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The Delaware Farm Bureau will hold its fourth annual Ag Safety Conference virtually Wednesday, March 17.

After postponing the event last year, eventually canceling it altogether due to the pandemic, Ag Safety Conference Chair June Unruh said the P&E Committee is excited to bring the conference back to benefit farmers and consumers in the first state.

"I don't know of anyone else having these kinds of safety conferences. I think it’s very crucial that we keep up with this. Somebody has to. We have to look after each other," she said.

Traditionally, the conference has included giveaways for participants and doubled as a chance for attendees to learn about safe practices around the farm and to fellowship with others. Unruh said the opportunity to gather and enjoy each other's company was a highlight many missed last year.

"The safety conference started after our initiative with the rural road safety. We discussed it and there hadn't been a safety conference for a while in the state so we decided to take that on," Unruh said. “We felt it was very important for the farmers to have a chance to get together and review safety information.”

The Ag Safety Conference hosted by the Delaware Farm Bureau, she added, is a one-stop-shop for this crucial information and includes a pesticide certification opportunity.

"We want to let the farmers know and the public know how important the safety topic is to the Delaware Farm Bureau," Unruh said. "And we can do that even in a virtual format. If you didn't have Zoom as a word in your vocabulary before this, you sure do now. Our annual meeting was done virtually and the Farm Bureau staff did an excellent job. We know they'll do the same with our Ag Safety Conference."

This year’s event will again include pesticide certification, as well as a presentation on grain bin/confined space safety from Nationwide. There will also be a presentation on Right to Repair/Safety of Repair by Atlantic Tractor with a Question-and-Answer session with ag equipment manufacturers. Anyone interested in attending should register online at defb.org.

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AGENDA

Delaware Ag Safety Conference
Wednesday, March 17

9 a.m.: Welcome by Ag Safety Conference Chair June Unruh, introduction of Delaware Department of Agriculture Michael Scuse.
9:15 a.m.: Grain Bin Safety/Confined Space Entry Presentation led by Matt Ludwig of Nationwide.
10:15 a.m.: Right to Repair/Safety of Repair Presentation by Atlantic Tractor, a John Deere Dealer
11 a.m.: Break (15 min)
11:15 a.m.: Pesticides 101, The What’s and Why’s of the Label presentation by Dr. Kerry Richards, Pesticide Educator at the University of Delaware Extensions. 1 pesticide credit awarded
12:15 p.m.: Closing remarks by Delaware Farm Bureau President Richard Wilkins
The event will conclude with the drawing of door prizes for participants still in attendance.