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SANDY CREEK, NY – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County partnered with several local organizations to coordinate Oswego County’s 6th annual Progressive Agriculture Farm/Home Safety Day.
This Oswego County event, held on June 4 at the Oswego County Fairgrounds, is regarded as one of the largest Safety Days in the state, involving more than 600 participants and volunteers.
More than 420 fifth-grade students, from schools across Oswego County attended this year’s program.
Farm and home safety is an important issue.
Each year, approximately 300 children are killed and 23,500 are injured in farm related accidents across the United States, according to the National Safety Council.
Many of these accidents involve children that are visiting the farm and unaware of the hidden dangers.
Farm/Home Safety Day is designed to teach children and families about safety on the farm and in the home in order to prevent accidents.
Safety Day is a national program sponsored by Progressive Agriculture and locally coordinated in Oswego County by: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County’s 4-H Program, Oswego County Soil & Water Conservation District, Oswego County Farm Bureau, and State Farm Insurance.
The goal of Safety Day is to prevent injuries and deaths by teaching children about safety-related hazards and how to avoid them, according to Jan Smith, program educator for 4-H.
She is responsible for managing 4-H clubs throughout the county.
“Safety Day uses a hands-on learning approach to safety education and accident prevention,†Smith said.
Different stations are set up throughout the fairgrounds with each touching on a different aspect of both home and farm safety.
Many organizations, including the American Red Cross, Verizon, Mexico Volunteer Firemen, NYCAM, and others, share their expertise on various safety topics.
“Some of the safety issues explored included lawn mower safety, proper all-terrain vehicle operation, and dealing with fires.
A group demonstration is held detailing how quickly a person can get injured with farm equipment and how to take steps to avoid these injuries.
Small recreational vehicles like ATVs are becoming popular with young kids around the county and knowing how to have fun in a safe environment is important for everyone.
“Many of fifth graders are just getting into riding ATVs, dirt bikes and snowmobiles,†Smith said.
She served as a presenter on ATV safety this year after spending previous Safety Days as an escort.
Smith said she enjoys working with the children on Safety Day.
“It helps kids a lot by teaching them elements of safety that they might not have thought about previously. It makes students more aware of how to avoid hazardous situations,†Smith said. “If we can prevent one accident, we’ve done our job.â€ÂÂ
Other organizations see great benefits from the event as well.
“Safety Day gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn about safety, and of course, to prevent accidents on the farm and at home,†said Erica Schreiner of Oswego County Soil & Water.
Being that not every student participating lives on a farm, stations were featured that pertained to home safety situations as well.
For example, one of the stations taught students how to properly use a fire extinguisher.
“That’s something that not even a lot of adults have done,†Schreiner said.
Children tried on different types of safety gear for ATV riding, such as helmets, eye protection, long pants and close-toed shoes.
Students also made sun safety bracelets at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County station.
The UV-detecting beads contain a pigment that changes colors when exposed to harmful UV rays from the sun.
“The bracelets remind children to use sun screen and dress properly to prevent overexposure to the sun,†Smith said.
Smith also expressed hope that students would return home from Safety Day and share valuable information with parents and siblings.
Schreiner agreed.
“I enjoy seeing the enthusiasm on students’ faces as they go from station to station,†Schreiner said. “It’s just a nice out-of-the-classroom experience for students.â€ÂÂ
4-H has a long history in Oswego County where area schools requested the formation of a 4-H program in 1921 to serve the rural, one-room school buildings and the program expanded beyond its rural roots in the 1960s continuing to today.
According to Oswego County 4-H Youth Development Team Coordinator Linda Brosch, in the 2006-2007 school year, the Oswego County 4-H program had an impact on more than 10,000 youth through participating in various 4-H activities including active 4-H clubs, school enrichment programs, afterschool programs and field trips to the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center.
According to CCE of Oswego County Executive Director Paul A. Forestiere II, 4-H is an important organization, teaching young people in Oswego County a variety of important information and skills.
“Kids today need a place where they can learn about things in a hands-on environment with others like them,†he said. “4-H is a family-friendly way to bring kids and families together and develop their own programs and skills to get them ready for college and whatever they choose to do afterwards. 4-H is for everyone. It provides opportunity for every youth involved. It is as relevant today as it was when it began in 1921. It is like so many other Cooperative Extension programs that teach modern skills to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to do so from farming to camping, to basic safety.â€ÂÂ
Cornell Cooperative Extension is a key outreach system of Cornell University with a strong public mission and an extensive local presence that is responsive to needs in New York communities.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension educational system enables people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work.
If you would to learn more about 4-H or Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County, call (315) 963-7286 or visit counties.cce.cornell.edu/oswego/
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