Delaware Farm Bureau Hosts 9th Annual Ag. Safety Conference

(SMYRNA, Del) – Dozens of farmers from across the state of Delaware gathered in Smyrna for the ninth annual Delaware Farm Bureau AG Safety Conference, talking about everything from protecting the land to protecting animals from pests.

The conference has been going on for nine years, and organizer June Unruh says this was created out necessity, bringing together farmers with the public.

June tells WMDT, “That’s our whole objective is to get the community together, not only the farmers, but the general community as well. They need to understand, what the farmer lives, what he experiences doing his job. And he’s doing his job for everybody.”

One of the big concerns facing farmers, especially in lower Delaware is the prevalence of ticks; a menace to cattle and farmers alike.

“It seems to be heavier in Sussex County, but it’s moving north where the Longhorn Tick is going south, which will affect cattle production…” says Farm Bureau President, Bill Powers.

And it isn’t just pests that farmers spoke about Wednesday, as the crazy weather we’ve seen throughout the early part of the year has been, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms.

Bill says, “We’ve got to be safe. I mean, you got to watch it with, you know, tornadoes. We never really used to have a lot…”

While only one day, the Delaware Farm Bureau is hoping the farmers in attendance will prioritize one thing…

“..Prevent situations from having happening just by having the knowledge of the topic. You know, safety and farming go hand in hand,” says June.