GLASGOW —
It’s always a good time to think about farm safety
As we progress into fall harvest, it is a good time for all farmers to evaluate their own safety methods around machinery so they can avoid preventable accidents on their farms.
Whenever you work around or beneath farm machines or machine components held up by hydraulics, you should always engage the locking devices supplied by the manufacturer.
Hydraulic systems can leak or rupture. Even someone helping you might hit the wrong lever, so it is important that you use the locking device every time, without exception.
Check the owner's manual to be sure you know how to use it.
Combine headers, skid-steer loader arms and round baler tailgates are just a few examples of machines that typically have locking devices, specifically for the purpose of safely performing maintenance or repairs.
Such devices generally consist of mechanical supports such as steel pins or channels that prevent a hydraulic cylinder from retracting and lowering the machine, but since every machine is different, it is important to consult the owner's manual.
Older machines may not have safety locks, so you must have wood blocks or jack stands to hold up the machine — or angle iron or steel channel strapped to the hydraulic cylinder rod to prevent retraction, while someone is beneath it.
Regardless of a machine’s age, you never want to trust your life to anything supported by a hydraulic system. Machines fail, and they do not care who you are.
KFGC Forage Field Day in Barren County Sept. 14
As a second reminder, Barren County will be the host county for the 2010 Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council’s Forage Field Day on Sept. 14. The field day will be at the Jim and Baker Landis farm on Bristletown Road.
It begins at 3 p.m. with registration and the wagon tours will start soon thereafter.
Tour stops will include: layout of a rotational grazing system, forage species management supporting rotational grazing, water system layout, nitrogen fertilizer use to stockpile fescue pastures, matching forage quality to animal’s needs through fall and winter, and evaluating hay quality.
Demonstrations will also include: “tricks” when using high tensile fencing and calibrating forage seeding drills.
Top UK specialists and industry representatives will present programs throughout the tour. Also at this year’s field day, demonstrations will comprise some activities that can be very useful to all participants.
You are invited to participate. We ask that you please call the Barren County Extension Office to let us know if you will be attending. Our telephone number is 651-3818.
Mark your calendar today and plan to attend. We anticipate guests from all over Kentucky and surrounding states and we hope that you will also support this event by attending as well. Just please let me know if you are coming so we can plan properly.
Want to go to the Beef Bash?
Barren County farmers, if you would like to ride a sponsored bus to the UK Beef Bash—2010 on Sept. 23, you will need to get a bus ticket at the Barren County Extension Office.
This is a free ride to Princeton for the UK Beef Bash—2010.
There are a limited number of seats still available.
This will be a day-long trip and it should be a good beef cattle field day to attend.
You need to stop by our office to get your ticket, we cannot accept phone reservations.
The Barren County Extension Office is located at 1463 West Main St. in Glasgow.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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