Market Farming

["Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>]

ATV's.

 

My neighbor's son (12-years-old) was killed last year.  Driving up a bank on a drainage ditch.  His friend jumped off when he felt it was tipping.

 

It did and landed right on that boy's head.  He lived a couple days and his parents decided to pull the plug.  Horrible decision to have to make.  But he was already gone.

 

His dad farms 65 acres south of me.  He took it the worst I think.  There was nothing to say to comfort his pain at that funeral.  His wife was a zombie.  Haven't heard from her for a year and she doesn't answer phone calls.  She's a mess and I can't blame her.  A tragedy to be sure.

 

About a month ago, a grain truck at the farm across the road caught fire.  Broken fuel line.  I ran over there and there was my neighbor, his arms totally covered with gasoline... on fire.  Shit!  He fell to the ground and put out that fire on his arms... and went through 3 fire extinguishers on the truck.  I had a cellphone and called the fire department.  Half a dozen other farmers saw the smoke and ran over to help ... shovelling soil on the gasoline which was heading for their fuel tanks.  Everyone who drove down that road stopped to help.  No one had to call anybody.  That much smoke means trouble.

 

He drove that truck on fire out of the barn to save the barn.  I just wanted to kick his butt.  Later he came by to thank me for calling the fire department.  I said, damn you, you have 3 kids and a wife.  You ever do that again and I'll hurt you myself!  We laughed and drank a beer.  Nervous laugh.

 

Still, accidents happen when you work around equipment.  For work or for pleasure. 

 

Farm safety. 

 

Sometime I'll recount the story of one of my Ex-husband's employees who inadvertently put his hand on a post when an automatic post driller came down on it.  Nah, you get the picture. 

 

Machines are powerful things.

 

Del Williams

Farmer in the Del

Clifton IL

delannw AT dlogue.net