Dos and Don’ts of Hiring Youth on the Farm Successful Farming

Summer is right around the corner, and that means farm kids around the country will be looking for work. If you hire anyone under the age of 18 to work on your farm, there are some things you need to know.

First of all, if you hire your own children – which offers significant tax advantages – the laws limiting which jobs they can do generally do not apply to you. Children, stepchildren, foster children, children for whom you are the legal guardian, and grandchildren are exempt from the federal hazardous jobs regulation.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should turn your 8-year-old loose driving the tractor. For a list of recommended farm jobs by age, read Choosing Age Appropriate Chores. Remember that age alone should not determine which jobs are suitable for children. Also consider their size, physical strength, training, and cognitive ability, and always err on the side of caution.

“It is impossible to overemphasize farm safety for all workers, both youth and adults. Producers should conduct farm safety audits and institute an ongoing farm safety education program,” advises Melissa O’Rourke, an Extension farm and agribusiness management specialist with Iowa State University. “Additionally, producers should consult with their own legal counsel for specific advice on any employment or liability questions that may arise, and consult with their insurance professionals to assure that adequate liability coverage is maintained for the operation.”

AGE REQUIREMENTS BY LAW

The minimum age standards as mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor are:

If state and federal regulations differ, the stricter of the two must be followed.

• Youths ages 16 and above may work in any farm job at any time.
• Youths ages 14 and 15 may work outside school hours in jobs not declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. (Youth this age who have completed a 4-H or vocational agriculture certificate of completion for tractor or machine operation may operate that equipment, but the employer must keep a copy of the certificate on file.)
• Youths 12 and 13 years of age may work outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs on farms that also employ their parent(s) or with written parental consent.
• Youths under 12 years of age may work outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs with parental consent, but only on farms where none of the employees is subject to the minimum-wage requirements of the FLSA.
• Local youths 10 and 11 may hand harvest short-season crops outside school hours for no more than eight weeks between June 1 and October 15 if their employers have obtained special waivers from the Secretary of Labor.
• Youths of any age may work at any time in any job on a farm owned or operated by their parents.

WHAT ARE HAZARDOUS JOBS?

Minors under 16 (other than your own children) may not work in the following occupations declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor:

Employees under age 16 are not allowed to ride on a tractor as a passenger or helper.

• Operating a tractor of over 20 PTO hp., or connecting or disconnecting an implement or any of its parts to or from such a tractor.
• Operating or working with a corn picker, cotton picker, grain combine, hay mower, forage harvester, hay baler, potato digger, mobile pea viner, feed grinder, crop dryer, forage blower, auger conveyor, unloading mechanism of a nongravity-type self-unloading wagon or trailer, power post-hole digger, power post driver, or nonwalking-type rotary tiller.
• Operating or working with a trencher or earthmoving equipment, fork lift, potato combine, or power- driven circular, band, or chain saw.
• Working in a yard, pen, or stall occupied by a bull, boar, or stud horse maintained for breeding purposes; a sow with suckling pigs; or a cow with a newborn calf (with umbilical cord present).
• Felling, buckling, skidding, loading, or unloading timber with a butt diameter or more than 6 inches.
• Working from a ladder or scaffold at a height of over 20 feet.
• Driving a bus, truck, or automobile to transport passengers, or riding on a tractor as a passenger or helper.
• Working inside: a fruit, forage, or grain storage designed to retain an oxygen-deficient or toxic atmosphere; an upright silo within two weeks of the time silage was added or when a top unloading device is in operating position; a manure pit; or a horizontal silo while operating a tractor for packing purposes.
• Handling or applying toxic agricultural chemical identified by the words "danger," "poison," or "warning" or a skull and crossbones on the label.
• Handling or using explosives.
• Transporting, transferring, or applying anhydrous ammonia.

Each state has its own child labor laws applicable to agricultural employment, and if they differ from national law, the stricter of the two must be followed. Find a state-by-state breakdown of those laws on the U.S. Department of Labor website.

Breaking these laws not only puts youth at risk, it also could cost employers, who may be fined up to $11,000 for each youth employment violation

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN’S HARSH RAYS WITH THESE TIPS

As the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma often receives the most attention. However, melanoma is not the most common type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is diagnosed in 2.8 million people each year, and 700,000 people are diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), compared with the 60,000 with melanoma.

While BCC and SCC occur more frequently, the good news is a precancer – actinic keratosis – makes both types of cancer easier to detect and prevent early on. 

Roughly 65% of all SCC cases arise in lesions that were diagnosed as actinic keratosis. In patients with a history of skin cancer, 36% of BCC cancers are from actinic keratosis lesions. 

“Rough, scaly areas on ears or noses can be a sign of actinic keratosis,” says Carolyn Sheridan, a registered nurse who is also the clinical director for the AgriSafe Network. “When you have this, it’s a phase of precancer. If you can limit sun exposure, you can reduce your chances of getting this type of cancer.”

AgriSafe is a national nonprofit that works to reduce skin cancer cases in farmers as well as respiratory disease, musculoskeletal disorders, hearing loss, depression, disabling injuries, and occupational illnesses. 

“The main recommendation for the general public is to seek shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” explains Sheridan about ways to reduce skin cancer. “Obviously this doesn’t work for farmers, so we look for other ways they can protect themselves, including sun-protectant clothing, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. This is especially important for farmers who have or may have actinic keratosis.”

SUN-PROTECTANT CLOTHING

If you head out to work each day in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, the good news is your jeans provide outstanding protection from the sun. 

“Jeans have an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating of 1,700, so no sun is getting through your blue jeans,” Sheridan says. “However, a white T-shirt only has a protection factor of 5.” A UPF of 5 equates to about one fifth of the sun’s UV rays reaching your skin.

You should find clothing with a UPF label of 30 and up, recommends Sheridan. “The higher the rating, the better,” she says. “A 30 is acceptable, but higher ratings can provide even better protection based on the ingredients.”

The clothing industry is making it easier to find sun-protectant clothing by providing more of it and labeling it clearly. Dickies, Duluth Trading Company, and Gempler’s, among others, offer several shirts with UPF 30 to 50 and moisture-wicking technology, making them ideal choices for summer work. 

SPF 30 SUNSCREEN

While the UPF rating on clothing matters, the sun protection factor (SPF) rating on sunscreen is more complicated. 

For example, SPF 15 filters out 93% of all incoming UVB rays, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. SPF 30 keeps out 97%, and SPF 50 keeps out 98%. 

“If you use SPF 50 and reapply every two hours, you are only getting one percentage point more of protection than if you were using SPF 30,” explains Sheridan. “That’s where there is some controversy on whether or not SPF 50 is worth the extra cost for the amount of protection provided.”

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends at least SPF 15. For those who are outdoors for longer periods of time, SPF 30 should be used. That’s why Sheridan recommends at least 30 SPF for farmers. 

After you look at the SPF rating, make sure the sunscreen you select is a broad spectrum so you’ll be protected from both UVA and UVB rays.

Remember that sunscreen isn’t just for the summertime. You should wear sunscreen in the winter, too. You should also wear it when you’re in a vehicle. That’s because the light that shines through can still cause damage, says Sheridan. 

WIDE-BRIM HATS

The beloved baseball hats that farmers own are not, unfortunately, the best choice to protect against the sun. 

“To protect the nose and ears, you should have a hat with at least a 3-inch brim,” says Sheridan. 

There are hats with ventilation at the top, which will make them cooler in the summer. While this is a good option if you still have a full head of hair, Sheridan warns against these if you have thinning hair. “If you are balding and don’t have a close-weave fabric, some of the sun will get through the hat,” she says.

If you refuse to give up your baseball hat or you want a hat with ventilation, make sure you double up and wear sunscreen in addition to your hat.

UV-FILTERING 
SUNGLASSES

The sun’s powerful rays don’t just affect your skin. They can also cause serious damage to your eyes, which can lead to vision loss, cataracts, and macular degeneration as well as eye and eyelid cancers. 

The easiest way to protect your eyes is to wear sunglasses that block out 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB light. Ideally, sunglasses should also block HEV (high-energy visible) light. 

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends wraparound-style sunglasses that shield your eyes and the surrounding areas.

SAFETY KIT

Safety, including sun protection, should be a priority on every farm. To make it easier to follow the recommended practices, Sheridan suggests creating a safety kit to keep in every vehicle. This can include sunscreen, safety glasses, sunglasses, a hat, and other items. 
   

“Being prepared ahead of time can make a big difference,” she says.

STOP PLANTING SINS

RUSHING TO PLANT IN WET SOILS CAN SERIOUSLY SLICE YIELDS.

Planting sins aren’t the kind that steer you into a confessional booth with a priest. They are, though, mistakes that can curtail your yields at harvest. 

“The sins you make at planting live with you the entire year,” says Jennifer Wood, a BASF innovation specialist based in Fullerton, Nebraska. “With seed (corn) costing $100 to $125 per acre, it’s important to get a good stand and have as many seeds germinate as possible.”

One way to nix planting sins is to prevent them in the first place. “Make sure you test the planter before you start,” says Wood. This can pinpoint any problems before they occur in the field. 

“I go through the planter and check things like double disk openers, furrow openers, and bearings. I make sure all the drives are in working order,” says Ken Cross, Friend, Nebraska. Cross also packs appropriate planter parts with grease and checks for air and oil leaks prior to planting. 

TOP SIN 

Ken Cross and his grandson, 5-year old Gavin.

If there’s one planting sin that surfaces time and time again, it’s planting into excessively wet soils, says A.J. Woodyard, BASF technical crop production specialist.

“Every year, there are costly mechanical mistakes made at planting,” says Woodyard. “By that, I mean going into a field when it’s too wet. That causes compacted soil layers that affect later root development.”

This mistake isn’t made just at planting. Fertilizer spreaders entering excessively wet fields can also compact soils, he says. Ditto for tilling wet fields in the fall. 

“All of these things impact root development and water management as a whole,” he says. “Normally with a corn plant, you expect roots to go out at a 35º angle. When they first grow straight out horizontally and then straight down (caused by compacted soils), you have a problem.” 

There’s also a second reason to avoid planting into cold and wet soils. It can trigger cold chill inhibition. This is when cells rupture after icy cold water enters a seedling, says Wood. This can curb germination and early-season vigor. 

SO WHY DO IT?

Well, you’re squeezing the proverbial 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5-pound bag at planting. Farms are getting bigger as spring weather is becoming wetter. That’s a collision course for teeth-clenching springtime stress. Iowa is a microcosm of this trend. 

“The general trend is that there will be more heavy spring rain days and more summer droughts in Iowa,” says Chris Anderson, an Iowa State University climatologist. This trend through 2045 will mean 10% to 15% fewer suitable springtime fieldwork days for Iowa farmers. This tight window likely applies to other areas, as well. 

Granted, there are times when you have to plant or risk severe yield loss. Just remember, though, that a day delay at planting does not equate to an equal delay in fall physiological maturity.

“Corn has a real amazing ability to compensate when planted late,” says Jeff Hartz, Wyffels Hybrids director of marketing. “Most research shows a day in April or May is not equal to June, July, and August when it comes to Growing Degree Units (GDUs). Those three summer months are when corn packs on the majority of its GDUs.”

Rather than planting date, a better way to maximize a hybrid’s yield potential is planting into a dry seedbed with a 50ºF. or higher soil temperature. 

“In wet and cold soils, corn just sits there,” Hartz says. “That opens up all kinds of problems like seedling blight and sidewall compaction. It pays to have temperatures warm enough for quick emergence.”

Waiting also helps nix cold chill inhibition. “If soil temperature is warm and relatively stable for a few days, you don’t create the effect of seed chilling,” she says. 

Another consolation if you fall behind by waiting for fit soils is that modern planting equipment allows you to churn out acres in a hurry. “With big planters these days, it doesn’t take farmers long to make up ground,” says Wood.

STOP THESE SINS

Five steps exist to stop planting sins in their tracks before they start.

1. Space seed properly.

Recall your feeling when you are cramped into a crowded elevator. Feel a bit stressed?

Well, it’s akin to when corn is doubled-jammed into the seed furrow at planting. Conversely, a corn plant that germinates and grows in a wide space prompted by a planter skip might have plenty of room to grow. On a field-wide basis, though, these skips translate into missed yield potential.

“Planters do a good job spacing out seed these days,” says Jennifer Wood, a BASF innovation specialist based in Fullerton, Nebraska. Still, get out of the cab periodically to see if your planter is spacing seeds at the rate you initially set for your population, she advises.  

“Planters today are pretty foolproof, but row units that plug up can lead to skips and doubles,” says Wood. 

2. Maintain uniform seeding depth.

“Any more, planter downpresure automatically adjusts to the correct depth,” says Wood. However, you will want to check seeding depth and make sure it is accurate. If not, yield consequences can be severe.

Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension agronomist, cites a U of M study that showed a one-left stage delay for every other plant sliced average yield by 6% compared with a check uniform plot. A two-stage delay on every other plant cut average yields by 17%.

3. Plant into moisture.

Sufficient moisture is needed to spur seed germination and emergence. This may mean altering your optimum planting depth from time to time.

“If you normally plant 2 inches deep and it’s dry, plant seed deeper,” says Wood. “You want to plant into moisture.”

4. Clear residue.

This is particularly important if you’re no-tilling and/or in corn-on-corn. “This can be a real issue with planters if you don’t adjust for it,” says Wood. Excessive residue can key uneven emergence. 

“You don’t want to impede those plants coming up at a different time than their neighbors,” she says. “Coulters need to chop it in half.”

5. Close the seed furrow.

“You want to make sure you are doing a good job of closing the furrow to ensure there is adequate seed-to-soil contact,” says Wood.

Ghana to employ youths in agriculture: Nigeria plays catch up

Without any doubt, the pledge by the Ghanaian government to employ youths from public universities who read agriculture, towards enhancing agricultural production in the country is worthy of commendation.

Senior Minister, Osafo Marfo, at a breakfast meeting themed: “A public – private dialogue on stability, growth and jobs”, disclosed that the government in league with the universities would recruit unemployed agricultural graduates as extension service providers across the country.

“As part of enhancing agriculture production in the country, we have decided in consultation with the universities, all those who have done degrees in Agriculture and are unemployed. We will be calling all of them for short term training in extension services so that with their degree background, they will be in a position to give extension services across the country”, he said.

Though the efforts of the Nigerian government to reduce unemployment by promoting youth participation in agriculture have somewhat increased, stakeholders still believe a lot more can be done to birth the desired results.

A case in point is the N-Power programme designed to target critical needs in education, agriculture, technology, creative construction and artisanal industries which has been on a low key since its inception last year.

In a recent chat with AgroNigeria, the Agric Minister’s Technical Adviser for Youth and Gender, Mosunmola Umoru, informed that the federal government will recruit and train extension service providers in the agric sector.

“There is the Npower project currently running from the office of the Vice President that will recruit and train, about 30, 000 extension service providers in the first phase. Moreover, the phase has been approved to scale up to a 100,000 hopefully in the next 3 to 5 years” she said.

Lauding these efforts, Agricultural Consultant, Tony Egba urged the federal government to adopt this model, adding that the Npower program of the federal government is key in achieving this strategy.

“For agricultural productivity to increase, active extension services are essential, and the Npower program which has agriculture in its development plan can achieve this”, he said.

Egba however noted that for the model to be effective, training and supervision is important.

“Extension services that will lead to productivity must employ specially trained personnel. You can’t send someone who doesn’t know the difference between maize and yam to go and be an extension officer. Green university graduates should be attached to senior extension officers in active practice for minimum of two planting circle in a technology based farm before you can send them out”, he explained.

In the coming weeks, it will interesting to see which direction the Npower project leads, and with Nigeria’s next door neighbor, Ghana making headway in incorporating youths in agriculture, the plan by the Nigerian government to revamp the sector through youth participation is already playing catch up.

NARICT, KATSINA TO PRODUCE NATURAL TOMATO PASTE

The National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) in Zaria is collaborating with Katsina state government to set up a processing factory to produce natural tomato paste free of additives.

A statement issued by the institute’s public relations officer, Aliyu Bala, said that Katsina state is to provide N35 million for the project not N500 million as being insinuated in some quarters.

“The institute has a strong and smooth collaboration with the Katsina state government. In the past we had established first Neem organic fertilizer and Bio-pesticide production plant. We are now on the verge of establishing Kenaf/Jute and tomato procession factories.

“The institute and the state government agreed on N35 million project; N20 million for building and N15 million for machineries as at March 2016, but due to trends and inflationary rate witnessed in the country we had already written the state government for review. Therefore, thereport in some quarters that we have received the sum of N500 million is false and untrue.”

He said the importance of the projects is for Nigerians to be consuming 100 per cent indigenous Nigerian tomatoes unlike imported tomato paste that are 20 per cent tomato and 80 per cent additives.

The Kenaf Project, according to him, will provide jute and kenaf sacks for agricultural sector and this will ensure acceptability of Nigeria agro-produce all over the world.