A new farm safety program funded by the Legislature this year will be a good start to boosting farm safety across the state and educating farmers about solid farm safety practices.

The Legislature provided some initial funding to help farmers pay for roll bars on tractors, the lack of which has led to a concerning number of farm accidents and fatalities. A majority of the 210 farm fatalities in Minnesota in the last decade were related to lack of roll bars, according to a report in the Star Tribune.

Tractors built before 1987 don’t have standard roll bars and the new program will help subsidize installation of the roll bars at about 70 percent of the cost. While most roll bars can be installed for about $1,000, some can cost as much as $2,000. The program will limit farmers’ out of pocket costs to $500.

But the legislation recently signed by Gov. Mark Dayton also calls for Minnesota to study more comprehensive farm safety programs in other states and report back next year to the Legislature.

Budget cuts years ago eliminated the farm safety program Minnesota had, but there now appears to be political support from both parties to ramp up a farm safety program again and fund it.

That’s good news.

Minnesota is looking at other farm safety programs in New York and Washington with an eye to replicating solid programs.

The Minnesota roll bar program will launch this month and the Legislature allocated about $250,000 a year so far. Republican Rep. Paul Anderson, a farmer from Starbuck, led the effort this year for the roll bar program and favors more funding next year.

The initiative was prompted by an in-depth Star Tribune report that showed farm accidents increased by 30 percent in the last decade.

Farming and agriculture are huge economic drivers of the Minnesota economy and farming in one of the most dangerous occupations. We’re long overdue for a good farm safety program.

 

— Mankato Free Press, June 10