Child Labor Laws & Farm Safety

Child labor laws on the farm are a topic that has been in the news over and over again through the last couple of years. Last April, the government decided to take a step back and discontinue their push for stricter child labor laws on farms. Growing up on a family farm, I began working at a very young age, I think at the age of 4. I know how important it is to educate children about farming, agriculture, and most importantly, safety. Growing up and working on the farm has taught me many life lessons and values that I still use today.

Some of the jobs that I had while working on the farm at a young age included picking up rocks, weeding the garden, picking the vegetables, raking the yard, painting the sheds, feeding the chickens, and bottle feeding the calves. As I got older, some other jobs included mowing the yard (with our riding mower or push mower), and clearing brush.

To start off, one important lesson that my parents taught me was safety. My parents had always warned me of the dangers of the equipment on the farm. Many chores were labor intensive, and some required the use of equipment. It is always heartbreaking to hear of farm accidents in the news, especially those that result in serious injury or death. My dad always gave an important example of what happened to one of our neighbors who almost lost his life. It was an auger accident that resulted in a severely injured leg and a glass eye. Safety wasn't only important around farm equipment, but was also important around animals both big and small.

I believe that it is very important to learn about the dangers of the work and to be educated on how important farm safety is. I could go on and on about the importance of safety of the farm. Basically, one thing is important, SAFETY FIRST!!!! (click this link for more farm safety information from Farm Safety For Just Kids)

Although working on a farm can be very dangerous, I was also taught many life lessons and values growing up. One is being work ethic. When I am told to do something, I do it and I do it to the best of my ability. I don't quite until the job is done.

 

Responsibility was also another lesson gained. Getting my chores and work done was my responsibility. Often times, I was rewards with an allowance for getting my assigned tasks done. While feeding chickens and cows, I realized that their life and health was in my hands. It was my responsibility to get the chores done and to make sure that the animals were happy.

All in all, when child labor laws on farms and farm safety it brought it, it is important to note that yes, farming in dangerous, but education is the most important. With the education of farm safety, accidents and injuries can be avoided. Working on a family farm at a young age doesn't only help the farm, but also teaches many young farmers important life lessons that they will carry on with them as they get older.

Connect with me on Twitter if you would like to share your story or experiences on your family farm- @BYoungAg