LETTER TO THE EDITOR

This harvest safety letter was written by Hannah Wallpe, daughter of Lana Wallpe, Fowler, Indiana.

Hello readers,

My name is Hannah, and it’s my turn to write you a letter. I’ve been waiting a whole year, and that is a long time for an almost-five-year-old. Now that harvest is about to begin, Mommy and Daddy have new rules for us when we play outside. It’s a lot to remember, but Mommy and Daddy say every rule is important; they can even save our lives! I want to share them with you so everyone can be safe.

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1. Always know where tractors and farm equipment are working, and stay out of their way. We can ride our bikes in the tool shed but not in the barn lot.

2. When we go up to see Daddy or Grandpa in the tractor, we have to wait until they see us before we can go to them. Mommy says wearing bright-colored clothes will help them see us, and we love wearing pink and purple.

3. Stay away from the big arm-thing Mommy calls a PTO shaft. It connects the tractor to a lot of other equipment like augers. It goes very fast, and can hurt us if we get too close to it. Mommy also says we need to have our hair up in ponytails and wear clothes that fit tight so they won’t get caught. That includes making sure our shoestrings are tied.

Mommy says that I should know these rules well enough to remind my sister and to tell our friends so that when they visit our farm or any farm, they will know how to be safe too.

You might even see me riding with my daddy or grandpa on the road. I will be the short one in the buddy seat waving at you. Daddy says it is fun to drive a tractor, combine and truck during harvest, but they don’t go very fast down the road. We will help you to get around us whenever we can, but please be patient. Believe me, I know how hard that is, but I want my daddy and grandpa to come home safe at the end of the day.

Thanks for helping me and other farmers by spreading the idea of safety on the farm, and don’t forget to wave back!

Hannah Wallpe