Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Richard Houzenga said the FFA members selected four important topics they felt were valuable for middle school students to learn about when it comes to agriculture and farm safety. They then developed and prepared presentations to teach these lessons to students in grades 5–8.
Throughout the seminar, more than 160 middle school students rotated through four hands-on educational stations focused on recognizing potential dangers and learning how to stay safe around farms and agricultural equipment. The four stations covered:
- Highway & Slow-Moving Vehicle Safety: Students learned about sharing the road with farm equipment, highway safety, and the importance of slow-moving vehicle signs.
- ATV/UTV, Dirt Bike & Lawn Mower Safety: Students learned about the potential dangers of operating recreational and lawn equipment, along with the importance of proper operation and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Farm Equipment & PTO Safety: Students learned about the dangers of working around tractors, skid loaders, and other farm equipment, including safe ways to enter and exit equipment and the serious risks of PTO entanglements.
- Grain Bin & Grain Facility Safety: Students learned about the dangers of grain entrapment and the importance of following proper safety practices when working around grain bins and grain handling facilities.
The school district thanked the FFA students, saying “we appreciate the time, preparation, and leadership you demonstrated while teaching our middle school students these valuable, potentially lifesaving lessons! It’s always great to see our high school students serving as role models and making a positive impact on our younger Panthers!”
The event highlighted that farm safety is everyone’s responsibility and the goal is to always make sure everyone makes it home safely.
“Thank you to our Erie FFA members who took the initiative to develop and teach these lessons. It is great to see our members take what they learn through agricultural education and use it to educate others and make a difference in our community!” said Houzenga.
Agricultural Safety Seminar at Erie Middle School on Friday, November 6th
Photos courtesy of Erie Agriculture Department and FFA Chapter.
