Statewide Iowa — The harvest is underway this year weeks ahead of last year and a safety expert says that’s important. Iowa State University professor Charles Schwab says rushing to get crops out of the fields creates more dangerous situations for farmers
(As above) He says we have a better window this year to get things done, but there could be some issues with downed corn this year.
Millions of acres of corn were knocked down or bent over by the August 10th derecho. Schwab says the earlier harvest gives more time to deal with that and other situation that arises.
(As above) Schwab says not rushing to get the crops in before the first snow is good — although he says you never know with the weather.
Schwab says worrying about the timing of the harvest can take a toll.
(As above) “I don’t think a lot of them realize the amount of stress that comes from that and how that stress impacts your body and how that impacting your body does things that put you at risk. It’s a key element,” Schwab says.
He says farmers need to eat right and get enough rest to stay healthy and not having such a tight window to get the crops in should allow them to do that.
