Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

about operating your own machine,” he says, “but the other guy you hire might not know it as well,” he says. Farm machinery isn’t the only extra caution at harvest time. Yoder says that as grain operations have grown and on-farm storage has increased, more farmers are handling their grain and experiencing the challenges that come along with it. Such situations have been accurately and dramatically documented in the movie SILO, about a teenage farm worker who becomes the victim of grain silo entrapment. SILO has become a rallying force for grain handling safety and, with its release in theatres this year — including its IMAX debut in Indianapolis in August, at the world’s largest firefighter convention — it has helped advance discussions about a plethora of rural and farm issues, including mental health. Yoder is hopeful such creative, new approaches such as SILO and TikTok (where a farmer’s recent rollover experience was documented by his daughter) will help farm safety messages reach new audiences in new ways. Some persuasion is needed, perhaps in the same way vaccine reluctance turned around. A study released in July by the Kaiser Family Foundation found three factors were key to changing vaccination hesitancy: repeated advice from trusted authorities such as medical professionals, acceptance by peers, and the realization that avoiding vaccination prevented people from doing the things they want to do. The same goes for farm safety. Professionals preach it, others practice it, and avoiding it can stop farmers from doing most, if not all, of the things they want to do. l ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 SEPTEMBER 2021 Stay alert. In the event of a tip over, you only have about five seconds to react. GET TO KNOW THE ANDERSONS Rooted in agriculture. Growing enduring relationships. The Andersons has been a trusted partner in the agriculture industry for more than 70 years. THOMPSONS LIMITED IS NOW THE ANDERSONS GRAIN MARKETING RISK MANAGEMENT EDIBLE BEANS FOOD-GRADE SOYBEANS ORGANIC CROPS Learn more at AndersonsCanada.com