On Feb. 5, I was invited alongside Oneida County Deputy Sheriff Mohammed Aldoori of the Sheriff’s Community Affairs Unit to visit the classroom of Holland Patent High School’s agriculture teacher, Megan Lamb. We gave a presentation on proper etiquette with operating farm tractors and equipment on our rural roads in our community with automobiles.
A part of the presentation focused on the significance of various road signs seen on rural roads, as well as going over some literature explaining agricultural road safety. We touched base on the proper use of the slow-moving vehicle (SMV) signs.
For example, if you are traveling at 55 mph and you see a SMV sign on the rear-end of a tractor traveling at 18 mph, you only have about eight seconds to react properly or the car will impact the tractor/equipment. Statistics show that there is usually a fatality – either the farmer or the motorist.
There was discussion about SMV signs being used as driveway markers or on mailboxes. Those placements are truly doing the farmers and the ag community a disservice – and it’s illegal.
It was also noted that Oneida County is a Share the Road Farm-Friendly Community.
The class then turned the discussion to autonomous tractors and combines (referred to as driverless tractors and combines). I explained that some farmers in our area do use the first generation of autonomous tractors/combines, which utilize GPS auto steer. You can plow, disc harrow, plant and harvest while the tractor/combines steers itself, but a farmer needs to be in the tractor/combines to make sure everything is running correctly. It’s not yet foolproof – and as a first-hand experience, I shared a situation that we had on my Simons Family Farm last year with our GPS.
My son Christopher was using the auto steer system to plant corn and without warning the tractor he was in was going the wrong way across the field. After realizing and stopping to reset the system, he found that all the smoke from the Canadian wildfires – and the carbon particles in the air – the GPS lost its signal and the tractor was going its own way.
It also was explained why we farmers are going to autonomous tractors. The efficiency of labor, fuel, fertilizer and planting accuracy makes every acre more productive.
Deputy Aldoori explained the legal requirements of proper signage and lighting on Amish equipment and buggies. He also discussed some of the accidents between motorized vehicles and Amish buggies that could have been prevented. Sadly, collisions between motor vehicles and Amish buggies typically result in serious personal injury or fatal injuries to the occupants of the buggies.
We were so impressed with the knowledge and type of questions from these students. It showed that Ms. Lamb is teaching these students about modern agricultural technology and techniques.
If there are any school classes or organizations interested in a presentation or informational discussion, you can contact myself at 315.525.6432 or the Sheriff’s Office Community Affairs Unit at 315.765.2220.
