The entire fourth-grade class poses for a picture before heading to their separate stations for a fun day of learning.
On the morning of Sept. 24, the DeWitt Central FFA in Iowa held its annual 4th-Grade Farm Safety Day. Chapter members planned and taught different aspects of farm and home safety to students, such as grain bin safety, chemical safety and food safety. Using the Clinton County Fairground’s swine barn located across from the high school, the chapter had ample room to teach, with vehicles such as a firetruck, ambulance, ATV’s, lawnmower, and a tractor being on site for students to learn about. The students had a great time at each station, and the ever-popular chapter event will continue to be a staple for many years to come.
Safety Takes the Reins
Chapter Secretary Carlee Garrity ran the chemical safety station. With a chemical safety kit provided by River Valley Co-op in DeWitt, they had plenty of valuable resources to teach with.
“We played a game in which the kids had to guess what jar contained chemicals and which one contained a food or drink. That was their favorite part as well,” Garrity says.
The station leaders designed their stations to be interactive so the kids would stay engaged. These stations offer important lessons for the kids; they need to pay attention to stay safe. “Farm Safety Day is important to teach kids how to be safe on and off a farm and educate them on things they may not think can be dangerous, but they encounter almost every day,” Garrity added. “This way, they know what to do in situations most younger kids may panic in.”
Lawn care safety was taught by member Molly Burken and her brother Joseph. They provided equipment such as a zero-turn mower, push mower, and weedwacker from Joseph’s lawn care business. While the kids learned to be safe around the lawn care equipment, FFA members also gained valuable skills.
“Farm Safety Day is important because it not only teaches students how to be safe in various applications, but it also helps us be better in our own lives as we gain more knowledge from doing stations you may not know a lot about,” Molly said. “It also, aside from the education portion, helps members grow in leadership, presentational skills and responsibility.”
Trotting Off Safely
Farm Safety Day has been an important event for the chapter, and it’s a student and member favorite. Fourth-grade students gain valuable knowledge on how to stay safe, and FFA members learn and grow as leaders. After a day full of laughs and learning, one thing’s for sure: these kids won’t be horsing around when it comes to safety!
