County Farm Bureaus Promote Safety Among All Ages

By Lilly Stewart

Through its annual County Activities of Excellence Awards, the American Farm Bureau Federation celebrates county Farm Bureaus for their unique, volunteer-driven programming. The following counties were recognized for their programs and activities in 2023 and 2024. The programs featured here focused on safety.

Manure Pit Safety and Rescue Training

Crawford, Marion, Morrow and Richland County (Ohio) Farm Bureaus partnered to bring a nationally recognized manure pit safety simulator in for four training sessions for first responders and farmers to help keep ag workers and their families safe. The free training featured a one-of-a-kind manure pit rescue simulator which gave participants the opportunity to work through different scenarios in various roles. A trained and experienced industry professional provided instruction on the procedures for safely entering a manure pit to perform rescue operations in low-oxygen situations. More than 150 people from 30 fire departments received the specialized training.

Dekalb County Farm Bureau Teaches Elementary Students Grain Bin and Chemical Safety

Dekalb County (Missouri) Farm Bureau participated in an elementary school’s field day to teach over 250 kids from kindergarten to sixth grade about chemical and grain bin safety.

The county Farm Bureau used a Farm Bureau-provided grain bin model as a visual representation of the dangers that come with grain bins. They also had an activity where the students guess if the fluid in the bottle was a popular drink or a chemical that could be dangerous to consume.

Laurel County Farm Bureau Ensures Fire Department has Grain Bin Rescue Equipment

Laurel County (Kentucky) Farm Bureau worked with the local fire department to better equip the department for grain bin rescues. On top of researching high-quality and reliable equipment, Laurel County Farm Bureau worked with the fire department to enhance rescue training and find funding to support the equipment upgrades, meeting a significant need in the community by supplying the only grain rescue equipment within a 200-mile radius.

County Activities of Excellence

Applications are now open for the 2025 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention in Anaheim, California, in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $4,500 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition.

Lilly Stewart is a summer 2025 intern in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Communications and Executive departments. She is a rising senior in agricultural business at the University of Wyoming.