A Boost in Productivity

Current technology makes working the farm much easier.  However, what happens when it breaks down.  Well, nothing really.  Most farmers just continue on.  There really isn't time for stopping everything when your in the middle of a field far from home.

In an interview with Brownfield Ag News central Illinois farmer Judi Graf said, "There are just so many that make life so much easier on the farm.  You've got the mapping and the auto-steer.  You can live without those, but it just wouldn't be as fun."

What happens when the technology breaks down?  "I just keep going," she says.

Zach Hunnicutt from central Nebraska says, "There are times where you get to the point where you wonder what kind of trade-off you're making when you lose production hours trying to fix things.  We usually just try to make sure things are working."

While most aspects of farming don't need technology.  Some things can't operate properly without it.  Adam Casner from Western Missouri says, "Our plant tractor is hydraulic driven so we do need a monitor to control rates.  But as far as the combine, we don't let that stop us.  Last fall, cutting beans, we had a yield sensor go out and we didn't have anything.  But we kept going."

It's like that old saying.  Technology is great.  As long as it works.

Small Farms Get Help

Recently Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been allowing inspectors on to farms with fewer than 10 employees.  While the point of the OSHA's inspections are valid this is a violation.  Small farms a supposed to be exempt from from inspections.  Inspections are only allowed when a farmer is buying and selling grain in an unrelated farming operation.

What's The Point of These Inspections?

In 2010 and 2011, there was a rise of deaths involved with employees dying in grain bins.  Employees would walk on grain or attempt to remove build up.  The employees would sink and get stuck in the grains like quick sand and die.  It then became law for the OSHA to inspect large farming operations to ensure employee safety.  This resulted in a significant decrease in grain bin deaths.  So it's not like the OSHA inspections are a bad thing.

What Went Wrong?

It's a simple misunderstanding but one that had major ramifications against small farm operations.  A memo inside the OSHA stated drying and fumigating is not central to agriculture operations.  This gave OSHA inspectors the go ahead to inspect.  Also, the memo didn't clearly spell out the guidelines and was interpreted incorrectly.

In one such a case, according to Brownfield Ag News, "A Nebraska farmer with one non-family employee was recently assessed a fine of over $130,000 dollars by OSHA."  Clearly a small farm operation can not pay such a fine.

What Was The Solution?

Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri, along with several other congressmen, wrote a letter to the OSHA.  In it they asked OSHA to adhere to the law and clarify the guidelines for the inspectors.  OSHA did so and the problem seems to be resolved.  Below are links to the letter Sam Graves wrote and OSHA's response.

Letter From Congress

Letter From OSHA