WATCH OUT FOR SLOW MOVING VEHICLES!

If you live in a rural area, you may have noticed the rapid onset of harvest. While the first week of September is definitely historically early to begin harvest, I can assure you that once those farmers get out in the fields and get a taste of harvest, there will be no stopping them until every last grain and oilseed is reaped.

For the rest of us in Illinois, that means it’s time to slow down and be more cautious for slow moving farm equipment.

Farm safety is a great lesson any time of year to be sure. For livestock farmers especially who conduct mostly the same activities year round, the risks aren’t necessarily elevated during planting and harvest. And there are always these sorts of accidents that happen regardless of the season, so being careful is always imperative.

But for the rest of us, those of us that live in town and forget that we are surrounded by hard working men and women trying to get the crop out in the fall, spring and fall are important times to remember to be cautious and careful.

Drivers in slow moving vehicles can’t always see your compact car trying to pass them. Farmers attempt to avoid high traffic areas and high traffic times of day, but weather and crops are tricky business and harvesting certain fields isn’t always feasible after 5 pm or on the weekend.

Do your best to be wary and remind your family (especially teenage drivers) to be extra careful as well. Check out the media’s coverage of Eureka, IL efforts to educate their teenage drivers about the necessity of using extra caution this time of year.

Lindsay Mitchell

ICGA/ICMB Project Coordinator