Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Celebrates Nurturing the Future of Agriculture with Kids FarmSafe Week

WINNIPEG, MB –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is excited to host the second annual Kids FarmSafe Week, taking place May 12-18, which celebrates “Nurturing the Future of Agriculture.”

Following last year’s successful inaugural Kids FarmSafe Week, CASA is again encouraging farm families, farm workers, and farming communities to #KeepKidsFarmSafe by raising awareness about health and safety risks for children and youth on the farm.

According to the latest Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR) data, between 1990 and 2020, a staggering 435 children and youth lost their lives due to farming-related incidents, with children aged one to four having the highest fatality rate.

“Today’s kids are tomorrow’s farmers and ranchers, and the farm is a unique workplace where families live, work and play. That is why, as an industry, we must work together to create safe and healthy environments for children and youth on Canadian farms,” says Sandra Miller, CASA’s Executive Director. “Kids FarmSafe Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about preventable farm safety risks and hopefully inspire more farms to embrace a culture of safety to protect the next generation of Canadian agriculture leaders.”

Kids FarmSafe Week features daily themes highlighting specific areas of health and safety concern for children and youth on the farm, including machinery safety, water safety and drowning prevention, safe play areas, safety around farm animals, and roadway safety. The weeklong campaign will also feature a webinar with valuable insights on how to engage young ones in learning about farm safety, as well as a farm safety colouring contest with prizes. Details about the webinar and colouring contest can be found at www.kidsfarmsafe.ca.

BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada Inc. is the presenting sponsor of this year’s Kids FarmSafe Week and a dedicated farm safety champion. CASA’s longtime collaborative partnership with BASF includes online resources, teaching kits, and the BASF Safety Scouts program, which provides free activity kits to farm families across Canada that are designed to encourage children to become farm safety ambassadors.

“Prioritizing a safety-first mindset is essential to us, so that employees return home safely to their families – and we think it’s important to extend that safety-first mindset to our rural and agricultural communities. Our longstanding partnership with CASA is rooted in our shared commitment to farm safety and we are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the second inaugural Kids FarmSafe Week,” said Leta LaRush, Vice President of BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada. “CASA’s efforts are essential in raising awareness and providing resources that support safety on Canadian farms. Initiatives like Kids FarmSafe Week play a crucial role in engaging the next generation and fostering a safe, bright future for Canadian agriculture.

More information about Kids FarmSafe Week, including resources, articles, and graphics, is available at www.kidsfarmsafe.ca.

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families, and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial, and territorial initiative. For more information, visit www.casa-acsa.ca, or find us on Facebook or LinkedIn.

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Robin Anderson
Director of Programs and Communications, CASA
1-877-452-2272 / randerson@casa-acsa.ca