Asking someone to pay attention to safety during busy spring fieldwork usually falls on deaf ears. Hardly anyone listens. So rather than try to warn you of the dangers of being around farm equipment this spring when you’re in a hurry and dead tired, I’m going to let a row-crop farmer from Baldwin Country, AL, tell his story.

Dear Mr. Lamp: 

My name is Eric Street and I read most every issue of Corn & Soybean Digest. My reason for e-mailing you is about a farm accident that I was involved with in 1998. 

In short, my friend Gee and I were greenchopping grass for my dairy cows into a self-feeding wagon. When I finished filling the wagon we had to unhook it and transport it a couple of miles back to the main farm. In the process of unhooking the wagon and pulling the greenchopping tractor out of the way, I ran over my friend with the wagon and crushed him to death. 

I did not e-mail you to bring you or anybody who may read this down. My reason for contacting you is because of what we are facing as farmers in this upcoming growing season. 

With the commodity markets the way they are, we farmers will be more anxious than ever to get our work done in a timely manner. Obviously, when there’s haste there sometimes comes accidents, and I would not wish the guilt or hardship I’ve gone through on anyone.  

I’m not sure my story will help anybody or prevent any accidents, but it might make someone more aware of how quickly life can be lost or harmed in agriculture.  

I share my story with you in hopes that you will share it with your Corn & Soybean Digest readers. My intentions are pure, but I want everyone to know life is very precious and we need to preserve it the best way we can.   

When my accident happened I didn’t think we were being careless. My friend was alive and talking in the tractor with me one minute – the next he was dead.       

If I can be of any help to you or your readers, please feel free to contact me at 251-610-8645 or e-mail [email protected].

How could anyone say it any better? Be careful out there this spring so you don’t have to tell a story like Eric Street’s.