$700 PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT WOULD HAVE SAVED HIS DAD'S LIFE
Reprinted from Hoard's Dairyman, October 25, 1999 issue:

I hope and pray that everyone who reads Hoard's Dairyman will listen to the lesson this story teaches. It is the story of a good family farmer turned extension agent who died because of our failure to buy a $700 piece of safety equipment.

On July 25, 1999, my father, James Michael Barrett, was killed when one of our older tractors rolled on top of him – killing him instantly. If only we had equipped this tractor with a roll bar and seat belt, he may have survived.

If you currently own a tractor without a roll bar and seat belt, please put a roll bar on your tractor. This goes for other missing safety equipment – safety shields, lights, slow-moving vehicle signs, and so on.

Oh, I know we all have a thousand excuses: "It costs too much," "We don't have the time," or "We'll do that later when we get this job done." Let me tell you, folks, sometimes later doesn't come. It can happen to anyone.

My dad farmed all his life and was a full-time dairy farmer for six years. He became an Ohio State extension agent for agriculture in 1988, and I became a full-time dairy farmer in May of 1997.

If you love your family and don't want to put them through this agony, please update your safety equipment– especially tractor roll bars and seat belts. The time and money spent will be well worth it – a limitless return per dollar spent.

We all get caught up in making a living on the farm. Remember to live a little bit. Take breaks, time off for lunch, and quit early every once in a while. No amount of money can ever bring my dad back. Don't let a preventable, careless accident take away the life of a love one. Life is too precious.

J. J. Barrett, Ohio

Each county extension office is being sent a copy of the latest edition of "A Guide to Agricultural Tractor Rollover Protective Structures". Keep this copy to answer the question: "Can my tractor be retrofitted with a ROPS frame or cab?

Howard Doss