Farm parents balance risks with benefits of kids’ help: U of S study

Farm parents are aware SASKATOON of potential risks for their kids when helping with work on the farm. They do, however, have to balance the potential of injury with the benefits of having their kids become part of the farming lifestyle, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan found.

“The main thing that we really learned was that it appeared that farm parents seemed to weigh the risks and the benefits, almost as though it were on a balanced scale,” said Valerie Elliot, lead author on the study, and research assistant at the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture at the U of S.

Elliot both grew up and raised her own kids on a farm. She said their research helped provide an understanding of where farm parents are coming from.

“It explored an area that we hadn’ t been able to explore yet. There’s not a lot of research out there that has had direct contact with the parents and is giving a voice to the parents,” she said.

According to Elliot, many of the parents were very aware of many of the risks on their farms. These include livestock, grain, chemical exposure, large equipment and even extreme weather conditions. In contrast, the benefits included being able to spend more time together as a family, and being able to immerse their kids in the farm lifestyle and culture. Elliot also said most parents really liked having their kids out on the farm participating and learning, building a good work ethic, and developing a desire to be involved in the industry.