PAVILION, N.Y. (WKBW) — The third week of September is known as National Farm Safety and Health Week, to promote safety for hardworking farms.
In Pavilion, NY, sits Noblehurst Farms, a seventh-generation farm whose co-owner Jack Klapper says with peak harvest season the farm equipment will be on the road.
"This is probably our busiest year on the farm. Harvest season has begun. We just finished up doing 4th cutting of alfalfa and now we are beginning our corn silage. So there are many trucks on the road, many tractors going every which way," said Klapper.
In 2021, in the US more than 450 fatalities were in the agriculture sector, and in NYS road-related crashes involving cars and farm equipment were the second-leading cause of farm-related deaths.
Klapper is warning drivers to pay attention to the roads, while his workers are doing their jobs.
“Give us a little bit of time. Giving us time to make turns, you know, chances are we might be able to see you. But there are times when we might not be able to see in the cab of a tractor. We have a lot going on. So just being cautious, just being safe drivers on the road, “ said Klapper.
Klapper says the best part of the job is providing food regionally, state-wide, and internationally.
“We take a lot of pride in kind of being the caretakers of the land and feeding people. We take an immense amount of pride in feeding the world,” said Klapper.
