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Large equipment, loud noises and fire risks are among some of the top safety concerns farmers face daily in their agricultural operations.

All of these topics and more will be brought to light at the Delaware Farm Bureau’s 7th annual Safety Conference, hosted by its Promotion & Education Committee in partnership with Nationwide and the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. This free event will be held Wednesday, March 20 at Loblolly Acres in Viola from 9-2 p.m.

The conference features speakers throughout the day on a variety of topics and includes free lunch and refreshments for attendees.

“We really want to make sure that everyone who can attend does attend and that this information is freely accessible. We need to keep safety at the forefront of what we do to protect ourselves, our families, our workers and our consumers,” Executive Director Don Clifton said. “It helps that this event is held at such a lovely location. We’re very grateful to Loblolly Acres for allowing us to use their space. It’s always nice when we can celebrate our farms and farmers through our work.”

Clifton will be among the list of speakers for the Safety Conference, presenting on Improving Road Safety for Farm Equipment along with Kent County Farm Bureau President Jim Minner.

“As farmers, we get into the daily grind of the day and sometimes we miss crucial steps to keep ourselves safe. We really can’t let that happen. Some of this machinery that we use could be deadly if we don’t take the right precautionary measures,” he added.

The conference will also feature a presentation on Hearing Loss and Protection by Todd McMullen from Great Hearing Benefits, a member benefit for Delaware Farm Bureau members.

Chuck Thomp, director of customer relations and strategy for eFire USA, will present on Fire Realities Mitigating the Risk, Protecting Property & Lives Through Pre-Planning & Awareness, speaking to the realities of fire risks which are sometimes overlooked and the idea that there is “. . . never enough first protection.”

Dr. Kerry Richards of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will round out the day with a presentation on pesticides to include a pesticide credit.

“This Safety Conference is important not only for the farmer, but for the general public, as well. With the population growing as it is in the state, it’s very important to keep that education going and with large machinery and more cars, trucks and everything on the road, we have to keep everybody safe,” June Unruh, Delaware Farm Bureau member and Safety Conference chair, said.

She added that the conference is open to the public and has always brought in a mixed crowd. “We’ve always had attendees who weren’t farmers, but just generally interested in safety and that makes me feel good because those are the people who are out there wondering what they should be doing to keep themselves and their families safer,” she said. “I am very excited about this year’s Nationwide sponsored presentation because it’s about eFire extinguishing balls. It’s that newer, innovative information that we love to bring to the conference that maybe others haven’t heard about yet. This is definitely an added benefit for our members, as well as the public.”

For more information or to register for the 7th annual Safety Conference, please visit www.defb.org or call the Delaware Farm Bureau state office at 302-697-3183. 

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