By Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
I shut myself in the pen recently, or more correctly I shut my side-by-side in the pen recently. It had been a long day, and Jennifer and I were feeding the cows just a little bit before dark. I was opening and closing gates for her. She went through the gate after feeding the last bale and I shut it behind her only to realize I had shut myself in.
One could argue that such an incident is part of the course with me, and you would not be wrong. However, even for me this was embarrassing and puzzling. The only thing I could chalk it up to a long hard day that should have ended sooner. Fortunately for me, no one saw this little incident, well, except for all of you who are now reading about it.
I will tell you this story for two reasons. The first is to make you laugh, I don’t mind if people laugh at me (with me?), sometimes a story is just too good not to tell. You are welcome. My second purpose for telling you about it is to highlight what can happen when we push ourselves a little too far. It is an easy thing to do this time of the year with all we have to do.
My mistake was the mindless closing of a gate with my transportation on the other side, however, it could have been a much more serious mistake. It only takes a split second to make a life-changing mistake and when you are fatigued that can make all the difference.
Am I saying to cut back on your work? Maybe, but I also know that cutting back is not always an option, and we have a lot of work to get done. No, what I am saying is to pay attention to your body and know when you need to take a break, your safety depends on it.
Accidents happen, and they can be caused by malfunctions of equipment, unexpected hazards or a myriad of things but I would also bet that the root cause of a lot of farm accidents is fatigue and stress.
We have all been there. All I am asking is that when you know you have been pushed to the limit take some time and get refreshed. It’s a simple solution, but it could save you a lot of money or even your life.
If you do push your limits, I hope your story is amusing and maybe even a bit embarrassing like mine. If it is, share it with me so we can laugh about it together. I am just asking you to take the extra step and be careful. The number of farmers and ranchers is getting fewer all the time and we can’t afford to lose anyone else. I hope spring and summer go smoothly, and I pray that everyone stays safe. Hopefully, your worst mistake finds you on the wrong side of a gate.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
