Viral Farm Safety Post

From An Appreciative Farmer

I had a 10 mile drive between fields yesterday in the combine. 4 of it being on the highway. The roads fairly narrow with little to no shoulder. On the drive along the highway I had a school bus pass me, semis pass, and multiple cars with no regard to anyone’s safety.

While it may seem like a combine running down the road, because of its size, has little to nothing to worry about, the truth is we’re always only a foot or two away from complete disaster. The stress involved when people try to race across a bridge or whip around a piece of equipment before more traffic comes only increases the risk.

This year alone I’ve already seen multiple reports of combines over turned or ran off the road. Each year, farm families will lose their fathers, their brothers, their grandpas, and their uncles to accidents on the road relating to wreckless driving when it comes to moving harvest equipment from one field to the next.

But, back to this driver. This driver saw me coming from half a mile away. He promptly put on his flashers and pulled to the side. He let me cross the bridge and get past him before waving and continuing on his way. It maybe took one minute out of his day. He probably didn’t think anything of it. He just knew it was the right thing to do. For his safety and for mine.

One extra minute.

One minute out of his day to pull off and let me pass safely. It may have saved his life to do so. It may have saved mine. And for that, I am extremely thankful and grateful to this person.

I post this to remind everyone that there is so much risk involved carrying large pieces of equipment down the road. Sometimes hauling it on the highway is the only option we have getting between fields, or else we would find a road less traveled. So if you can, if you have the minute to spare, pull off and do as this driver did. It doesn’t take much. But it might save your life.

As a thank you to this driver, if you see this post, send me a message. I’d like to shake your hand and thank you. I’d also like to give you a $100 gift card for the minute you spared.

It’s National Farm Safety Month, and I hope all of you take the time to be extra mindful as farmers get from one field to the next. Whether it gets said or not, acts like this, farm families, thank you for. It may very well save a life.

From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

We’re hoping he had to giveaway several Benjamins.