Episode Summary

Dr. Barbara Lee and Melissa Ploeckelman are joining us again for this episode, The Farm-Kid Paradox, focusing on how to keep children and youth safe while working and living on the farm. In this episode, our expert guests share insights on age-appropriate tasks, best practices for educating young farm workers, proper supervision, and the importance of creating a culture of safety on the farm. Whether your child is just starting to help around the farm or is already involved in more hands-on tasks, this episode provides valuable tips to protect their well-being while fostering a positive farm experience.

Episode Resources

Agricultural Work Guidelines, Cultivate Safety

Childhood Agricultural Injuries – 2020 Factsheet, National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

Child Farm Injuries are Never “Accidents”, by Dr. Barbara Lee, Peer Reviewed Commentary Published in the Journal of Agromedicine

Overhead power lines for S3E15 of FarmSafe

Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines

Cultivate Safety

More youth die working in agriculture than in all other industries combined. Many of the injuries and fatalities experienced by youth working in agriculture are associated with youth doing work that does not match their developmental abilities. The Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines (AYWG) are designed to help adults assess a youth’s abilities to safely perform a task and assign age and ability-appropriate tasks to youth working in agriculture, helping to prevent injuries and fatalities.

Guidelines Webpage