Findings from a Pilot Study of Children's Agricultural Safety and Health among Local Agricultural Market Producers (LAMPs) in Illinois and North Carolina

Background and objectives:  Although agriculture is a dangerous industry, over half a million children living on family farms engage in farm work.  Local Agricultural Market Producers (LAMPs), a subset of sustainable farmers who engage in direct-to-consumer and direct-to-retailer enterprises, face a unique set of occupational health and safety risks.  There is little documentation of LAMPs’ need for occupational health and safety training for the children working on their farms.  Methods:  Using data collected in in-depth interviews with 12 parent and 12 child participants from Illinois and North Carolina local production farms, this analysis (1) describes the potential occupational risks faced by children working in local production; (2) identifies topics for child-specific occupational health and safety training for children working in local production; and (3) identifies topics for additional research into occupational safety and health among LAMPs.  Results:  Children working in local production perceive widely varied risks to occupational health and safety, depending upon the methods and tools used on their farms.  For example, many LAMPs purposely avoid the use of large farm machinery and agro-chemicals, and are primarily focused on concerns about long-term physical strain, heat-related illness, and fatigue.  In contrast, those utilizing large farm machinery and agrochemicals are commonly concerned with the risks associated with those tools.  Conclusions:  LAMPs are a growing farm segment with particular occupational health and safety needs that should be addressed.  Without specific attention to their needs, we run the risk of leaving LAMPs and their children at risk of occupational injury and disease.