Youth Working in Agriculture: Keeping Them Safe While They Learn and Grow

Work is inherently good for children and youth - and agriculture offers many opportunities for them to develop work skills, learn responsibility and leadership, and gain an appreciation for farming and related industries. We also know that agricultural work can be dangerous, and that many youth are injured or killed while working in agricultural jobs.

Join us as we discuss strategies to help safeguard our youth, such as assigning age appropriate tasks, providing good supervision, addressing hazards, and providing personal protective equipment. We'll provide you with links to free resources and information you can use to keep youth safe while working on the farm or ranch, enabling them to learn and grow from their work experience.

Marsha Salwedel, Ed.D

National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety

Marsha Salzwedel is a Project Scientist and Agricultural Youth Safety Specialist at the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (part of the National Farm Medicine Center) in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She is the project manager for the agritourism safety project, the principal investigator for the agricultural youth work guidelines project, and the program manager for the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network. She earned a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Edgewood College in Madison. Marsha grew up on a farm and maintains her ties with that community through the farm that she and her family still own and operate.