ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

This year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week motto is “No One Can Take Your Place,” and they’re right; no one can replace you in the field, at the farm or in your home. Ranked as one of the most hazardous professions, farmers are at an increased risk for fatal and nonfatal farm injuries. Even family members are in jeopardy with their involvement in farm operations and living on or near the premises.

According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2021, workers in the ag, forestry, fishing and hunting industries experienced fatal injury rates at 20 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, compared to a rate of 3.6 deaths per 100,000 for all other industries. Farm safety is crucial to the livelihood of a farm operation and its operators. Follow these farm safety tips to ensure you, your employees and family are safe at the farm, in the field and on the road all year..

8 IMPORTANT FARM SAFETY TIPS

Think “F.A.R.M. S.A.F.E.”

Familiarize yourself with all equipment safety standards and the responsibilities of each worker on the farm. Ensure employees and family members are adequately trained and understand emergency procedures. A lack of experience or farm safety training can put anyone at risk of injury on the farm. Even if they don’t assist in day-to-day activities, farm safety for kids is equally important. 

Avoid wearing loose clothing around farm equipment as it can get caught and lead to falls or being pulled into augers. Moving parts can quickly snatch a loose sleeve or baggy shirt when you least expect it. Remember to wear protective equipment such as gloves, goggles and steel-toed boots to reduce farm injuries.

Read markings on every vehicle and their safety manuals. Heavy machinery is one of the most common causes of death in agriculture. Knowing how to properly operate machinery can prevent serious injury. Each piece of equipment should come with manufacturer recommendations for safety usage. ATV/UTV accidents are also on the rise, so understanding their intended use and weight capacity may stop one from rolling over or being hit on a roadway.

Maintain your equipment to ensure it’s running properly before you hit the field. Not only is it important to do this step for harvest but all year. Before you take your seat behind the wheel, walk around your equipment to check for loose parts, flat tires and more. With harvest bringing long hours in the field, check that all lights are operational so you can see and be seen.

Stock a first aid kit in your truck, tractor and barn. The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety has a first aid kit with farm injuries in mind you can purchase that includes trauma shears, large bandages, a thermal blanket, eye wash, ice packs, a CPR face shield and much more. If you have allergies, stock your first aid kit with supplies to remedy those symptoms.

Ask for help. Farming is stressful, and your emotional well-being is just as important as your physical health. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Follow instructions when handling chemicals. Read the material safety data sheets before using any chemicals so you know what to do in case an emergency occurs. You can take farm safety courses to learn best practices with the application or handling of these materials. Store chemicals in a locked area away from people and animals. 

Employ an effective lifeline system when working in and around grain bins. This includes wearing a harness and having a second person nearby, both of which can assist you in the unfortunate event you are trapped and engulfed in grain. Serious injuries related to grain bins can be reduced if farmers and their colleagues are properly trained and follow safety procedures.

Farm safety should be top of mind all year. Be aware of your surroundings, know your limits and have an emergency plan in place. Remember, NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR PLACE. Visit the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety for more farm safety tips and training opportunities. 

Why choose Stine corn and soybeans for 2024? The simple answer is genetics, options and service.

“STINE HAS YIELD isn’t just our brand promise; it’s how we operate, and it’s at the core of every decision we make as a company,” says Myron Stine, company president. “Stine has the best genetics, the most robust product offerings and the most knowledgeable reps in the industry. When combined, we deliver the resources grower customers need to achieve top-end yield.” 

Genetics

Stine has one of the industry’s largest corn and soybean breeding programs, which means we’re testing more new genetics than our competitors. We operate with the knowledge that breeding is a numbers game — the more material you look at, the better your chances of finding the best. We won’t release any genetic material if it doesn’t have proven yield performance in our program. Our approach to breeding is why most of the soybean genetics planted in the United States today started with Stine and why we can deliver new corn genetics to growers’ fields faster than other seed companies.

Options 

Because of our access to our own genetic material and the industry’s leading trait platforms, we can deliver more new options than our competitors year after year. This is a big differentiator for us. For soybeans, this is critical as there’s more adaption of the Enlist E3^® trait than ever before. Stine is well placed for growers using this platform as we have the BEST the industry offers, bar none. Our 2024 soybean lineup includes:  

• 109 lines of Stine brand Enlist E3 soybeans, ranging from 0008 to 77 maturity.
• Five lines of Stine brand LibertyLink^® GT27^® soybeans, ranging from 04 to 34 maturity.
• 23 options of Stine brand XtendFlex^® soybeans, ranging from 08 to 50 maturity.
• 28 options of Stine Elite conventional soybeans, ranging from 02 to 53 maturity. 

Whether you’re in the market for short corn or a traited product with outstanding above- and below-ground insect protection, Stine has the corn lineup you need. Options include: 

• 13 Agrisure^®-traited lines featuring Stine genetics, including some from our elite MX Series Corn lineup, with options ranging from 83–85-day to 117–119-day relative maturity.
• 14 Stine GT lines, ranging from 103–105-day to 114–116-day relative maturity.
• Two Stine GT+ lines— an 85–87-day and a 101–103-day, including one of our MX Series brand corn options.
• 11 MX Series Corn lines, ranging from 95–97-day to 113–115-day relative maturity.
• Three conventional lines, ranging from a 109–111-day to a 110–112-day product.

service 

“We’re particular about who we hire to support our grower customers,” says Stine. “We have the best and most knowledgeable employees and sales reps … period.”

Our dedicated workforce will do what it takes to fulfill our STINE HAS YIELD promise and deliver value so grower customers can move the needle to higher yields. We work with hundreds of independent sales reps across the country who are passionate about their role in the ag industry and committed to supporting their grower customers when and where they need them. Our talented employees are well-versed in various areas of expertise, including research, data analysis, sales support, marketing and more. Our agronomy team understands success in the field goes well beyond putting the best seed in the ground. They are available to our customers and sales team to guide them on the agronomics of our products, best practices for field placement and maintaining yield throughout the season.

If you’re looking for a seed company that understands the everyday needs of farming and how products perform in specific environments, look no further than Stine. Contact your local sales rep today. View our 2024 Stine Seed Catalog here.

If there is a need in Dennis Gienger’s central Iowa community, residents can count on him to step up and become involved. In his hometown of Gladbrook — with a population of less than 800 people — Gienger, who makes his living as a corn and soybean farmer as well as a pork and beef producer, has owned the town’s bowling alley, facilitated housing projects and led the town’s annual Corn Festival. Most recently, you can add grocery store owner to his list of accomplishments.

In 2019, when the owners of Hometown Foods announced they were selling the store, Gienger knew someone had to rally to keep it in town. With the nearest grocery store 20 miles away, he set his sights on keeping this vital asset in Gladbrook. And, when Gienger puts his mind to something, it gets done.

A can-do, solution-seeking mindset focused on having strong relationships with people has made Gienger successful. Many years ago, those same attributes attracted him to involvement with Stine^® Seed Company. He was introduced to the company while Stine was sponsoring car races, and Gienger, along with his fellow county pork producers, grilled fresh pork in conjunction with the races.

“I got to know the company, and I liked Harry Stine’s philosophy,” explains Gienger, who has been growing Stine seed for 15 years. “Harry runs his operation a lot like I run mine. If a change needs to be made, it gets made, and the outcome turns out to be even better. When I call Stine to sponsor or help with an event, they come forward and do it. I appreciate their commitment to producers and communities.”

When Gienger needs seed in the spring, he calls his Stine representative, and “Boom, it’s here,” he says. Over 3,000 acres, much of Gienger’s corn and soybeans are converted to high-quality feed for 8,000 pigs and approximately 100 cows.

For Gienger, Stine’s genetics and yield drew him to the company. “The other thing I like about Stine is the people. Whether it’s Harry, Kirk Kintz, Dustin Ellis, David Thompson or a long list of others, every single person is outstanding,” he adds, noting the longevity of much of the staff speaks volumes about the company 

Exceptional service is a fundamental cornerstone of why Stine is successful, and it’s an approach Gienger also embodies to help his community. 

Acres and Aisles of Support

Farmers are used to helping fuel communities by producing food sold at grocery stores and restaurants. But actually owning a grocery store is not the typical way a farmer connects with consumers. Farmers work in acres but not necessarily aisles.

Rural counties, such as Tama County in Iowa, can easily become food deserts with low access to food, which leads to significant economic and health challenges. A survey of rural Iowa counties meeting the “food desert” criteria found that large segments of the population lacked adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein. Keeping grocery stores in small communities is essential. In rural Iowa, 43% of grocery stores in towns with less than 1,000 people closed from 1995 to 2005.

As a pork producer, Gienger was also motivated to keep Hometown Foods in business for another aspect of his commitment to community. Along with other county pork producers, Gienger regularly grills pork for fundraising and educational events.

Gienger relied on being able to store pork for these large events in a freezer at the grocery store. He didn’t know what the Tama County Pork Producers and the community would do if the grocery store closed. So, he put together a program to buy it and partnered with Tandi Davis, who became the store’s general manager.

Farm-to-Fork Experiences

Aside from local and state events, every February, Gienger spends 11 days grilling pork at the Florida State Fair, helping FFA kids raise money while also building consumer confidence in modern agriculture among fairgoers. Gienger then invites the Florida FFA kids to visit Iowa to gain firsthand agriculture experiences in the heartland. They’ve toured Stine’s headquarters and local farms and businesses. 

“Today, most people are several generations removed from the farm,” says Gienger, who is a third-generation farmer. “It’s important that farmers speak up and help consumers understand where their food comes from and the lengths farmers go to ensure a safe, healthy food supply. A huge part of this effort starts with young people.”

From offering high-quality produce to delectable deli-fresh items, serving the community with fun (and delicious!) perks always tops the “grocery list of must-have items” for Gienger and Davis. From free ice cream Fridays to pork cookouts in the store’s parking lot, serving up value to loyal patrons keeps customers excited about shopping local.

“The support we get from businesses is incredible,” Gienger says, noting that Stine has sponsored and volunteered with many events. “To be successful, you must have good relationships and put a face with who you are and what you’re doing. It’s important for me to do this, and Stine is always stepping up to do the same.”