By Richard C. Snell

Barton County Extension Agent, Agriculture

Stayin' Alive was the title of a 1970's disco song by the BeeGees. It fits for what I want out of you during the fall of 2005. Most things can be corrected or reconciled, until you die. After that, it's a little late. That's true whether we are talking about making things right with The Almighty or about farm safety.

Sept. 18 to 24, was National Farm Safety Week and frankly it slipped up on me this year since I didn't see a news release until just the week before. Yet it's always timely to talk about farm safety.

This year's theme is or was, depending on when you read this, "Harvesting Safety & Health" for the 62nd annual observance of National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 18 to 24, sponsored by the National Safety Council and supported by farm safety advocates across the United States, including Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Most of these news releases come from the corn belt so they are only thinking about the harvesting side this time of year. The truth is that in Kansas we have a double whammy because of planting Wheat at the same time we are harvesting fall crops. So we really have to be paying attention out on the road as well as in the field. I don't want to read about you in the obituary page until you live to be a ripe old age.

The key whether you are in grain truck, car, tractor or combine is to not act like you own the road but to drive defensively. This means trying to anticipate what is just ahead. Here are some guidelines for farmers and non- farmers who meet on the road.

--First, farm machinery has a legal right to use public roads just as other motor vehicles.

--Farm machinery can unexpectedly turn onto a public road from a field or driveway. It is important for everyone's safety to have patience and share the road.

--Farm machinery travels slower than normal traffic, often at speeds of 25 miles per hour or less. Automobile drivers must quickly identify farm equipment and slow down immediately to avoid rear end crashes.

--Farm machinery operators may not be able to see you because the large equipment or a load can block part of their rearward view. If you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you.

--Slow moving farm machinery traveling less than 25 miles per hour should display a slow moving vehicle (SMV) emblem on the back of the equipment. This is a quickly identifiable sign to other motorists.

--Attention farmers and custom cutters out there, if you want people to observe the SMV signs correctly, cover them when towing them or anytime you are moving faster than 25 mph. If you pull an exposed SMV sign at 55 mph, motorists will soon assume they don't mean a thing.

--Machinery that is half on the road and half on the shoulder may suddenly move completely onto the road.

--Extra-wide farm machinery may take up more than one lane to avoid hitting obstacles such as mail boxes and road signs.

Before passing farm machinery:

--Check to be sure the machinery is not turning left. Look for left turn lights or hand signals. If the machinery slows and pulls toward the right side of the road, the operator is likely preparing to make a wide left turn. Likewise, sometimes to make a right turn with wide equipment, the driver must fade to the left.

--Determine if the road is wide enough for you and the machinery to safely share.

--Look for roadside obstacles such as mailboxes, bridges, or road signs that may cause the machinery to move to the center of the road.

--Be sure there is adequate distance for you to safely pass.

Don't miss tree meeting

Last week I told you about the tree meeting that we have scheduled for Wednesday evening, Sept. 28. It starts at 7:00 p.m. The focus will be on selecting and planting landscape and shade trees. It will be held at the Barton County Extension Office, 1800 12th Street in Great Bend.

Late fall is my preferred time to plant trees, especially those that have much size to them, like 3' tall and larger. They need to be balled and burlapped or containerized at this time of year.

We have been getting a number of questions on what kind of trees to plant, what size and quality of tree to select and how to properly plant a tree. Making the right decision related to these things will impact the health and life of the tree for years to come.

Our presenter will be Jim Strine, northwest district forester from Hays who is with the Kansas Forest Service. He covers most of the western half of the state. Jim has a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge with more than 25 years as a forester in our area.

There are many trees that may work in Kansas City, Denver or Wichita that won't work with our summer and winter climate here. Also, if you get off to a bad start with a tree, it may never be right and 5 years from now you may be starting all over again. Why not get it right the first time?

This meeting is co-sponsored between the Great Bend Tree Board and the Barton County Extension Office. No pre-registration is required and there is no charge for attending.

This seminar is open to everyone and I encourage you to attend if tree planting is in your future.

Date: 9/22/05

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