Spring Safety Around the Farm
Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director & Agent
For Release: week of April 9, 2018

Preparing for spring does is not limited to preparing the soil and crops on those warm spring days. This is also the perfect time for farmers, ranchers and homeowners alike to take the steps necessary to prevent injuries in order to have a truly productive season. Placing emphasis on agriculture safety recognizes the rich tradition of our farming and ranching culture in producing the safest and most abundant food in the world, and the involvement of all members of the farm family in age appropriate tasks.

One good way to manage safety on the farm is to establish a checklist. The Farm Safety 4 Just Kids program offers the following safety checklist suggestions:

* Are the keys removed from idle equipment?
* Are riders NOT allowed on tractors, farm machinery and lawn mowers?
* Are slow moving vehicle (SMV) emblems in place and still reflective?
* Are power take off (PTO) shields in place on tractors and machinery?
* Are other safety shields and guards in place on machinery and lawn equipment?
* Are warning and danger decals prominently displayed on all equipment, including grain handling equipment?

Children being carried along as extra riders on farm and lawn care equipment continues to be a concern among safety professionals.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to pay full attention to operating the machine when you have a youngster in your lap or riding on the fender. More than 100 children are killed on U.S. farms each year. Many of these deaths are from accidentally falling off the operator’s station of a tractor or farm implement and being run over by the tractor or trailed equipment.

When there is only one seat, the rule of thumb is for the operator and no one else to occupy the seat. For safety sake, never allow extra riders. This rule applies to farm as well as lawn and garden tractors.

For more information on farm safety, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu

Earlier this year, I highlighted the All-America Selections (AAS) vegetables for 2018. There is also a listing of new flowers that have been chosen. These plants have proven themselves to do well in trials across North America. The AAS winner label is like a stamp of approval.

The flower descriptions were taken from All-America Selections material.

Canna, South Pacific Orange F1 – This newest AAS Winner is compact in habit and well suited for both landscape and container use. This variety is more vigorous, more uniform, and has more basal branching than comparison cannas. It offers an outstanding bloom color in an attractive, vivid bright orange that contrasts nicely with the bright green foliage. Pollinator gardens will love this addition of an attractive canna that sports uniformly colored flowers over a long blooming period.

Cuphea, FloriGlory Diana – Cuphea, commonly known as Mexican Heather, is an ideal plant for borders, mass plantings and containers. FloriGlory Diana was highly praised by the AAS judges for its larger flowers, the impressive number of flowers and the darker, more intensely colored magenta flowers. The dark green foliage complement the flowers and really makes a statement for this new AAS winner. Gardeners will be delighted with the compact (10-12 inch) size, longer flowering time, heat and weather tolerance.

Gypsophila, Gypsy White Imported – Semi-double blossoms on this new, improved variety of gypsophila will make your garden sparkle! Not only are the flowers semi-double, but are also a bit larger in size and produce more flowers per plant, resulting in a fluffy white mound of beauty. Gypsy White Improved has better branching and a better growth habit than its predecessor, making it perfect for containers, small spaces and garden beds. A much longer bloom season and better heat tolerance than Gypsy Comact White will make this your new garden favorite.

Marigold, Super Hero Spry – Super Hero Spry is a lovely compact (10-12 inches) French marigold with dark maroon lower petals and golden yellow upper petals perched on top of the dark green foliage. The list of winning attributes continues: a more uniform and stable color pattern, earlier to bloom and no deadheading required.

Ornamental Pepper, Onyx Red – Onyx Red is one of those stunning double-take plants that steal the show! This is an unprecedented compact, well-branched ornamental pepper adorned with eye-catching dark black foliage. The contrast between the diminutive black foliage and tons of shiny red fruits is striking and makes a bold statement in the garden. Plants are vigorous, continually growing but retain their neat, compact habit, making Onyx Red a wonderful plant for beds, borders, containers and dramatic mass plantings.

Zinnia, Queeny Lime Orange – A “wow” color in an easy-to-grow zinnia is what Queeny Lime Orange brings to the garden. Sporting lovely, large, dahlia-like blooms on a sturdy, compact plant, this variety provides cut flower gardeners and growers with a wonderful hue for today’s floral trends. The unique color evolves from dark coral/peach/orange to light peach with a dark center as the flower ages. Each uniform plant produces prolific deeply fluted blooms that last about three weeks without preservatives or feed.

For a complete description of the 2018 All America Selections, visit www.all-americaselections.org.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at 620-244-3826 or [email protected]

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