Let the Farmers Be!

Let the Farmers Be! - The Missourian: Editorials

Let the Farmers Be!

Posted: Saturday, March 2, 2013 5:32 pm

On both the federal and state levels there have been moves to restrict farm youth from doing some work on the family farms, including operating equipment. Of course, these actions are driven by protecting farm youth from injuries, even death.

We know there always is a potential for injuries if a child at a young age is operating equipment in farm work. But there is the potential for injuries from riding a bicycle, and being involved in all kinds of recreational activities. Are we going to regulate all of these activities?

Parents of farm youth are quite capable of supervising their children in farm chores. They, and not government, should set the rules for their children as to work on the farm.

We’ve got too many regulations today. One new law leads to others. Yes, some are necessary. But government’s reach into our private lives is too long.

Also, there is no way to enforce many of these regulations unless another layer of bureaucracy is created. We’ve got too much of that also.

Let the farmers be. They don’t need some governmental agency watching over them, especially some urban hick who knows nothing about life on farms.