COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Spring has officially arrived, and as the weather warms up, a new season for farm safety also heats up.
Each year, approximately 2,000 youth across Ohio enjoy learning about how to protect themselves from rural hazards through Farm Safety Day Camps, said Kathy Henwood, program coordinator for agricultural safety and health for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The camps are a collaborative sponsorship of Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Farm Bureau, Our Ohio and the Ohio 4-H Foundation.
Farm Safety Day Camps offer communities valuable lessons about farm dangers through educational sessions that focus on rural safety. The 2011 camping season currently includes seven camps scheduled around the state.
Children tend to be curious by nature and are often unsuspecting of lurking danger.
"These are two characteristics that can cause harm to young people on farms, whether they live there or are visitors," Henwood said. In Ohio, incidents are more likely to occur to children during the spring and summer months.
The educational sessions help students understand why there are rules, how quickly equipment and livestock react, and what to do in emergency situations. In addition to the educational sessions, campers and staff have fun together by interacting with one another, all in an effort to be reminded of safety.
Ohio State University Extension's Agricultural Safety and Health Program, housed in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE), is a nationally recognized center of excellence for educational Extension programming and agricultural safety and health research. The dates and locations for Farm Safety Day Camps are:
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Putnam County, April 12-13, Ruth Gerding Farm. Contact Joan Kline, 419-523-5608.
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Auglaize County, May 10, Four Seasons Recreation Complex & Park. Contact Don and Lois Baumer, 419-628-3420.
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Wood County, May (date to be determined), Agriculture Incubator Foundation. Contact David Little, 419-833-6014.
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Morrow County, May 6, Morrow County Fairgrounds. Contact Becky Barker, 419-947-1070.
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Fulton County, May 19, 4-H Camp Palmer. Contact Bill Goodson, 419-237-2247.
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Stark County, June 16, Stark County Fairgrounds. Contact David Crawford, 330- 830-7700.
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Monroe County, October (date to be determined), Woodsfield Elementary School. Contact Bruce Zimmer, 740-472-0810.
For more information, see http://agsafety.osu.edu/ash/programs/day_camps.html.