Two farm equipment incidents in Sanilac County, Michigan — one fatal — have put harvest safety at the centre of a new campaign by the Thumb Community Health Partnership (TCHP) timed to National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 21-25.

The most recent incident left an 18-year-old man from the Netherlands hospitalised on Thursday, Sept. 10, after he drove a tractor into a ditch while mowing hay, according to the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office. Two weeks earlier, on Friday, Aug. 28, deputies responded to a report of a 67-year-old man who suffered fatal injuries after becoming pinned in a hay chopper. He was attempting to clean the equipment at the time.

The campaign arrives as sugar beets and other fall crops enter harvest across the Thumb, the agricultural region that juts into Lake Huron in eastern Michigan.

What is TCHP doing?

TCHP program specialist Kari Granz said the timing of the reminder is deliberate, because farm safety affects everyone in the region, not only those working the fields.

"Our goal is to raise awareness and connect our farmers, farm families, and communities with resources that can help keep them safe and healthy throughout harvest season and all year long," Granz said.

Throughout the week, TCHP will share safety materials from the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and the AgriSafe Network. Topics will range from roadway safety to hearing protection.

The campaign's core message is that while farming involves long hours, heavy equipment and roadway hazards, simple tactics — planning ahead and properly using equipment — can prevent injuries to farmers, their families and the wider community.

TCHP Executive Director Kay Balcer framed the initiative in public health terms.

"A healthy community includes a safe and healthy agricultural workforce," Balcer said. "Farm Safety Week reminds us that preventing injuries, supporting mental and physical health, and looking out for one another are essential."

Why do the Sanilac County incidents matter?

Granz acknowledged the two recent incidents directly, though TCHP could not speak to the specific circumstances of either event.

"The recent farm-related incidents in Sanilac County are heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the individuals, families and communities impacted," she said. "In a close-knit agricultural region like the Thumb, when one farm family is impacted, those effects ripple throughout our communities."

She added that the incidents reinforce why farm safety conversations need to happen now, rather than after the fact.

Both incidents share a pattern familiar to safety researchers: routine tasks performed around heavy machinery. The 18-year-old was mowing hay when his tractor went into a ditch. The 67-year-old was cleaning a hay chopper when he became pinned in the machine. Neither the sheriff's office nor TCHP released further detail on equipment models or workplace conditions.

What should farmers watch for during harvest?

Granz identified the specific risks that define the harvest window in the Thumb:

• Long days and accumulated fatigue
• Increased equipment traffic on rural roads
• Noise exposure from running machinery
• Everyday risks of working around large equipment

"Harvest season brings long days, increased equipment on the roads, fatigue, noise exposure, and the everyday risks that come with working around large machinery," she said. "Taking the extra time to slow down, remain aware of your surroundings, use appropriate protective equipment, and recognize when fatigue may be affecting you are important reminders."

Her advice targets the decision points where injuries typically occur: rushing a task, ignoring fatigue, and skipping protective equipment. The fatal Aug. 28 incident involved cleaning a machine — a maintenance task that safety organisations including NECAS consistently flag as a high-risk moment around powered equipment.

What does the campaign ask of motorists?

TCHP is directing part of its message well beyond the farmgate. With more tractors, wagons and harvesters moving between fields this fall, Granz said drivers carry part of the responsibility.

"Farm safety also extends beyond the farm," Granz said. "As more equipment is traveling between fields this fall, we encourage motorists to slow down, be patient, provide plenty of space, and only pass farm equipment when it is safe and legal to do so."

Slow-moving farm vehicles on narrow rural roads are a recurring hazard in the Thumb during September and October, when sugar beet trucks and field equipment share routes with commuter and school traffic.

Where can farmers find the resources?

TCHP is publishing safety materials from NECAS and AgriSafe throughout National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 21-25. Farmers, farm families and motorists can find the resources and local information at ThumbHealth.org or by following TCHP on Facebook.

For operators in the Thumb, the practical takeaway is straightforward: as sugar beet harvest ramps up, the next several weeks will combine peak equipment movement, long hours and fatigue — the exact conditions the Sept. 21-25 campaign aims to address.