4-H Ambassador Farm Safety Day

Published: 2019
By Jennifer Saunders

The Fergus/Petroleum 4-H Ambassadors organize a yearly Farm Safety Day for Central Montana first and second graders. Between 250 and 275 children from schools in Fergus, Petroleum and Judith Basin Counties attend each spring. The Ambassador Team reserves and pays for the Livestock Pavilion at the fairgrounds, sends informational packets to all the teachers, arranges the speakers, and keeps the whole event moving smoothly. The children are divided into nine groups, rural schools in the morning and Lewistown schools in the afternoon. 4-H members serve as group leaders, rotating through learning stations; ATVs, electricity, grain bins, livestock, tractor/PTO, first aid EMS, fire and horses. They learn why it is important to ride a four wheeler the appropriate size for a person’s height and weight, they watch in awe as electricity is arced to fry an orange, they watch a toy man disappear into a miniature grain wagon, and they see first-hand how fast a PTO turns. The livestock and horse stations teach them to respect animals and both the fire and ambulance crews visit with them about prevention and response to a medical or fire emergency. Plus, each group takes a turn at the coloring/snack station. This is also a learning experience for the Teen Ambassadors who work to organize Farm Safety Day. They learn to delegate duties among their team of four, they practice marketing and communication skills while working with the schools, teachers, presenters and students. Organization and planning keep the day running smoothly, and they take the time to debrief after the event to make sure the next year is even better. They always hear great feedback from both teachers and students and ultimately believe they are preventing children from being killed or injured in our rural communities.