02/29/08 Farm Safety Week

Farm Safety. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Next week is Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. It's about educating adults and kids about the safety issues related to farming operations. Washington Farm Bureau's Gary Joiner says it's about being aware. JOINER: I think Farm Safety Week is important because it just raises the level of awareness and attention to the inherent risk in the agriculture industry. Washington Farm Bureau recognizes those risks and we've had a program for many years to assist farmers and ranchers in helping identify those risks. This years Farm Safety Week talks to both age groups but. JOINER: The 2008 program is specifically designed to raise awareness on children and those things that are related to their experience on the farm and ranch. The theme of the 2008 program is "Growing the Most Important Crop" so the goal is to make farms and ranches safer for farmers, their family members and employees with special emphasis on children. So if you really want to get involved next week, Joiner says there is plenty of information. JOINER: There is a national website that is a great source of information, details, contacts; it's www.agsafetynow.com. Of course here at the Washington Farm Bureau we have our own safety program as part of our retro-safety effort for our members and farmers and ranchers and that's easily accessible on our website at wsfb.com. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.