Tractor rollovers are a special hazard for farmers working Watauga County's steep terrain. The predominance of older tractors, which are not equipped with rollover protection, adds to the number of tragic rollover accidents in the North Carolina mountains. During the Farm Safety Demonstration, Extension staff and volunteers allowed a straw dummy to be pulled into a PTO to show how a loose shirtsleeve in the wrong location can equal a mangled arm or worse. Among the audience at the Watauga County Farm Safety Demonstration were several area youths, many who are already farming veterans. According to Roark, farmers in Watauga County often rely on younger family members for farm labor, or hire young people for summer labor.
Accidents can happen to anyone at any age.
We hope that the young people who learn about farm safety will practice what they learn and maybe share their knowledge with others around them and with future generations. The Farm Safety Project is, nationally, one of only six farm safety intervention programs funded by Centers for Disease Control.