Show-Me Farm Safety
Protecting our Future
Great lessons in life are often learned by a hard day’s work on the farm, when priceless values and trusty methods are passed on from one generation to the next. Safety on the farm should also be planted in tradition. Show-Me Farm Safety aims to reduce injuries and fatalities that occur on farms by providing educational resources, tips and safety plans to producers and their families.
Your story may save a life
Think Safety
The people who show up and tell embarrassing stories you hoped would never be repeated. That song that perfectly sums up your life in just 3 minutes. The room crowded with everyone wanting to pay their respects, even some you really didn’t like all that much. Have you ever imagined what your funeral might be like?
When thinking about that moment when you ride off into the sunset, you probably imagine yourself being in your 80s or even 90s. Your body worn out. Your skin thick, textured like leather, etched by windburn and sun from decades of working on the farm. You picture yourself peacefully drifting off. You’re ready for the next journey.
What you don’t imagine is dying young. Watching from above as your rambunctious 11-year-old son screams, desperately calling out for his dad. His enthusiasm for life obliterated. Your wife feeling guilty that she is the one still breathing. She feels helpless with nothing but uncertainty ahead. You don’t think about this, but you should.
This was my life in 1993 when my dad drew his last breath under a John Deere tractor. A horrible, tragic scene that haunts me to this day. I remember the sound of sparrows, the smell of April rain and the undeniable feeling of emptiness. A vivid memory that won’t leave me alone even with 20 years gone by. Time doesn’t ease your pain. That’s a statement that anyone who has truly felt loss knows is flowery, feel-good nonsense.
Read More: “Your Funeral” by Mike Deering
Watch Mike’s Story: My Farm, My Story
Missouri Agriculture
Missouri’s greatest agricultural commodity is the farmers and farm families across our state. From peaches to pork, Missouri’s food is produced by men and women who have dedicated their lives to feeding, fueling and clothing the world. For generations, those families have made Missouri an agricultural powerhouse with nearly 100,000 farms. It is our mission through Show-Me Farm Safety to protect that agricultural future.
