Farm Science Review To Highlight Safety Demos

Helping farmers and rural youth understand the implications of farm safety is the goal of several demonstrations, displays, and interactive events at Farm Science Review, Sept. 20-22 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center outside London, OH.

“We provide relevant safety education opportunities to farmers attending the Review,” said Kathy Henwood, Ohio State University Extension program coordinator for Agricultural Safety and Health. “We try to have something new each year that highlight current concerns in production agriculture.”

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This year, two demonstrations deal with management issues in confined spaces on farms, including combustible dust explosions and manure storage ventilation.

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Combustible dust in grain handling and storage facilities can be extremely dangerous. Extension and industry experts will discuss the causes of dust explosions, as well as tips and techniques for prevention. Sessions, occurring daily on the half-hour between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., include explosion demonstrations of various types of agricultural products.

In addition, a new demonstration this year focuses on how to deal with ventilation issues in manure storage facilities.

“The manure storage presentation is a new partnership with Penn State specialists,” Henwood said. “They will bring a demonstration trailer that emphasizes the importance of positive ventilation systems for confined manure storage facilities.”

Henwood said the demonstration includes a number of important aspects of manure gas monitoring and safe-entry procedures.

“We’re focusing on our dairy and swine operations, where these types of storage facilities are likely to be located,” she said.

The manure ventilation sessions take place hourly from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m.
Both the combustible dust and manure ventilation demonstrations take place on Kottman Avenue just south of Friday Avenue each day of the Review.

In addition to the storage and handling demonstrations, farmers also will learn the key aspects of safely hauling equipment at a display on Land Avenue near the Leeper Antique Building.

Finally, agricultural safety and health professionals will engage rural youth and future farmers attending the Review through the Teen Ag Challenge. Hosted from 9:30 a.m. until noon daily, the Challenge pits teens against one another in a fun, interactive agricultural trivia contest.

“The Teen Ag Challenge is a game for the young people attending Review to test their knowledge of Ohio agriculture, The Ohio State University, and FFA trivia,” Henwood said. “It’s a ‘Jeopardy-style’ game with a little virtual Wild West shooting thrown in. They answer questions from categories on the board to earn points.”

The Teen Ag Challenge is one of the features at the Firebaugh Building, part of OSU Central near the intersection of Friday and Kottman avenues.

Pre-show tickets are now on sale for $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets will also be available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20-21 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 22.

For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu. For the latest news and updates, follow Farm Science Review on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OhioStateFSR or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FarmScienceReview

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