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Talk-Line: Ashleigh Erbes on National Farm Safety and Health Week · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: Quarter past the hour. This is Tuesday, It's September twenty three,
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Speaker 1: the year is twenty twenty five, and it's time for
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Speaker 1: another informational edition of Talkline here at WIXN Radio. Good morning,
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Speaker 1: I'm Steve Marco. It is time to talk agriculture here
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Speaker 1: in our Northern Illinois area. Obviously, agriculture is prime for
0:18
Speaker 1: Northern Illinois. Many of you don't realize how important the
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Speaker 1: ag industry is to our northern Illinois area, but it
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Speaker 1: is primo. It is prime here in northern Illinois. And
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Speaker 1: we're going to talk agriculture today. We have with us
0:31
Speaker 1: one of our good friends from Lee County Farm Bureau.
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Speaker 1: She is the manager of the Lee County Farm Bureau.
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Speaker 1: She's joined us before. You've heard her on the radio
0:38
Speaker 1: with her updates weekly here at WIXN, and she's lied
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Speaker 1: with us by telephone this morning to talk about National
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Speaker 1: Farm Safety and Health Week for twenty twenty five, which
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Speaker 1: runs through September the twenty seventh. Our dear friend Ashley
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Speaker 1: Erbis is with us live this morning by telephone here
0:53
Speaker 1: at WIXN. Ashley, Good morning.
0:56
Speaker 2: Good morning, Steeve. Thank you so much for having me.
0:58
Speaker 1: Well, thank you ma'am. I appreciate you visiting with us
1:00
Speaker 1: this morning. And I know this is a busy time
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Speaker 1: for AG organizations like Lee County Farm Bureau because it
1:06
Speaker 1: is Farm Safety and Health Week. And as we mentioned,
1:10
Speaker 1: the week started a couple of days ago, it started
1:11
Speaker 1: during this past weekend. It runs through September the twenty seventh,
1:14
Speaker 1: so we still have pretty much the meat potatoes of
1:17
Speaker 1: the week to talk about as we move through this
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Speaker 1: important time in our northern Illinois area, Right, Ashley, I mean,
1:23
Speaker 1: agriculture really number one as far as things go here
1:28
Speaker 1: in northern Illinois.
1:29
Speaker 2: Correct, Yes, correct, that's so very true. Our egg industry,
1:33
Speaker 2: especially here in Lee County, is one of our top
1:36
Speaker 2: leading industry producers as far as income for the county
1:39
Speaker 2: as well as job employment.
1:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, so we need to punch away. And I still
1:45
Speaker 1: think you know many of us, most of us, let's
1:49
Speaker 1: face it, Ashley, take it for granted that you know
1:52
Speaker 1: farmers and ag personnel are going to come through as
1:55
Speaker 1: they do year after you have to hear with their
1:58
Speaker 1: commodities and serve our area and supply us with what
2:02
Speaker 1: we need here in our Nola and Illinois area. Don't
2:05
Speaker 1: you believe it? I mean, you know, we really do
2:08
Speaker 1: take it for granted.
2:09
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, absolutely, I mean, I you know, we live
2:12
Speaker 2: in a time where we're very fortunate enough to be
2:15
Speaker 2: removed from the farm. You know, we're not dependent on
2:18
Speaker 2: going in our backyard for our own food. We're able
2:21
Speaker 2: to go to the grocery store and have a variety
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Speaker 2: of options and you know, at all different ranges of prices.
2:28
Speaker 2: And that's one thing that as leading in the Lee
2:32
Speaker 2: County Farm Bureau and from the agricultural factor is education
2:36
Speaker 2: and being able to impact the consumer on those educational
2:41
Speaker 2: resources since we are so far removed from the farm.
2:44
Speaker 1: And this goes and we can talk about you know,
2:47
Speaker 1: starting educating at a very young age. We talk about
2:51
Speaker 1: agg in the Classroom a lot Ashley with Lee County
2:53
Speaker 1: Farm Bureau and it starts at a very young age
2:56
Speaker 1: now a day, so that Lee County Egg in the
2:59
Speaker 1: Classroom through the arm Bureau and organizations really you know,
3:03
Speaker 1: get the youth involved more right in what's going on.
3:07
Speaker 2: Yes, oh, absolutely, such an impactful program. The Egg in
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Speaker 2: the Classroom program is it's run through the Lee County
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Speaker 2: Firm Bureau Foundation, and you know that's that's the prime
3:18
Speaker 2: pillar to the Lee County Firm Bureau is Agricultural Literacy
3:22
Speaker 2: being able to supply those educational resources and impact at
3:27
Speaker 2: such a young age to understand really truly where our
3:30
Speaker 2: food is coming from. You know, when we look at
3:32
Speaker 2: the agricultural industry, it's providing us with our food, our fuel,
3:37
Speaker 2: and our fiber. And when we're not thinking about that
3:41
Speaker 2: on a daily basis, we've come used to just having
3:43
Speaker 2: all of those resources accessible and easily accessible. You know,
3:48
Speaker 2: we tend to forget about the basis of where those
3:52
Speaker 2: products come from.
3:54
Speaker 1: Absolutely. And again, education starts at a young age here
3:59
Speaker 1: in our Noil and Illinois area with again programs like
4:02
Speaker 1: agg in the classroom, with programs through the Lee County
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Speaker 1: Farm Build that get again youngsters off to a fast
4:07
Speaker 1: start and again connecting them with the important field of
4:11
Speaker 1: agriculture here in northern Illinois. Actually before we get to
4:14
Speaker 1: the actual week, and there are designated topics during this
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Speaker 1: week that a person can touch base with, especially you
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Speaker 1: know through our modern technology through networking, and the National
4:26
Speaker 1: Education Center for ag Safety has come out with a
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Speaker 1: list of topics daily that you can touch base with
4:32
Speaker 1: in various forms webinars, you know, going online connecting and
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Speaker 1: learning about agriculture. A couple of topics that kind of
4:40
Speaker 1: stood out to lead us into our talk today about
4:43
Speaker 1: Farm Safety and Health Week, which obviously revolves around harvest time.
4:47
Speaker 1: I mean it really does. You know, it is harvest time,
4:50
Speaker 1: and that's one of the areas that I wanted to
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Speaker 1: touch base with you first in talking before we talked
4:55
Speaker 1: about the actual AG Week designation and things that go
4:58
Speaker 1: along with the week, Associate, a couple of things stood out,
5:02
Speaker 1: and you mentioned one, you know, moving into this volatile
5:06
Speaker 1: time that we live in, you know, we are being
5:09
Speaker 1: impacted by the economy, Ashley, I mean correct, right, I mean,
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Speaker 1: and agriculture obviously is being impacted by the economy, right, yes.
5:19
Speaker 2: Correct, correct, Well, And before we jump in and get started,
5:22
Speaker 2: I do want to give a little tidbit of history,
5:25
Speaker 2: a little fun fact trivia mentioned here. So it's always
5:29
Speaker 2: been the third week in September recognized as the National
5:33
Speaker 2: Farm Safety and Health Week, and this has been since
5:35
Speaker 2: nineteen forty four, since President Roosevelt has been in office.
5:39
Speaker 2: And so you know, it's in perfect timing of the
5:42
Speaker 2: season with harvest underway and we're moving into having to
5:46
Speaker 2: share the road, and you know, really recognize the importance
5:50
Speaker 2: of safety when it comes to the agricultural industry, and
5:54
Speaker 2: so yeah, when it comes down to the economical impact,
5:58
Speaker 2: especially as being consumers that want to be able to
6:02
Speaker 2: go to the grocery store and purchase affordable food and
6:06
Speaker 2: have a variety of foods, it really stems back to
6:11
Speaker 2: the superpower that our farmers have, even right here just
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Speaker 2: in Lee County, being able to provide us with that variety,
6:18
Speaker 2: and then also the surplus of being able to help
6:21
Speaker 2: with the cost. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know it is the cost these days
6:25
Speaker 1: that we're kind of running into roadblocks, aren't we actually mean,
6:28
Speaker 1: you know, you know, with circumstances around the world and
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Speaker 1: right here at home, you know, taking hold tariffs, talk
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Speaker 1: you know, on economic sanctions, things like that. You know,
6:39
Speaker 1: this affects agriculture right as.
6:41
Speaker 2: Well, correct it sure does, it sure does.
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Speaker 1: Yeah.
6:45
Speaker 2: You know it's you know, the farmers being impacted just
6:48
Speaker 2: as much as us as the consumer. You know, the
6:51
Speaker 2: farmers are you know, your local fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, neighbors.
6:57
Speaker 2: And so it's going to be an interesting next couple weeks.
7:00
Speaker 2: We're really keeping an eye on what's happening and looking
7:05
Speaker 2: at the impacts of uncontrollable situations, which as the weather
7:11
Speaker 2: and those trade tariffs, and really, you know, it's just
7:15
Speaker 2: been top of mind.
7:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, talk about the weather a little bit more. That
7:18
Speaker 1: was my other subject before we get into the again
7:21
Speaker 1: Farm Week designation, and I'll talk about the weather a
7:23
Speaker 1: little bit, Ashley. I mean, how are we coping in
7:25
Speaker 1: northern Illinois. We have been parched, I believe for the summer, right,
7:29
Speaker 1: I mean, we haven't had that much moisture, you know
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Speaker 1: to go into farm fields.
7:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, absolutely, you know, and unfortunately those forecasts back
7:38
Speaker 2: in early spring came true. We have been in a drought.
7:42
Speaker 2: And it's kind of a perfect segue leading into the
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Speaker 2: National Farm Seeking and Health Week and talking a little
7:48
Speaker 2: bit about the weather because it has been dry and
7:51
Speaker 2: this drout has certainly had an impact on this crop year.
7:55
Speaker 2: You know, we're just getting started as far as farmers
7:59
Speaker 2: being able to get into the field. So the yields
8:02
Speaker 2: right now are are still very much premature as far
8:06
Speaker 2: as those numbers being thrown out there. But you know,
8:10
Speaker 2: there's no denying that it has just been a dry
8:13
Speaker 2: summer in moving into a dry fall, which coming back
8:18
Speaker 2: and linking that to the safety part. You know, when
8:21
Speaker 2: it's this dry out being aware of those fire hazards
8:25
Speaker 2: that can take place. You know, when when those equipment
8:30
Speaker 2: get out into that field and the crops are dry,
8:32
Speaker 2: the fields are dry, and those machines start getting hot,
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Speaker 2: fire safety becomes top of mind for those farmers that
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Speaker 2: are out there operating those machineries.
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Speaker 1: Absolutely, we have been parched, There's no doubt about it.
8:45
Speaker 1: And with again implementation back in and they're back in
8:48
Speaker 1: the field, folks, they're they're there. I mean, I've seen
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Speaker 1: many fields being worked on now as far as harvesting
8:54
Speaker 1: is concerned, they're already cutting in certain areas. So again
8:58
Speaker 1: that the harvest season is underway. And as Ashley just
9:00
Speaker 1: mentioned those big implements, you know, could you know through
9:04
Speaker 1: safety concerns through the dryness of our area. It's been
9:08
Speaker 1: so dry across northern Illinois that it could spark yeah,
9:12
Speaker 1: some serious situations, So we have to watch out for
9:14
Speaker 1: that safety first, avoid the worst, right, Ashley's the that's
9:20
Speaker 1: the that's the theme this year for National Farm Safety
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Speaker 1: and Health Week, and you just you know, talked about
9:27
Speaker 1: a safety aspect. There are many different areas of safety
9:32
Speaker 1: when it comes to agriculture, we don't have we could
9:34
Speaker 1: just skim the surface, actually, but there are there are
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Speaker 1: all kinds of areas we could go in in this direction,
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Speaker 1: right with this theme this year?
9:41
Speaker 2: Oh absolutely absolutely, And you know it's safety is one
9:46
Speaker 2: of those tidbits that we tend to kind of forget
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Speaker 2: about on a daily basis. You know, we get so
9:53
Speaker 2: ingrained into our routines, and you know, I'm at fault myself.
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Speaker 2: I wake up for the day and I on my
10:00
Speaker 2: day planned and I know exactly what I'm going to do.
10:02
Speaker 2: And if safety is not top of mind, and you're
10:06
Speaker 2: not thinking fully and thoroughly through about the different hazards
10:10
Speaker 2: and precautions that you need to take as you're going
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Speaker 2: through your daily activities and tests, accidents and hazards creep
10:16
Speaker 2: up on you pretty quickly. And so safety first, avoid
10:21
Speaker 2: the worst is a perfect tagline, because if we can
10:23
Speaker 2: keep safety first, then we're preventing those dangerous situations and
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Speaker 2: or you know, the worst case scenario, harmful situation.
10:33
Speaker 1: This week is National Farm Safety and Health Week, not
10:36
Speaker 1: only locally, not only regionally, but it's National Farm Safety
10:40
Speaker 1: and Health Week for twenty twenty five Ashley Herbs is
10:42
Speaker 1: our guest from Lee County Farm Bureau. She is the
10:44
Speaker 1: manager there and she is with us today to talk
10:46
Speaker 1: about agriculture and to talk about egg safety and egg
10:49
Speaker 1: health right here on WIX and Ashley, we're going to
10:51
Speaker 1: take a break for five minutes of news with Brandon
10:52
Speaker 1: Clark at the bottom of the hour, But when we
10:54
Speaker 1: come back, we're going to go further into Farm Safety
10:57
Speaker 1: and Health Week and some of the topics that are
11:00
Speaker 1: being shared this week, and Ashley's going to again devote
11:04
Speaker 1: to talking about each of these areas with our talk
11:07
Speaker 1: line today here at w wikeson but let's go to
11:09
Speaker 1: press next with Brandon Clark at eight thirty. We continue
11:12
Speaker 1: our conversation now with our Lee County Farm Bureau manager.
11:15
Speaker 1: She is live with us this morning to talk about
11:17
Speaker 1: a very important time in our lives. It's National Farm
11:21
Speaker 1: Safety and Health Week for twenty twenty five. It's really
11:23
Speaker 1: the official start of the harvest season. And with us
11:26
Speaker 1: this morning to kind of decipher the week and what
11:30
Speaker 1: it stands for, is our good friend Ashley Erberts from
11:32
Speaker 1: Lee County Farm Bureau. She is with us by telephone
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Speaker 1: this morning here at w WIKES and Ashley, thanks for
11:37
Speaker 1: spending the extra time with us. Appreciated.
11:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, thank you again. Can't thank you enough on
11:42
Speaker 2: behalf of Lee County Farm Bureau for following me on
11:44
Speaker 2: this week.
11:44
Speaker 1: Well, well let's talk a little bit more about National
11:48
Speaker 1: Farm Safety and Health Week. We kind of broke it
11:50
Speaker 1: apart last hour, last half hour with our look at weather,
11:54
Speaker 1: with our look at the economy. Now we're going to
11:58
Speaker 1: really kind of get into the meet and tatoes of
12:00
Speaker 1: Farm Health and Safety Week, which includes obviously Ashley, as
12:04
Speaker 1: we always mentioned, watching out for the big implements. We
12:08
Speaker 1: talked about that earlier as well. You know, the implementation
12:11
Speaker 1: is in the farm fields now. It is in right,
12:14
Speaker 1: I mean we're harvesting now, Yes, yes.
12:17
Speaker 2: We sure are. If you are taking a cruise across
12:20
Speaker 2: the county in Lee County, you are definitely seeing farmers
12:24
Speaker 2: out in the field. It is go time. The crops
12:27
Speaker 2: are dry enough and they're getting in the field. And
12:30
Speaker 2: what a great way to start off and launch the
12:32
Speaker 2: week with our equipment and rural roadway safety. You know,
12:36
Speaker 2: when we look at sharing the road, that tagline that
12:40
Speaker 2: we always here share the road. Not only are we
12:43
Speaker 2: talking about young new drivers reminding our drivers that have
12:48
Speaker 2: been behind the wheel for you know, quite some time.
12:51
Speaker 2: But also as we age in our well experienced, our
12:56
Speaker 2: tribute drivers, shall I say, and being mindful that that
13:01
Speaker 2: large equipment moves slower than regular vehicles, and there are
13:07
Speaker 2: blind spots, and so if you can't see the farmer's
13:11
Speaker 2: face in the equipment in front of you, chances are
13:13
Speaker 2: they might not be able to see you. So always
13:17
Speaker 2: a top of mind as we kick off these weeks
13:19
Speaker 2: is roadway safety and how to be precautious when coming
13:23
Speaker 2: up on farm equipment on the road.
13:25
Speaker 1: Seems like our society moves at a faster pace year
13:30
Speaker 1: after year, just does, and we need to slow it
13:32
Speaker 1: down because these implements are slower. That's just the way
13:36
Speaker 1: it is. They don't operate at a fast pace. They
13:39
Speaker 1: can't move that fast astley and we've got to adhere
13:41
Speaker 1: to that, right And that's.
13:43
Speaker 2: Correct, that's correct. And you know, if on behalf of
13:47
Speaker 2: Lee County Farm Bureau wants to remind the drivers that
13:49
Speaker 2: are listening at no time is it legal to pass
13:53
Speaker 2: in a no passing zone. So unless you actually have
13:56
Speaker 2: are in a passing zone, it is not legal to
13:59
Speaker 2: pass in a passing zone. So when you come up
14:01
Speaker 2: behind slow moving equipment on that roadway, keep in mind
14:06
Speaker 2: that in a no passing zone, it is still very
14:09
Speaker 2: illegal to pass. And being mindful again, just going back
14:13
Speaker 2: to our driving one oh one, if it's a no
14:15
Speaker 2: passing zone, you know, there's there's roadway reasons of which
14:19
Speaker 2: in the nature of potentially not having a clear horizon
14:23
Speaker 2: ahead of oncoming traffic and or in any situation on
14:26
Speaker 2: a curve where we shouldn't be passing.
14:28
Speaker 1: In general, got to be courteous on the roadways. Especially
14:31
Speaker 1: now Ashley, we're seeing a lot of road construction as well,
14:34
Speaker 1: and this impedes you know, I mean it does. It affects,
14:38
Speaker 1: you know, travel and it impedes as far as highway
14:42
Speaker 1: safety concerns, you know, and especially with the big rigs
14:45
Speaker 1: out you know, the tractors, the combines out even in
14:48
Speaker 1: road construction areas. This is what makes it really pensive,
14:52
Speaker 1: you know, for us to be courteous to the agricultural sector.
14:56
Speaker 2: Yes, correct, there is no amount of trying to rush
15:00
Speaker 2: your arrival time. That risks your life. So in being
15:04
Speaker 2: mindful that when you come up on the on that machinery,
15:07
Speaker 2: that that is also somebody's you know, brother, father, mother.
15:12
Speaker 2: We try to really emphasize that that we're all human
15:15
Speaker 2: and we all have places to be and to get,
15:17
Speaker 2: but no fast destination time. Increasing your your destination time
15:22
Speaker 2: is worth risking your life.
15:23
Speaker 1: For Ashley, you mentioned another area that we're going to
15:26
Speaker 1: touch upon right now, and that is health and wellness.
15:28
Speaker 1: Obviously you mentioned, you know, with farmers with agricultural uh
15:33
Speaker 1: minded people you know in the fields and working you know,
15:37
Speaker 1: to to make life easier for us. You know, comes
15:41
Speaker 1: you know, the fact that you know we age. You know,
15:45
Speaker 1: you know farmers age as well as we do. I mean,
15:48
Speaker 1: you know, they get older. I mean and sometimes you know,
15:51
Speaker 1: the you know, you kind of lose train of thought,
15:53
Speaker 1: you kind of lose you know, your perspective, it's not
15:55
Speaker 1: as sharp. Uh And and and this is where we
15:58
Speaker 1: have to address health and wellness. And now, Ashley, as
16:01
Speaker 1: we talked about the changing times, you know, stressful situations
16:04
Speaker 1: I think are more than ever, even in agriculture, right.
16:08
Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, the emotional toll that it takes to withstand
16:12
Speaker 2: that the agricultural occupation. You know, you're talking about an
16:16
Speaker 2: occupation that not only is factored by influences such as
16:22
Speaker 2: just running and operating a business. But then you're also
16:25
Speaker 2: talking about the uncontrollable factors such as whether the economy,
16:29
Speaker 2: the geopolitical platform that we're facing. And so when it
16:33
Speaker 2: comes to the emotional wellness, awareness is so important, you know,
16:40
Speaker 2: really taking stake in the mental mindset and also keeping
16:47
Speaker 2: like the family resilience to help pass down that family
16:50
Speaker 2: farm to the next generation. Which that's that's another topic
16:54
Speaker 2: we're going to talk about. The emotional and mental health
16:58
Speaker 2: is so important. And you know that goes back to
17:01
Speaker 2: the keynote of what our week is emphasizing here, which
17:04
Speaker 2: is National Farm Safety and Health Week.
17:07
Speaker 1: That's right, That's why they have designated it as you're
17:10
Speaker 1: not just safety but health week as well, because health
17:12
Speaker 1: and wellness enters the picture when it comes to agg again,
17:17
Speaker 1: areas that we need to discuss with Ashley this morning
17:20
Speaker 1: here at WIX. And you did mention Nashley. Let's move
17:22
Speaker 1: on and talk about, you know, handing the farm down.
17:25
Speaker 1: And we talked about this in the first portion with
17:26
Speaker 1: the egg in the classroom.
17:27
Speaker 2: Here we go right, correct, yes, we share? Did we sure?
17:31
Speaker 2: Did you know? When we start looking at again, I
17:35
Speaker 2: bring back up the economy, we start looking at the
17:38
Speaker 2: price of which it takes to enter an operation such
17:41
Speaker 2: as entering an occupation of just farming, it becomes a
17:45
Speaker 2: pretty steep task as the financial output. And then also
17:50
Speaker 2: looking at the financial state that we have in handing
17:53
Speaker 2: down the farm to the next generation with the family
17:57
Speaker 2: estate tax that we have both at the state and
18:00
Speaker 2: national level. And so it's so important to have those
18:04
Speaker 2: conversations to be able to hand down the farm to
18:07
Speaker 2: the next generation, but then also preparing that next generation
18:12
Speaker 2: to take on such a task to keep the family
18:14
Speaker 2: farm alive. And so uh, getting those support, getting that
18:18
Speaker 2: support and getting help in those conversations is part of
18:22
Speaker 2: one of our awareness days, and so I would like
18:26
Speaker 2: to remind the listeners that with the Lee County Farm Bureau,
18:29
Speaker 2: not only are their resources available with our National Farm
18:33
Speaker 2: and Safety Health Week, but we also have those kind
18:35
Speaker 2: of resources as a farm grew member to help engage
18:38
Speaker 2: in those conversations of handing down the farm to the
18:41
Speaker 2: next generation.
18:42
Speaker 1: That's terrific because it is important and it gets a
18:45
Speaker 1: little it's it seems like it gets more complicated. Kid,
18:48
Speaker 1: We're Kelly, We're talking, you know, year after year after year,
18:51
Speaker 1: things just kind of you know, move along and and
18:54
Speaker 1: and it's a little bit more complicated these days, right, Ashley,
18:56
Speaker 1: to do this.
18:58
Speaker 2: Type of psure, Oh, absolutely, absolutely. There's so many facets
19:03
Speaker 2: that need to be talked about and communicate, communicated on,
19:07
Speaker 2: and so again going back to our scene, that's that's
19:10
Speaker 2: you know, communication coaching to help the next generation.
19:15
Speaker 1: Let's talk about confined spaces Ashley. And this was an
19:17
Speaker 1: area that I was kind of you know, up in
19:19
Speaker 1: the air about because I want to know, you know,
19:21
Speaker 1: confined spaces. So what are we talking about here when
19:23
Speaker 1: we talked about confined spaces and agriculture.
19:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, So top of mind comes grain bins and
19:30
Speaker 2: grain bin in trapping, and so we can we can
19:34
Speaker 2: kind of bounce around the title for that day of
19:37
Speaker 2: confined spaces, but also you know, we can talk about
19:41
Speaker 2: silos and manure tanks that can also be formed in
19:45
Speaker 2: confined spaces, any any kind of small space that is
19:49
Speaker 2: in that agricultural sector that we don't have a clear
19:53
Speaker 2: exit when when dealing and working in those areas.
19:58
Speaker 1: All right, and you know this is kind of a
20:01
Speaker 1: tragic area. We seem to hear about it every year, Ashley.
20:03
Speaker 1: Problems especially with grain bins as you just mentioned, that
20:06
Speaker 1: seems to be at the top of the list, right,
20:08
Speaker 1: I mean when it.
20:09
Speaker 2: Comes to safety correct, Yeah, absolutely, especially here in Lee County.
20:13
Speaker 2: And you know, it comes back to when we are
20:16
Speaker 2: working and we become so used to our daily routines,
20:20
Speaker 2: on our daily task, we tend to forget about those
20:23
Speaker 2: hazards that can creep up on us, like walking across
20:27
Speaker 2: the grain inside of a green bin, cleaning out a
20:30
Speaker 2: green bin. You never know if there's an air pocket
20:34
Speaker 2: underneath you. And so that's where a lot of times
20:37
Speaker 2: we see those green bin and trapments, and so being
20:41
Speaker 2: mindful of when we're working in those types of spaces
20:44
Speaker 2: that we are taking every safety precaution possible and not
20:48
Speaker 2: taking for granted our health and well being while we're
20:51
Speaker 2: in those spaces.
20:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, you don't want to hear about the tragedies that
20:56
Speaker 1: surround somebody, you know, getting trapped in a grain bit
20:59
Speaker 1: or fun calling in to a grain bind again, tragedies
21:04
Speaker 1: you know, as far as these confined space areas are concerned.
21:06
Speaker 1: So we need to address that. That's one of the
21:08
Speaker 1: highlighted areas of Farm Health and Safety Week through the
21:12
Speaker 1: National Education Center for agg safety and finally, actually, you know,
21:16
Speaker 1: one of the one more major topic that we wanted
21:18
Speaker 1: to center stage, and this was again more of a
21:21
Speaker 1: contemporary topic as well. ATVs and UTVs are being used
21:24
Speaker 1: more on the farm.
21:25
Speaker 2: Huh oh, absolutely absolutely. You know, I'm not quite sure
21:30
Speaker 2: I've taken a drive home and not seen either a
21:33
Speaker 2: UTV or an ATV on the road. As well, it's
21:36
Speaker 2: becoming a very popular vehicle to use, and.
21:39
Speaker 1: Again they're making their way into the ag sector and
21:43
Speaker 1: that means more safety you know, has to be you know,
21:46
Speaker 1: connected with this particular type of vehicle. You know, again
21:51
Speaker 1: it's it looks like an easier form of transportation, especially
21:54
Speaker 1: across farm fields, and it's being used more and more,
21:56
Speaker 1: right actually in daily use.
21:59
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, absolutely. The asset that an ETV and a
22:02
Speaker 2: UTV that can that brings to the farm is endless.
22:07
Speaker 2: You know, it's able to connect the farmer and or
22:12
Speaker 2: the operator first hand and up and personal looking when
22:16
Speaker 2: it when it comes to crop scouting and looking at
22:19
Speaker 2: the crops and or getting from place to place across
22:22
Speaker 2: the farm. The wear and tear that it takes on
22:25
Speaker 2: a vehicle and so so those are becoming important assets
22:29
Speaker 2: that we see on the farm. And then you know,
22:32
Speaker 2: with that comes those safety precautions and operating those types
22:36
Speaker 2: of vehicles, which you know, again when we are just
22:40
Speaker 2: in our routine and we jump behind the wheel to
22:43
Speaker 2: get from one field to the next, we don't necessarily
22:46
Speaker 2: think about what are those hazards that can present themselves
22:49
Speaker 2: as we're traveling across those.
22:51
Speaker 1: Fields exactly, and we can you can jump into the
22:54
Speaker 1: larger implements as well. Actually, I tell you, you know,
22:56
Speaker 1: with farmers staying out in the fields to one hours,
23:00
Speaker 1: you know, I mean, this has just become the case.
23:03
Speaker 1: I mean really, I mean, you know, late night, you know,
23:05
Speaker 1: into the fields. It's not uncommon. And the terrain is
23:09
Speaker 1: still there. The terrain is still there on agricultural lands
23:12
Speaker 1: that we still need to be aware of, right, oh.
23:15
Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely absolutely. You know, we can go back to
23:18
Speaker 2: the drought and talk about, you know what the lack
23:20
Speaker 2: of rain and the fact that the ground needs a
23:23
Speaker 2: good drink and what that does to the terrain of
23:25
Speaker 2: the ground. But I want to remind you, so it's
23:28
Speaker 2: still according to the twenty twenty two data and statistics,
23:31
Speaker 2: but the US Bureau of Labor still puts the agricultural
23:36
Speaker 2: sector in industry as the most hazardous industry in America.
23:40
Speaker 2: So when we're talking about those that are supplying us
23:43
Speaker 2: with our food, with our fiber, with our fuel that
23:46
Speaker 2: we depend on so heavily every single day, it's still
23:50
Speaker 2: listed and marked as the most dangerous job in America.
23:53
Speaker 1: Wow, it is National Farm Safety and Health. We can
23:56
Speaker 1: we just skimmed the surface. We could go even deeper
23:58
Speaker 1: into these topics, but we just don't have time to
24:00
Speaker 1: do that. But I hope we've gotten the word out
24:02
Speaker 1: that it is an important time for northernin It's important
24:05
Speaker 1: time for all of us friends, not just those directly involved,
24:08
Speaker 1: but all of us because this is an important time.
24:11
Speaker 1: It's National Farm Safety and Health Week for twenty twenty five.
24:13
Speaker 1: Adhere to the safety rules and be courteous to those
24:16
Speaker 1: that are in the farm fields doing the job for us.
24:19
Speaker 1: And Ashley Erbis from Lee County Farm Bureau, Man, we
24:22
Speaker 1: thank you so very much for joining us today and
24:24
Speaker 1: spotlighting the week with us here at Wyxent.
24:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much, really appreciate it and on
24:29
Speaker 2: behalf of Lee County Farm Bureau. Can't thank you enough
24:32
Speaker 2: for spotlighting such an important week.
24:34
Speaker 1: The manager of the Lee County Farm Bureau Ashley Irbis
24:36
Speaker 1: has been our guest today in this eight o'clock hour
24:38
Speaker 1: here at Wyxent. Sports First is Next,