There’s a new online training thanks to the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest that targets anyone overseeing kids in agriculture. The training can benefit farmers that have kids milking for them, FFA supervisors, 4-H leaders, and even parents that have a child who works on a farm.
University of Iowa’s Diane Rohlman explained that the training was put in place because you need to also understand how the child is thinking. For example, she talked about how the brain and body aren’t fully developed until a person’s 25 years old. Any teen that works on a farm has a long ways to go before they’re “fully developed”. That means that it’s more likely for them to make a risky or poor decision while at work which could lead to big safety issues for the teen and for the animals.
She also mentioned how adults need to realize that kids don’t have a lot of experience on the farm, they’re very new to it all. Kids also may be afraid to ask questions or speak up if something goes wrong. These are all things that need to be taken into consideration when working with kids on a farm.
The online training can be found here in English or in Spanish. The free course only takes about 45 minutes, which is basically one episode of a show on Netflix. Bottom line, it’s worth your time.
