As the kids go back to school, the geese and cranes prepare to head south, the nights get cooler, and the leaves begin to turn, our farmers also make some seasonal changes. Harvest season and preparing their property and animals for the cooler weather keep them busy this time of year!
For many communities around Wisconsin, harvest season brings with it an increased amount of slow-moving traffic and oversized loads on narrow country roads. As more farmers own or lease land that isn’t directly connected to their main property, we see more tractors traveling on roadways for greater distances. At the same time, more Americans are moving out of cities and into rural areas, meaning there are more non-farm vehicles on these same rural roads. If drivers aren’t careful, a casual morning commute can quickly take a turn for the worse. Over the years, the implementation of seat belts, air bags, and roll-over protection systems have reduced the likelihood of severe injury in the event of a crash, but avoiding them altogether is still the preferred option.
Thankfully, many farm machinery–vehicle accidents can be prevented by remembering a few key points.
- Always be alert while driving, whether you are in your personal vehicle or in a tractor, and ensure seat belts are used by drivers and passengers alike.
- Road shoulders may be especially soft with the moisture we’ve had this year, so understand that getting out of the main travel lane is not always an option for farm machinery.
- Only pass in passing zones, and then only when you are certain it is safe to do so, even if the machinery can move to the side. It has been illegal to pass farm machinery in no-passing zones on Wisconsin’s roadways since 2014.
- Be sure to leave adequate separation between vehicles and don’t pass too close to an intersection, as farm machinery takes longer to come to a stop than a passenger vehicle does.
- Overall, just remember to be patient. The people driving the machinery want to get to their next location quickly and safely as well, so be sure to give them a break when you’re crossing paths.
When there isn’t field work to do, farmers with livestock start their winter preparations early. Making sure the animals are ready before the arrival of cold temperatures helps set them up for success. Wind chill takes heat away from animals the same way it does humans, with a 20-mile-per-hour wind corresponding roughly to a 30-degree drop in temperature. Livestock should have some sort of protection from the wind, which could be a windbreak, three-sided shelter, or a draft-free building, depending on the specific animal’s needs. Farmers will also build up their supplies of dry bedding during the fall so they are ready to keep their animals warm no matter the weather.
Keeping animals healthy from the inside is just as important as keeping them warm. Ensuring fresh water access is a key aspect of winterizing for all types of livestock. This may mean using a heated water container or other frost-proof watering device. Farmers also prepare for increased feed needs in colder weather. Nutrient requirements increase about 1% for every degree that the temperature falls below 20 degrees F. This may mean farmers need to store more feed on their property or work with others to supplement their animals’ dietary inputs. Farmers often work with nutritionists to give a properly balanced diet to their animals even in the harshest of weather.
As fall arrives and you may be stuck behind a farmer working extra hours bringing in their harvests or getting everyone ready for the cold weather, take the slow-moving opportunity to thank a farmer and appreciate this beautiful state we live in.
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