SAFETY AND HEALTH BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE MANUAL AND INSTRUCTORS GUIDE FOR NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS

Many of the individuals who are classified as new and beginning farmers may not possess the safety and health work and management skills that are needed as they enter into full or part-time farming and/or ranching. They often have minimal experience with powered machinery and equipment used in production agriculture; unpredictable behavior of agricultural livestock; chemicals and fertilizers that are used to improve yields and control pests; environmental hazards such as toxic dust, noise, and slips/trips and falls; and the fickle nature of the farming environment including the weather. A review of abstracts from currently funded new and beginning farmer projects indicate an emphasis on financial planning, marketing strategies and production diversification and sustainability. There is no mention of farm safety and health in most of these funded projects. The adoption of a training component on safety and health management would be justifiable for new and beginning farmers and ranchers since the viability of many new farm business ventures is dependent upon the experience and expertise of the principal farmer/operator. Research conducted among New York state farm families between 1985-1987 found that 67% of farm families were no longer operating the farm within 5 years of the death of a farm family member who contributed significantly to their farm's labor and management. The long-term goals for this proposed project are to provide an effective safety and health best practices resource manual for new and beginning farmers and ranchers; and develop and model hands-on, train-the-trainer workshops for teaching safety and health best practices to new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Project objectives were developed to ensure adoption, utilization, and sustainability of safety and health best practices. Final products will include a Safety and Health Best Practices Resource Manual for New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers and a separate Instructors Guide. Materials will be placed on a website and widely promoted.