4-H Tractor and Farm Machinery Safety Course Graduates Eight

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (June 2, 2017) – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program held a tractor and farm machinery safety course on April 10, 12, and 15th . The course featured 24 hours of instruction including in-class instruction, homework, and a hands-on driving portion. The classroom portion was led by Denny Wright, retired BOCES instructor. Jim Kendrich from LandPro Clymer and Mike Wilson from Larry Romance and Son in Sheridan taught the driving portion of the class at their respective dealerships.

Participants learned a wide variety of topics from the Hazardous Occupations Safety Training in Agriculture (HOSTA) curriculum which included reaction time, age-appropriate tasks, tractor operation and hazards, hazard warning signs, hand signals, personal protective equipment, and mechanical hazards. Youth also learned the dangers of working with livestock and agricultural pesticides, electrical hazards, and working in and around confined spaces like silos, grain bins, and manure storage. Using draw bar and three point hitch implements, implements with a power take off (PTO) connection, and skid steer and ATV safety were also a part of the course curriculum.

Brendan Colvin, Sierra Delahoy, Megan LeBaron, Christopher Stratton, Landen Swan, Cole Szumigala, Luke Szumigala, and Heidi Williams completed the course. The tractor and farm machinery safety course aligns with New York State 4-H’s mission to connect youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society. 4-H promotes the development of skills that help young people succeed in higher education, their chosen career path, and as members of their families and communities.

The Tractor and Farm Machinery Safety Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated June 2, 2017