The Russell County landscape is home to an assortment of terrains.  The county is home to large amounts of farmland, woodlands, streams, rivers and a large lake.  Russell County Extension Office held its annual Progressive Farm Safety Day in conjunction with the Progressive Ag Foundation and hosted approximately 220, 3rd grade students from the county.  The farm safety day was also attended by approximately 40 teachers, and community volunteers to help make the day a success.

This year at the safety day we were able to get representatives from multiple local first-respondents, and well as representatives from many local businesses and state-wide agencies.  Since the majority of our youth participants will encounter many different situation while living on or visiting the farm, we tired to bring in as many different educational stations as possible, in an effort to prepare the students for emergency or safety situations as possible. Educational booths for this year at the safety day were as follows: Gun Safety, ATV Safety, PTO Safety, Lawn Mower Safety, Sun Safety, Basic First-Aid, Wild Animal Safety, Chemical Safety, Fire Safety, and Boat/Water Safety.

Farm Safety doesn't just involve tractors, trucks, livestock, and lawn equipment.  On the farm or even in everyday life, students could potentially come into contact with firearms, illegal drug labs, wild animals, chemicals, fire, or an emergency situation that involves the need for basic First-Aid.  Students could also come into contact with wild animals as well while on the farm or even just at their home.  Another area of concern in our county is ATV safety.  With an increase in the amount of available trails and increase in the number of ATV's owned across the board, more youth are exposed to ATV's.

Once safety day was complete, students were asked to write a 1/2 page letter on which station was their favorite and one new thing that they learned from the safety day.  Once responses where complied 90% of students responded that they had learned a new safety skill, that they thought would help them be safer while on the farm, in woodlands, near water, or at home.  Also volunteers for the educational stations were surveyed.  Surveys were recorded and 100% of volunteers wish to teach again, 93% feel that the lesson that they taught would help to make our community a safer place, with the remainder surveyed at a somewhat safer place.