Harvest Safety, Awards, and Districts
Brian Rees, Special to the Gazette
Saturday, September 19, 2009
With a few more days of sunshine and dry weather, harvest season might begin in earnest locally.
It’s time to remember that the families and workers who produce our nation’s agricultural abundance are engaged in one of most hazardous of all occupations. Each year since 1944 one week has been dedicated to focus attention on and promote farm safety and health.
National Farm Safety and Health Week will be Sept. 20 to 26, with the special theme for 2009 being “Rural Roadway Safety: Alert, Aware and Alive.” Statistics tell a story of far too many deaths and injuries that could have been avoided. The National Safety Council estimates some 15,000 collisions involving farm vehicles occur on U.S. roadways each year. Farm equipment roadway collisions cause an average of 94 fatalities each year according to the U.S. National Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The most common time of day for collisions is between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Studies show that left-turn, rear-end and passing collisions are the most common types of farm vehicle roadway accidents.
With common-sense, care and caution, motorists can reach their destinations safely, farmers can get their work done safely, and we can avoid needless roadway injuries and fatalities. I wish everyone a safe harvest season!
Changing gears a bit, the Kansas Bankers Association, Lyon County Extension and the Lyon County Conservation District annually select two Lyon County producers and/or landowners that deserve an award for their soil conservation efforts. Quail Unlimited, along with the Kansas Wildlife and Parks, also sponsor an award for outstanding wildlife management. In addition, the conservation district sponsors a grassland management award. Winners will be recognized at the Lyon County Conservation District Annual meeting in early 2010. Stop by, call, drop a note in the mail or send an e-mail by October 5 to the Extension Office or the Lyon County Conservation District Office with the nominee’s name, which award you feel they should receive and a short statement as to why they should be selected.
Finally the potential formation of an Extension District between Lyon and Chase Counties has been in the news lately. The formation of an Extension District would provide more stable educational opportunities for the future in both Lyon and Chase Counties .
K-State Research and Extension, Lyon County (also known as the Lyon County Extension Office) has had a long-standing presence in Lyon County and the community. Part of Kansas State University ’s land grant mission is to provide for “extension work” or to bring research based information from the university to the public. The K-State Research and Extension motto, “Knowledge for Life”, can have multiple meanings. The two simplest ones encourage life-long learning and learning for improved quality of life.
From its early inception working with the mostly rural population to the current involvement throughout the community the Extension Office, agents and staff have been hard at work in Lyon County to improve the ability of Lyon County citizens to contribute to the community. The promotion of healthier lifestyles, healthier eating, improved crop and livestock production practices, conservation, improving water quality, gardening, community beautification, youth leadership and citizenship through the 4-H clubs all have a direct impact on the financial well-being and quality of life within Emporia and Lyon County .
If you have any questions about the concept of an Extension District or how a district might affect the citizens of Lyon County , please contact the extension office at 341-3220 or plan to attend the second public meeting on this topic, scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the courthouse during the Lyon County commission’s study session.