Corn mazes, apple picking, hayrides autumn might be the best time of year to enjoy agritourism. But autumn is also peak time for agritourism injuries.
"If there is a serious injury, whether as part of a regular farm or an agritourism activity, there will be negative consequences for the farm," said Marsha Salzwedel, agricultural youth safety specialist with the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. "Attendance can go down; sometimes you get sued. Depending on what happens, this can close down the farm or operation."
Consider these incidents, all from the last two weeks of October:
- New Jersey: A 2 ½-year-old girl died when a bus rear-ended another bus on a one-lane exit road at a harvest festival, pinning three victims between the two vehicles.
- Maine: A 17-year-old girl died and more than 20 others were hurt when a jeep towing a wagon on a downhill road lost control and hit a tree. The wagon was part of a Halloween-themed attraction.
- New Hampshire: A 2-year-old boy was critically injured and a 3-year-old also was hurt when a bouncy house reportedly went airborne because of high wind.
- Idaho: An 18-year-old boy playing a zombie at a Halloween-themed corn maze was killed after falling under a moving bus.
A farmer engaged in agritourism faces unique safety challenges involving visitors and employees. The National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety can help. The center's agritourism website, www.safeagritourism.com, offers virtual safety walkthroughs specific to more than a dozen topics, insurance information, printable signs for communicating with guests, as well as other resources.
The website, "Integrating Safety into Agritourism," is loaded with resources to address safety shortcomings. The website was recently updated to reflect research and feedback from agritourism operators.
"Farmers tell me that they sleep better at night knowing that they have done all they can to ensure a safe agritourism visit for everyone," Salzwedel said.
In April, Wisconsin became the 23rd state to enact an agritourism limited liability law, which places limits on liability for persons offering agricultural tourism activities, provided they follow voluntary guidelines. The National Children's Center, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA), is conducting a statewide series of meetings to educate operators about safety, about the law, and how to maximize the protection the law affords. The next Farm Safety & Marketing Education Day is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m., November 12, at Riveredge Nature Center, 4458 County Highway Y, Saukville, Wis. For information, go to http://www.luv-r-ag.com/. 11.4.2014