Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2021

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Martens Angus Farms grain bin safety BALANCED TRAIT GENETICS It’s been our program’s philosophy for over 20 years and the proof is in the numbers... Angus Breed Average for Non-Parent Bulls CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb RE $ M $B $C 6 1.2 57 100 25 42 0.56 0.57 $ 58 $ 130 $ 225 Martens Angus Farms Sale Bulls Average CED BW WW YW Milk CW Marb RE $ M $B $C 9 0.4 68 121 26 51 0.77 0.74 $ 64 $ 157 $ 268 30% 30% 20% 20% 40% 30% 25% 25% 35% 15% 15% ... and in quality physical traits! Quiet Disposition Sound Structure Muscle Expression Bulls Available Private Treaty — Contact Jody Martens Angus Farms 37939 346 Avenue • Bellevue Iowa 52031 (563) 552-8890 martensangus@gmail.com www.martensangus.com | Find us on Facebook “Trust the process.” – Matt Campbell Eastern Iowa Farmer photo / contributed Rescue squads from Lost Nation and Oxford Junction freed Petersen from the grain bin. Firefighters train for such rescues, using specialized equipment. Grain bins on the farm can be dangerous, with the grain acting like quicksand. from tractor and equipment accidents, naming three such fatalities in their circle. Nationwide, that’s true as well. Still, grain bins on the farm are a significant danger, and the particulars of entrapment in grain are exceptionally scary, with the grain acting like quicksand and swiftly suffocating the farmer. OSHA reports that agricultural workers can be trapped in four to five seconds. Within 22 seconds, they can be completely engulfed in corn. Jamming up Farmers typically get in trouble when the grain “bridges,” forming a hard crust while emptying underneath. When the bridge collapses, anyone working in the grain can be buried. Many proud farmers are less likely to bring in a spotter, or even call for help, because bridging is more likely when grain is spoiled. Extraordinarily wet weather in the years leading up to 2020 led to more spoiled grain and more jams in bins. “Keep your grain clean, that’s the solution,” Brauer said. “That’s not always doable. Last year (2019), with the fall we had, we had so much spoiled grain that was sticking to walls.” Equipment also can help unplug grain bin sumps so that farmers don’t get in the bin. The systems involve hydraulic motors and lines above the sump that clear blockages, Neenan explained. Be smart, not proud “The biggest thing is, never get in a bin like that, not with the auger running,” Chad said. “You just don’t know what’s underneath there.” One of the reasons Bob’s rescue was successful was because of the quick response of a second person. “Having a second person 26 Eastern Iowa Farmer | Spring 2021 eifarmer.com
grain bin safety there is critical,” Neenan said. “If you go in and you get trapped, when are they going to notice that you’re gone?” If a farmer’s absence isn’t noticed until dinner time, after getting in a bin after breakfast, it could be 10 hours before anyone knows what’s wrong. Neenan suggests calling a spouse, a family member or a neighbor, and that second person should call 911 in case of emergency, not jump in to try to save the first person. “Sixty percent of people who died in confined spaces (like grain bins) were would-be rescuers,” he said. “They got in and got the original victim out but didn’t make it out themselves.” Chad said he “came from the coop world, where we always had a spotter.” OSHA requires a spotter, harnesses and a lockout-tagout system for power to the auger, but those rules don’t apply to small family farms with 10 or fewer employees. “That doesn’t mean that OSHA rules aren’t best practices to make sure that you get in and out safely,” Neenan said. “Farmers have to have the same mentality,” Chad agreed. “I farm as well, and I use the same practices on my farm.” Chad is careful on his farm to label all his breakers so that first responders can kill the power quickly and easily. “Don’t be stupid,” he said. “It’s common sense to me because I’ve been on the rescue side of it.” One of the challenges in promoting grain bin safety is that many farmers have gotten in bins, sometimes many times in their lives, without getting in trouble. It’s easy to assume that things will never go wrong, that you don’t need a harness or other safety precautions. “My answer to that, and it’s not snarky by any means, but it only takes once,” Neenan said. “If everything lines up once that you’re going to get trapped, it could be deadly.” When you’re busy, it’s even more tempting to skip precautions, sometimes with disastrous effects. Neenan said that investing in safety is about your family, not yourself. “When you start talking about lockout-tagout or a harness, that might cost a couple hundred dollars,” he said. “It’s not terrible, but there is a cost to it. “But to be safe for your family?” he continued. “I’m of an age where being there for my grandkids is going to make me invest in something that would keep me safe.” n “I’m of an age where being there for my grandkids is going to make me invest in something that would keep me safe.” — Dan Neenan You earned it. We’ll help you keep it. Left-to-right: Cathy Meinsma, CPA, Ashleigh Determann, Susan Hunter, CPA, Carol Schuster, CPA & President, and Connie Beer Let the professionals at Schuster & Co PC help you with all your tax and accounting needs 1015 6th Ave. • DeWitt, IA 52742 schustercpas.com 563.659.9127 Farm and Business Consulting Tax Planning and Return Preparation Services Accounting and Payroll Services New Business Start-Up Services QuickBooks Consulting eifarmer.com spring 2021 | Eastern Iowa Farmer 27
Page 1 and 2: The Eastern Iowa Spring 2021 Farmer
Page 3 and 4: TODD HUSMANN Channel Seedsman Cente
Page 5 and 6: s... ter! › CommerCial Warehousin
Page 7 and 8: Today, Tomorrow, Forever Joining th
Page 9 and 10: Story Index 52 Mother Nature is hav
Page 11 and 12: McCaulley Ag Service Tyler Shannon
Page 13 and 14: Chores: The building blocks of char
Page 15 and 16: Country chores (Left) Among the ani
Page 17: Country chores “We’ve always ho
Page 20 and 21: Supporting local is who we are When
Page 22 and 23: We offer tile repair and systems of
Page 24 and 25: grain bin safety Eastern Iowa Farme
Page 28 and 29: Maquoketa Agency Offce: 563-652-568
Page 30: ASSISTED LIVING • SKILLED REHABIL
Page 34 and 35: gate to plate “We’d take bones
Page 36 and 37: gate to plate “There’s some pol
Page 38 and 39: Have you cHecked your soil Fertilit
Page 40 and 41: 117 S. 2nd St. Maquoketa 563-652-65
Page 42 and 43: woolly endeavor “Every year I com
Page 44 and 45: nursed, Goedken puts the ewe in a h
Page 46 and 47: Bulletins offered good, free advice
Page 48 and 49: ulletins thor, and his or her quali
Page 50 and 51: little bit ...where FRANZEN FAMILY
Page 52 and 53: Clinton County farmer Chad Petersen
Page 54 and 55: It started with one truck... That w
Page 56 and 57: mother nature “None of this equip
Page 58 and 59: More FOR YOUR FARM Animal Health
Page 60 and 61: mother nature Eastern Iowa Farmer p
Page 62 and 63: mother nature Rebuild and Restart L
Page 64 and 65: mother nature In that phone call Le
Page 66 and 67: mother nature In fact, it was an in
Page 68 and 69: 903 DeWitt St.,Grand Mound www.lega
Page 70 and 71: mother nature John Mueller John Mue
Page 72 and 73: mother nature Water levels at Lock
Page 74 and 75: mother nature “I talked about how
Page 76 and 77:
mother nature called and explained
Page 78 and 79:
mother nature “It is like when a
Page 80 and 81:
mother nature Gerry Farrell Delmar
Page 82 and 83:
mother nature Almanacs use ‘secre
Page 84 and 85:
When you need a familar face we’r
Page 86 and 87:
mother nature Navigating through ca
Page 88 and 89:
FARMERS AT HEART ® DOING WHAT’S
Page 90 and 91:
mother nature repairs to get by unt
Page 92 and 93:
mother nature Keeping an eye on thi
Page 94 and 95:
mother nature way of life. Kara How
Page 96 and 97:
A farming future is worth the sacri
Page 98 and 99:
Land prices Prices moving to the no
Page 100 and 101:
Land prices cultural professionals
Page 102 and 103:
By KRIS KOTH Clinton County Executi
Page 104 and 105:
Deep roots grow tall We want to tha
Page 106 and 107:
Ag Bytes Meteorologist documents de
Page 108 and 109:
Ag Bytes outstanding achievements i
Page 110 and 111:
Delaneys Auto & Ag Center & Repair
Page 112 and 113:
1. All in the family — Marty Kram
Page 115 and 116:
1. Sage Medinger takes a quick snoo
Page 117 and 118:
1. Cole and Logan Green help their
Page 119 and 120:
1. “Spiderman,” Dylan Matthiese
Page 121 and 122:
1. Molly Matthiesen and Meghan Klem
Page 123 and 124:
One of the nation’s fastest growi
show all

Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?