With harvest underway, Iowans are reminded to think of farm safety.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health five percent of Iowa’s workforce is in agriculture, but 32% of the state’s occupational injuries were sustained by agricultural workers. Washington County 4-H and Youth Coordinator Amy Green explains how 4-H County Council members promote safety during harvest with their Stay Safe Take a Break program, “[They] package together simple safety items, and snacks, and healthy snacks, and waters, and we deliver them to farmers out in the field. We kind of drive the roadsides and find the farmers out in the combine or semis hauling grain, and stop them, introduce ourselves, and then share this really giant bag of items. And it really is to encourage them during these really long hours that it’s so important to stop and rest, and kind of rejuvenate with snacks or with meals, and to stretch their legs a little bit, and have some interaction with other people. It helps them keep alert and awake, and kind of ready for all of the work that they’re going to need to do with heavy and dangerous equipment.” Green adds it’s nice for the 4-H members to meet farmers from across the county over the couple of weeks. She wishes everyone a safe harvest.