailing from the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
The seventh station involved more character and gratitude, although instruction in such qualities is always helpful. Students got to write and sign thank you cards for the volunteers and organizations who helped to make it all happen.
