Farming Part Time?

“Farming is very weather and window-of-time dependent,” Brandi Janssen, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, says. “Part-time farmers probably don’t have the same amount of time as a full-time farmer to get their work done. If they experience conflicts with their other job, that can add to the stress and increase their tendency to rush through the farm work.”

Anytime a farmer hurries to complete a task, the risk of injury is significantly increased. Fatigue may also elevate the risk level for those who farm on a part-time basis.

“Often, those who work off the farm come home after a full day’s work and do their farming late into the evening and all weekend,” Janssen says. “They experience the same kind of fatigue that can happen when we drive a long distance. That same thing can happen when you’re already tired and then you get on a tractor.”

Tractors and equipment with moving parts are leading factors in all farm injuries. Part-time farmers should never take shortcuts when it comes to the use of Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS) on tractors and the presence of guards and other safety features of their equipment.

“Because farming part-time typically doesn’t generate a person’s total income, they may struggle with justifying the expense of maintaining safety features on equipment,” Janssen says. “However, the cost of a serious injury or death is generally far higher than maintaining equipment safety features.”

Since new farm equipment is expensive, it’s not uncommon for part-time farmers to rely on used equipment to do their farm work. Janssen advises that farmers operating with used equipment make sure they have access to user manuals so they can effectively maintain and safely operate the equipment.

Instead of raising crops, part-time farmers may choose to raise livestock. This may be a sensible decision since livestock can be highly self-sufficient. However, livestock production comes with its own hazards and high risk. That is especially true for individuals with little or no experience working around animals.

“It’s common to see people retire from a career and go into livestock production or raise livestock while they’re working a full-time job off the farm,” Janssen says. “If that person doesn’t have experience with raising livestock, they may not recognize the importance of investing in quality fencing, infrastructure and handling facilities. All those things help keep livestock producers safe when they’re around the animals.”

Livestock need ample room in pens, stable pen surfaces and environments that are as dust-free as possible. Fences should be visible, especially for calves. The safest working facilities feature elements such as a funnel pen, circular crowding pen, and gates with self-locking latches. Squeeze and headgates need to be good quality and well maintained to avoid unplanned release of animals.

In winter months, ice poses a hazard to all farmers. Injuries can occur quickly and be of a serious nature. When part-time farmers divide their attention between an off-farm job and their farming activities, it’s easy to be distracted and miss this kind of hazard in the environment.

Stress affects all farmers. However, those working with shorter time frames and experiencing the stress of two different jobs may find themselves at greater risk for experiencing overwhelming stress.

“Part-time farmers should have a good understanding of the signs of excess stress,” Janssen says. “Sleep patterns are often affected when stress levels are high. Your partner may recognize signs of stress in you before you do. If irritability is ongoing or increased, if the desire to socially isolate yourself occurs or if sleep is suddenly disrupted, these may all be signs of excess stress.”

“Keep in mind that all the principles that apply to full-time farmers are true for those who farm part-time,” Janssen says. “Do as much as you can to learn about the hazards around you and how to safely work in that environment.”

Funding for this educational article comes from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.