Milk Maid

It’s been a wild weather year, with record precipitation and late planting and what the 2019 crops look like for harvest remains to be seen.

After a chilly stretch of weather complete with snowflakes, it looks like some nice, dry weather is finally on the horizon.

What that means is that area farmers will be trying to get into their fields to finish chopping silage, baling any hay and combining soybeans, corn and any crops that are hopefully mature enough and ready to go.

What that also means is that the race is on. It’s already the middle of October and it feels like we’re so far behind on harvesting.

There is so much to do before winter hits and farmers will be pushing it to get everything done.

Motorists traveling on Minnesota roads this fall should be aware of large farm equipment transporting crops to markets, grain elevators and processing plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

“Harvest season is ramping up across Minnesota and farmers need the highways to access their fields and deliver crops to market,” said Brian Sorenson, state traffic engineer.

“Motorists need to be prepared to encounter slow-moving farm vehicles, especially on rural, two-lane roadways, now through November.”

Farm equipment is large and heavy, making it hard for operators to accelerate, slow down or stop. Please be aware that even though you as a motorist can see them, they can’t always see you.

The equipment also makes wide turns and can sometimes cross over the center line. These vehicles can also create large blind spots, making it difficult for operators to see approaching vehicles. All of these factors can cause serious crashes, which nobody wants to happen.

From 2016 to 2018, there were seven fatalities and 385 crashes involving at least one farm vehicle in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s crash data. Of the seven fatalities, one was a farm vehicle rider.

Of the 154 injuries, 50 were farm vehicle riders.

Motorists should:

· Slow down and use caution when approaching farm equipment. Don’t assume the operator can see you.

· Watch for debris (like corn, soybeans, etc) dropped by trucks. It is safer to brake or drive through debris than to veer into oncoming cars or off the road.

· Wait for a safe place to pass.

Farm equipment operators should:

· Use lights and flashers to make equipment more visible.

· Use slow-moving vehicle emblems on equipment traveling less than 30 mph.

· Consider using a follow vehicle when moving equipment, especially at night.

· Properly secure your load. Operators of farm machinery will be doing there best to get from field to field as effectively as possible. Most will try to stay off of major highways as much as possible to try to avoid holding up traffic and trying to avoid causing an accident.

Before you get behind a tractor on Highway 68 heading to your destination and you start cussing out that farmer because now you’re running late, remember that they’re just trying to do their job.

They’re people that have loved ones too and they just want to coexist on the road with you safely.

It’s been a really tough year for farmers and their families, do your part and show a little patience while safely sharing the road with them this fall.