43
MetroParks Farm hosts health and safety expo
By ABBY SLANKER
The Mahoning County Farm Bureau, in cooperation with the Ohio Farm Bureau and CompManagement, Inc., held a Health and Safety Expo Wednesday at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm in Canfield.
The expo included 19 exhibitors and the attendees represented a variety of agriculture producers from eight northeast Ohio counties.
“The expo’s goal is to give the producers an awareness of safety as they are out working,” said Pearle Burlingame, organization director for the Mahoning County Farm Bureau. “They are so busy producing and taking care of their animals and crops that sometimes they don’t take the time to take care of themselves.”
Exhibitors included the Canfield Lions Club offering free vision screening, Wellness One offering free posture analysis and spine checks and Hearing Aids and Devices, Inc., offering information on how to obtain a free hearing test from the company.
Also featured were Salem Community Hospital, the American Cancer Society, OSU Extension Mahoning County — offering information on safety in the sun — and Mary Fleming, agriculture health nurse from Grady Memorial Hospital.
Members of the bureau must attend one safety program per year to receive a certificate that states the attendee is a member of the Workers Compensation Group Rating Program administered by CompManagement, Inc. for the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Members received a Passport to Safety and Good Health before they entered the expo and were required to visit at least five exhibitors and have the exhibitors stamp their passport to receive their certificate.
If a member visited 10 exhibitors and received a stamp at each one, that member was entered into a prize drawing.
“Our main goal is to promote good health and educate the public on how important it is to keep on top of their health,” said Sandy Deeter, of Wellness One.
“The spine is the foundation of the body and it is imperative that people think about and take care of their spines.”
County farm bureaus hold health and safety expos throughout the year to give members an opportunity to complete their certification as a benefit to belonging to the organization.