15-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Ag. group marks Kids FarmSafe Week
This week has been all about kids in agriculture, getting them involved in farming and making sure they can stay safe while they do it.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) marks its second annual Kids FarmSafe Week through May 18.
'Today's kids are tomorrow's farmers and ranchers, and the farm is a unique workplace where families live, work and play. That is why, as an industry, we must work together to create safe and healthy environments for children and youth on Canadian farms,' CASA executive director Sandra Miller said in a release.
Each day this week, there has been a specific theme to look into the hazards children and youth on farms may face. These themes include machinery safety, water safety and drowning prevention, safe play areas, safety around farm animals and roadway safety.
An event that people can participate in this week is a colouring contest to allow children to win gift cards and CASA swag. The event will accept entries until May 30 from children and youth ages 3 to 13.
'People can go to the web page, and there are four colouring sheets, and we're encouraging young folks to download the pictures, colour them, and share them with us. They can email them to us or send them to us on social media, and they have a chance to win some prizes,' said Anderson.
CASA also allows educators and other interested people to borrow teaching kits to demonstrate the hazards and how to mitigate them.
'We've had everybody from progressive agriculture safety days to schools to 4-H clubs to agricultural societies borrow teaching kits, and they're free to borrow,' said Anderson.
'They can use them to teach kids about things you know that might impact their community. So, there's information on fire safety, grain safety and brain injury prevention.'
Anderson told The Observer that, as much as this week is about safety, it is also about celebrating farm kids and getting them involved.
'We want to celebrate kids growing up on the farm, talking about why it's so amazing to go up on the farm, but also both how we can keep our kids safe on the farm and how we can nurture the future of agriculture.'
One of the biggest ways this week is important is giving parents a chance to have an open conversation with their children about safety on the farm, noted Anderson.
'Even if they don't check out the website, just have a little talk, a real conversation with each other about why farm safety is important and why safety on their farm is important.'
'It doesn't matter if it comes from granddad or the littlest granddaughter. Having those conversations with everybody, hearing the concerns, and ensuring everybody comes home, tucked in safe, warm and cozy at night.'
