Numerous agricultural safety studies report children are put in high-risk situations with regards to farm work. Each year, over 100 children die and more than 24,000 youth experience serious injury as associated with agricultural activities. However for the most part, the homesite is the worksite for these children and the hazards are abound. For the farm family, it's difficult to define where the backyard ends and the barnyard begins. The perplexity of the situation lies in the fact that unlike other occupations, farming attracts and includes family members of all ages. As a way of life, this culture will not change.

The day camp sessions are hands-on opportunities for youth to see "what happens when" an incident occurs on the farm. Campers watch a dummy being pulled into a working Power Take-Off shaft, then they test their own reaction time to see how quickly they can react to a situation. Miniature gravity wagons and grain bins demonstrate the hazards of flowing grain. A remote-controlled tractor helps youth recognize the importance of a Rollover Protective Structure on a tractor, and why being a second rider on agricultural equipment is not safe. Many community fire departments have a Fire House and the electric co-ops have an Electric Town they bring to the camps. Local YMCA, ODNR and Water Rescue Teams provide resource people for water safety sessions. Health departments and hospitals also get involved with rural health sessions like Pretty Poisons, sun safety, and first aid.

Over the years, youth have identified their favorite camp sessions to include 1) tractor and machinery safety, 2) livestock safety, 3) ATV safety, 4) fire safety and 5) electrical safety. National and state data identifies the tractor as the most hazardous agent for youth on farms. Machinery, livestock, drowning and suffocation related incidents follow. It is of significant interest that the campers are learning and enjoying the educational sessions that are on the "most dangerous" list as prepared by fatality statistics. It is always difficult to identify the incentive to learn about safety; enjoying the topic is certainly the first step towards educational growth and attitudinal change. If young people can recognize the value of protective factors and avoid dangerous situations, then the objectives of the day camps will have been met. In the words of a farmer, and father, attending a camp: "If you can save just one kid from a vicious accident, your camps will be worth the work."