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Webster County Youths Learn Safety
By
Laura Skillman
 BLACKFORD,
Ky., (Oct. 25, 2006) – For 18 years, young people across Webster
County have spent a day on the farm learning about safety in a
communitywide effort to reduce injuries and save lives.
“We bring the fourth graders in from around the county and we
have different stops to try to increase the awareness of farm
safety and home safety as well,” said Vickie Shadrick, Webster
County Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources
with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.
“And we raise awareness of where their food comes from and how
agriculture touches everybody, not just the farmer.”
After 18 years, Shadrick said the need for the program continues
and the support from the community remains strong. It has also
been duplicated by other communities across the state over the
years.
“The teachers have really helped us out and promoted this and
say the kids really do learn,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to
gauge the impact on this kind of an event. But when the teachers
come back to you every year and say they want to do it again
next year and it’s on their calendar, even with budget and
travel constraints, they put this as a priority. And that tells
us there is still the need there, because they are learning
safety both for the farm and home.”
Susan Gooch, Dixon Elementary School teacher, said she’s been
involved with safety day for about five years.
“I think it is a really good idea,” she said. “We live in a
rural community and this helps explain a lot of the things that
happen on a farm, especially for the kids that live in town.
I’ve learned a lot of things here and it reinforces a lot of the
science and other subjects we teach in class. The kids always
have a good time and it’s real easy for us because it is all so
well organized and we just kick back and learn with the kids.”
 In
addition to the Webster County Cooperative Extension Service,
Webster County Conservation District, Natural Resource
Conservation District, Farm Bureau, local schools and farmers
work together to put on the annual event. Area businesses
provide monetary support.
This year’s event was spent dodging rain showers but thanks to
the farm location and its many buildings, there was plenty of
room for the activities to take place. This year 200 students
attended, along with 50 adult volunteers. The farm hosts were
Gerald and Jerry McGill.
“Webster County sees this as an event they are going to make
sure is going to take place,” she said. “Everybody we’ve ever
worked with over the 18 years has been more than happy to help
us out and do whatever they need to do to help us out and this
family was the same.”
Shadrick said the main things they hope students take away from
the day is safety and that agriculture touches them.
“It’s an array of information, but it touches every child
regardless of their background,” she said. |
Contact: Vickie Shadrick, 270-639-9011 |
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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Copyright © 2001-2006 University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture,
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
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