News and Events

By Brittany Marquard and Maria Woldt

Twenty-one students were enrolled in the first Safe Tractor and Machinery Certificate Program held July 8-12 at the Food + Farm Exploration Center (F+FEC) in Plover, Wis. The event was sponsored by the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety & Education Memorial Fund, Wisconsin Custom Operators, Zinda Insurance Group, Feltz’s Dairy Store, the National Farm Medicine Center, and Riesterer & Schnell. 

Students were instructed by Tomorrow River High School Agriculture Teacher Katie Loehrke, F+FEC Education Program Manager Brittany Marquard, and F+FEC Exhibit Tech and Education Intern Brooke Mallek. 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), every day more than 30 children (under the age of 18) are seriously injured in an agricultural-related incident. One child death happens approximately every three days with the leading factor of fatal injuries being tractors. 

During the one-week program, students were trained on safe operation of farm machinery and hazards on the farm. The main goal of the program is preventing fatal injuries and accidents. At the end of the week, students completed a driving practicum demonstrating the skills they learned over the duration of the course. 

Special thanks to Jenny Blenker, Aspirus trauma coordinator, and Hazel Packer, Amherst EMS, for training participants on hands-only CPR and Stop the Bleed, as well as Ken Feltz of Feltz’s Dairy Store. 

A team effort

Last winter, the WCO board began discussions about a lack of tractor safety training opportunities in certain areas of Wisconsin. While the association isn’t well-positioned to coordinate these trainings alone, WCO leaders wanted to lend financial and promotional support to those who are able to host tractor safety courses.

Coincidentally at Forage Symposium, WCO members Bob and Diane Biadasz mentioned that their local Rural Mutual Insurance agent, Jennifer Zinda-Mancl, was getting some local partners together with the goal of hosting a tractor safety training course in central Wisconsin. Area farm families had been struggling to find training opportunities for their children, and local partners wanted to help.

Creating good from tragedy

Safety training is especially important to Bob and Diane because their son, Mike, a passionate young farmer from Amherst, Wis, died on August 15, 2016, when he was overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas. Mike had been agitating manure in the open lagoon at his family’s cattle feeding operation. 

In the wake of tragedy, the Biadasz family established the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety & Education Memorial Fund to support local agriculture safety and health initiatives.

Mike’s sisters Lisa Grezenski and Megan Check, representing the foundation, were critical in coordinating the tractor safety program, garnering support from local businesses, and enrolling children in the course.

Curriculum available, course sponsors needed!

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension houses the Wisconsin Youth Tractor & Machinery Safety Certification Program, which is designed to meet requirements established by the US Department of Labor, for the employment of youth ages 14-15 on farms not operated by their parents. In addition, Wisconsin Act 455 provides specific provisions for tractor operation by 12-13 year olds.

Extension endorses the curriculum “Gearing Up for Safety” developed by Purdue University in cooperation with leading farm safety experts. 

This curriculum is available for free to groups who wish to coordinate a tractor safety course. More information about course offerings, curriculum, and instructor information, is found on Extension’s Youth Tractor Safety website.

More course sponsors are needed! If you know of a local group looking to host tractor safety, contact WCO to help start the process.