Grains of Knowledge

Produce growers, farms not exempt from theft

Before an audience of growers and mostly small-scale retailers, loss prevention directors from two well-known Cleveland supermarket chains spoke at the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association annual congress in Sandusky about the importance of a loss-prevention plan and how it should be implemented.

via www.farmanddairy.com

Adding crime coverage to your Westfield commercial package policy is a great way to help mitigate direct losses to your business. Please work with your independent agent to learn how to purchase this coverage.

2010 Keystone Farm Show

The 12th annual Keystone Farm Show was a great success, getting the year off to a good start by showcasing the continued prosperity of Pennsylvania’s production agriculture industry.

Farm shows, and the cruddy weather that’s characteristically associated with them, are synonymous in welcoming the New Year in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the weather held out for this year’s show and provided the outside exhibitors some relief from the usual sloppy precipitation, The brisk winds, however, brought a thoughtful reminder that it’s farm show time again!  

As always, the show was enjoyable, bringing together faithful farmers, ag enthusiasts and agribusinesses with a genuine interest in the Pennsylvania agriculture. Members of these groups attended as exhibitors and visitors alike. 

It’s inspiring to see what new products and services are available to sustain the success and durability of  production agriculture in Pennsylvania. I attended the show on Tuesday and enjoyed the continuous interaction with Westfield’s customers, agents, or the neighboring exhibitors who were attempting to seize our model barn display. Better luck next year, fellas! 

 
Photo Source: Keystone Farm Show
 
Throughout the day, customers approached us to pose questions about coverage, share a claims experience, or just to pick up the latest edition of the Farmers Almanac and say hello. A number of independent Westfield agents were also in attendance, either displaying exhibits of their own or taking in the experience of the show.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by to say hello and look forward to talking to more of you next year!  Happy New Year!

Guest Author: Jason McCorkle is an AgriBusiness Field Manager who currently underwrites farm and commercial agribusiness accounts out of our Lancaster, PA office. His agricultural upbringing, Agricultural Business Management degree from Penn State University and passion for modern agriculture are the foundation to understanding and serving Westfield Agribusiness customers.

2010 New Years Resolution

If you’re a farmer / rancher or know someone who is, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you that farming and ranching is one of the top 5 most hazardous occupations in the United States.  In 2008, there were 38.4 deaths for every 100,000 workers in this occupation with a total of 285 deaths from an annual perspective.  At the top of list of dangers for farmers and ranchers (cited by forbes.com - Most Dangerous Jobs) is their use of heavy machinery, which is the largest source of danger for farmers. 

 According to OSHA you should take the following steps to reduce illnesses and injury on your farm:

• Read and follow instructions in equipment operators manuals and on product labels
• Inspect equipment routinely for problems that may cause accidents
• Discuss safety hazards and emergency procedures with your workers
• Install approved rollover protective structures, protective enclosures or protective frames on farm tractors
• Make sure guards on farm equipment are replaced after maintenance
• Review and follow instructions in material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and on labels that come with chemical products and communicate information on these hazards with your workers
• Take precautions to prevent entrapment and suffocation caused by unstable surfaces of grain storage bins, silos, or hoppers. Never “walk the grain”
• Be aware that methane gas, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide can form in unventilated grain silos and manure pits and can suffocate or poison workers or explode
• Take advantage of safety equipment, such as bypass starter covers, power take off master shields, and slow moving vehicle emblems.

A great New Year’s Resolution for those involved in farming is to put a greater focus on workplace safety in the coming year to keep yourselves, loved ones and workers out of harm’s way!

If you’re interested in learning more about safety in the workplace, check out Westfield's Loss Control Blog!