Latest news with #AlmaJordan
Agriland
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Farm safety: Children have 'potential to change cultures and behaviours'
The "influence" children can have in changing "cultures and behaviours" around farm safety and risks "cannot be underrated". Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids, a farm safety educational platform for children created to "engage, educate and empower children to be farm safety ambassadors", told politicians this week that children can be key in creating a "sustainably safer future on our farms". The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food held a discussion on farm safety, with representatives including from AgriKids, Embrace FARM and FBD Insurance. Alma Jordan said that 80,000 children have engaged with the AgriKids programme and said that they are "passionate learners, passionate about farming, and passionate to share their learnings at home and in their community". "We speak about this need to break the culture, change behaviours, denormalise attitudes to risk-taking - they can help us," Jordan said. "I have had children as young as four reminding parents to lock chemical sheds, leave the area when agitating slurry; a 12-year-old asking how much a PTO (power take-off) cover was so she could buy her dad one with her confirmation money." She told the committee that children have the "absolute capacity" to influence for the better and "create this much-needed change". Jordan is urging people to stop sharing "vanity over sanity" imagery and videos of children on farms. "This topic needs common sense but also compassion and compromise. We need to work with farmers, listen to them," she said. "Understand the uniqueness of a farm as both a workplace and a home, what are the challenges that are getting in the way, and find a work around." Minister of State for farm safety, Michael Healy-Rae, recently announced that the Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals for projects which promote children's and young person's safety awareness on farms for the next five years. The department is providing funding of €200,000 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2025, with an option to extend the contract for a further four years. The initiatives must be delivered by November 2025. Alma Jordan, welcoming the recent call, told the committee however that asking for school farm safety initiatives to be conducted in what would be considered the "off-season" for this topic - between September and November - is "not at all an ideal or sound investment for these funds". "Pre-Christmas is simply the wrong time of year for farm-themed lessons and will be difficult to get optioned when competing with back to school, Christmas activities, and mid-term breaks. "So we do respectfully request a consideration be given to times of the year for any such upcoming funding opportunities," she said. She recommended that spring and summer is a better time of year for these projects. Embrace FARM co-founder Norma Rohan has said that farm safety "must be more than just physical safety". "A tragedy on the farm doesn't just affect an individual - it sends shockwaves through the family, the business, and the entire rural community. "Farm safety must be more than just physical safety. It must also embrace emotional, mental, and relational wellbeing. "From the stories we hear daily, it's clear: a silent pandemic of grief, trauma, and isolation leading to mental health difficulties is sweeping through our rural communities." Rohan told the committee that not just farmers, but contractors, processors, agri-food businesses, policymakers and more in the agri-food chain must all play a part in farm safety and wellbeing - so that it is a shared responsibility and "does not rest solely on the shoulders of farmers". FBD Insurance representatives told the committee that its own claims' experience is closely in line with published statistics around farm accidents. The most common and serious accidents involve farm machinery, farm vehicles, falls, livestock, and slurry. A number of the Oireachtas committee members highlighted the dangers of farm vehicles, and the risks involved with children operating them. Alma Jordan has called for competency-based testing for children before they can legally drive a tractor. Tractor and machinery use accounted for almost half of all farm-related deaths in the 10-year period from 2015 to 2024 with 79 people killed, 12 of whom were children, according to the Health and Safety Authority. Kate Tobin, chief financial officer of FBD, told the committee that around 10 years ago, "we saw some very high levels of accidents and high claims experience". "We would have been seeing about 1,000 accidents a year, we've seen that reduce now to in the region of 800," Tobin said. "That's still quite high, but we have certainly seen a reduction over time."
Agriland
31-07-2025
- General
- Agriland
Watch Farm Safe Farm Well Keeping Children Safe on the Farm
In the first instalment of Agriland Media's new series, Farm Safe, Farm Well, we discuss how to keep children safe while on the farm. The Farm Safe Farm Well series, produced by Agriland Media in conjunction with AXA Insurance, is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Over the coming months, the series, which includes articles, videos and podcasts, will focus on different themes related to farm safety and wellbeing. As the summer holidays are in full swing, it is more important than ever to ensure that children are kept safe while on the farm. Although many children like to help on the farm, it is important for everyone to remember that farms are not playgrounds and that children must be carefully supervised. According to data from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) children and young people accounted for 9% of all fatalities on Irish farms between 2014 and 2013. 84% of the fatal accidents to children on farms in the period involved the use of tractors and machinery. Alma Jordan lives in Julianstown in Co. Meath with her husband Mark and son, Eamon where they run a tillage, cattle and horse enterprise. In response to a spike in farm deaths in 2014, which included five children, Alma wrote a series of story books for children on the theme of farm safety. She also founded AgriKids, a farm safety educational platform specifically for children, which provides tools, resources and learning aids for teachers to use in the classroom. Over the past decade, 80,000 children have engaged with the AgriKids programme. In 2020, AgriKids launched the 'Farm Safety Roadshow', a specially equipped truck which travels to shows around the country, offering a "one stop shop" of farm safety resources for children of all ages. "My ethos is to engage, to educate, but to empower our children to become our farm safety ambassadors," Alma told Agriland. Alma said she is "not an advocate for keeping our children off the farm" as "it's an incredible place to learn". However, she said that young people "need to appreciate the fact that they are coming into the most hazardous of workplaces". "It's really about making sure that we're exposing them to jobs that are age appropriate, that's within their ability and their competency levels. "We find that when we have animals they always need to be fed, there's always a yard that needs to be swept, a shed that needs to be mucked out. There's always work that needs to be done with the animals. "When they get that little bit older, hitting 14, 15 and upwards, then we can expose them to the life of driving and handling farm machinery," she said. Alma Jordan AgriKids Alma stressed the importance of children being taught the meaning of the signs they see on farms. During the summer months, farms may see an increase in visits from family and friends who may not be from a farming background. "That's an ideal opportunity to remind your children that there may be people coming to the farm that aren't used to farm life. So reinstill the message again when is it safe to go and when do you have to say no," Alma said. The AgriKids founder said that there are things we can all do to make farms a safer place for everyone and that the farmer should "lead by example". "This doesn't have to be rocket science. A lot of the area around farm safety is very specific to your own farm. "Have a look around the type of farm that you have, identify where the hazards are and use it as an opportunity to help educate, teach and empower your own children around the areas that they need to watch out for on a farm, but most importantly, explain why," Alma said. The HSA reminded farmers that children between the ages of 7 and 16 may ride on a tractor provided the tractor is fitted with a properly designed and fitted passenger seat (with seat belts) inside a safety cab or frame. The authority added that "under no circumstances" should a child under 7 years of age be carried inside the cab of a tractor, regardless of whether a passenger seat is provided or not. Only children over 14 should be allowed to drive a tractor or self-propelled vehicle, in line with legal requirements The HSA said that a young person aged 14 or over should only be permitted to drive a tractor or self-propelled machine on the farm, if: They have attended a formal training course run by a competent training provider; They are closely supervised by a responsible adult; They have the ability to operate the controls with ease; All the controls are conveniently accessible for safe operation by the operator when seated in the driver's seat; The controls which operate the power take off (PTO) devices, hydraulic devices and engine cut-off are clearly marked to show the effect of their operation; The tractor is maintained so that it is safe for them to operate; The ground over which the tractor is driven is free from hazards such as steep slopes or excavations, river banks, lake or pond edges, deep ditches and similar areas You can find more information on keeping children safe on your farm on the HSA website by clicking here.
Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
The ‘Stay Safe with Jessy' competition brings farm safety to the classroom
Teagasc is proud to announce the launch of the 'Stay Safe with Jessy' farm safety art competition and webinar, a new initiative aimed at promoting farm safety among children. The competition invites all primary school-going children across Ireland to participate in creating pieces of art that highlight the importance of safety practices in agriculture and on Irish farms. The art competition will be followed by a live webinar on Thursday, June 19, at 11am. This 40-minute webinar, hosted by Alison Maloney of Teagasc, will be live-streamed from the Teagasc studio in Oak Park, Carlow. Joining Alison in the studio will be Jessy the Sheepdog and Francis Bligh, Farm Safety Specialist in Teagasc. They will be going live to St Joseph's National School in Rathwire, County Westmeath, where Alma Jordan from Agrikids will be discussing farm safety with students. During the webinar on June 19, winners of the art competition will be announced. There are three prize categories in the art competition, with an overall winner and runner-up in each. The categories are: Junior and Senior Infants; 1st–3rd Class; and 4th–6th Class. Get your entries in quickly, as the closing date is Friday, June 6 at 5pm. Prizes include Smyths Toys vouchers to the value of €100 for each category winner, and an Agrikids Farm Safety Workshop with Alma Jordan for their school during the 2025/2026 school year. Each runner-up will receive a €25 Smyths Toys voucher. In addition, each winner will receive a Lily Nolan Memorial Trophy for their school. Jessy the Sheepdog was originally developed in 2007 by the late Lily Nolan of Teagasc and the HSA. The storyline in the original book follows a dog called Jessy and her three puppies as they encounter various dangers on the farm. The book is available to download here. Francis Bligh, Farm Safety Specialist in Teagasc, said: 'Farms can be dangerous places, especially for children. Through this campaign, we will be highlighting the main dangers and risks on farms, how to avoid them, and how to stay safe.' Alison Maloney, Digital and Online Communications Specialist with Teagasc, said: 'I'm looking forward to hosting the Stay Safe with Jessy event. I'm thrilled to see Jessy come to life, and I would encourage all teachers and parents to support children in participating in the campaign. It's a great opportunity to start the conversation around farm safety with children who live on or visit farms.' 'It's been a real privilege to work alongside Teagasc on the Stay Safe with Jessy campaign,' added Alma Jordan of Agrikids. 'This initiative is specifically focused on children, who can be powerful messengers for safety at home and on the farm. By making these lessons engaging and age-appropriate, we're helping to build safer habits from a young age — and that can have a lasting impact.'
Agriland
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Primary school art competition to promote farm safety
Teagasc has launched the 'Stay Safe with Jessy' farm safety art competition and webinar, a new initiative aimed at promoting farm safety among children. The competition is open to all primary school children across Ireland to create pieces of art that highlight the importance of safety practices in agriculture, and on Irish farms. A live webinar will take place on Thursday, June 19, at 11:00am, with the winners of the art competition set to be named afterwards. The 40-minute webinar, hosted by Alison Maloney of Teagasc, will be livestreamed from the Teagasc studio in Oak Park, Co. Carlow. Maloney will be joined in studio by farm safety specialist in Teagasc, Francis Bligh, and Jessy the sheepdog. The event will also be going live to St. Joseph's National School in Rathwire, Co. Westmeath, where Alma Jordan from Agrikids will be discussing farm safety with students in the school. Art competition There are three categories for prizes in the art competition, from which there will be an overall winner and a runner-up in each category. These categories are junior and senior infants, first to third class, and fourth to sixth class. The prizes up for grabs in the competition include a €100 voucher for Smyths Toys for each category winner, and an Agrikids farm safety workshop with Alma Jordan for their school during the 2025/2026 school year. There will be three category runners up, who will each receive a Smyths Toys voucher to the value of €25. Farm safety specialist in Teagasc, Francis Bligh said: 'Farms can be dangerous places, especially for children. Through this campaign we will be highlighting the main dangers and risks on farms, and how to avoid them, and stay safe.' The closing date for the Teagasc art competition is 5:00pm on Friday, June 6.
