Area fourth-graders learn about farm safety

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

About 200 area fourth-graders attended a farm safety camp at the Floyd County Fairgrounds in Charles City on Tuesday.

The Progressive Agriculture Farm Safety Day program provides training and resources for local communities to conduct one-day safety and health programs. Safety Days are designed to be age-appropriate, hands-on, fun, and safe for children.

Fourth graders from Charles City schools, Immaculate Conception, Rockford Rudd-Marble Rock, Central Springs and Nora Springs all attended the camp.

Stations and presentations included the Floyd County Sheriff, Floyd County Emergency Management and Floyd County Medical Services. Heidi Reams from Floyd County Conservation had a presentation on outdoor safety, where the students learned about weeds and insects, among other things.

Other stations included electrical safety, ATV safety, tractor safety, grain bin safety, livestock and animal safety, and Farmer’s New Ag had a station on agricultural chemical safety.

The Charles City FFA provided all the students with some lunch.

The students also gave thank-you cards to area farmers.

Charles City FFA 9th-graders are doing a service learning project where they are taking buckets, donated by Theisen’s, filled with snacks and other supplies to area farmers this fall. The fourth graders all wrote thank you notes to farmers to go in the buckets.