Write a commentThe Oswego County Progressive Agriculture Home and Farm Safety Day was held on June 8, 2021, at three schools in Oswego County: Lura Sharp Elementary, Sandy Creek Elementary, and Dennis M. Kenney Middle School.
This event is typically held on the Oswego County Fairgrounds. However, COVID-19 caused Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County and the fifth-grade classes to adapt to an on-location event instead. The event was a great success, despite the location change!
The Oswego County Progressive Agriculture Home and Farm Safety Day was held as a half-day program intended to teach students about being safe at home and on the farm. Each participating school had four stations that the fifth graders rotated through. Each station covered a different safety topic such as ATV safety, being safe in the woods, chainsaw safety, dog safety, bike safety, chemical look a-likes, lawnmower safety, hidden hazards, and dig safely. Volunteers from around the county volunteered their time to talk with these students about important aspects of being safe in many different scenarios. The volunteers were very inventive in creating ways to actively engage the fifth graders while still adhering to safety protocols of COVID-19. Lastly, a video demonstrating the hazards associated with large farm equipment and how to avoid them was shared with the classes to watch before or after the event.
The success of the Oswego County Progressive Agriculture Home and Farm Safety Day was due in large part to the generous support of many local organizations, businesses, and volunteers. It is coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County and Oswego County Farm Bureau. The Oswego County Progressive Agriculture Home and Farm Safety Day planning committee is grateful to Luna Sharp Elementary, Sandy Creek Elementary, and Dennis M. Kenney Middle School for their willingness to participate and adapt to the needs of the day. The local sponsors for this event were Exelon, Stewart Shops, Oswego County Farm Bureau, and Custom Novelty Prints. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County would like to thank all the local sponsors and volunteers for their contribution to this longstanding event.
