Minneapolis Star Tribune series coming Sunday to examine rising death toll on Midwestern farms

On Sunday the Minneapolis Star Tribune will publish a series entitled "Tragic Harvest," examining the rising death toll on Midwestern farms, says an email from Scott Heiberger, communications specialist for the National Farm Medicine Center and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. Jeff Meitrodt, an investigative reporter who worked on farms while growing up in southeast Minnesota, wrote the series.

"The series takes a hard look at the culture that surrounds farm safety, including the possible factors behind a recent increase in farm deaths in some Midwestern states," writes Heiberger. "Topics include: America’s reluctance to embrace rollover protection on older tractors, the threats posed by skid-steer loaders, the risks faced by older farmers and the success of Washington state’s regulatory structure." The entire series will be available Sunday by clicking here.