September 2021 - 23

AG LABOR REVIEW
Heat is on to protect those who toil on farms
MICHAEL MARSH
President & CEO
National Council of
Agricultural Employers
Michael@ncaeonline.org
miles of his home at Mount Vernon, was
built atop a swamp.
You have probably heard a politician or
two lament " the swamp " of Washington,
D.C., amid their exhortations to drain
Swelter. That one word describes it.
Particularly in the still air of another
humid summer afternoon. Even frogs at
the pond are quiet.
It is a heat that seems to well up in
your chest as you inhale, cooled by your
lungs before you exhale, forcing you to
ignore the complaint of your nose and
lungs as you take your next breath. I
almost long for the cicadas of Brood X,
now gone, wishing the wingbeats of their
mating ritual were available to perhaps
move the air and cool it just a smidge. I
could withstand the noise.
Heat. Stifling heat. It is summer and
the heat is here.
There is a tale told around
Washington, D.C., to tourists and
other visitors when summer comes
along, and the dank stickiness of the
atmosphere fogs your sunglasses first
thing in the morning. The tale is that
Washington, D.C., named after our first
president, George, and within about 15
it. The word swamp is a synonym for
" marsh " (which I heard plenty in my
childhood), and conjures up visions of
mosquitoes, alligators, spiders, snakes
and all other kinds of vile creatures
loitering around poised to unleash all
manner of calamity on the unwitting.
Scary stuff!
However, the tale is just that.
The swelter, unfortunately, is not a tale.
It is summer and the heat is here.
Farm and ranch families know about
heat because they live and work in it.
There is no air conditioning outdoors
where agriculture generally takes place.
You cannot just ask Mother Nature to
turn the thermostat down a notch and
prayers for a cool breeze line up in the
queue with all the others.
The good, hardworking people that
toil alongside farm and ranch families
outdoors know about heat, too. And they
are mighty thankful for the extra effort
farmers and ranchers employ to keep
them safe in the heat.
Those of us who are experienced with
working outside and employ others to
help us are keenly aware that measures
must be taken to keep our workers
safe, as well as ourselves, when the
weather gets hot. We know that as the
thermometer creeps higher, our vigilance
of the condition of our workers must
be heightened and additional measures
taken to keep everyone healthy.
Farmers and ranchers plan for the
eventuality of this change in temperature.
They review their heat illness protocols
and get ready. They put things in motion
ahead of time because just as the sun rises
each morning, the weather will warm in
the summertime. Thankfully, work on the
farm tends to start a tad earlier when the
days get longer, and sometimes they end
sooner, too.
Cool, fresh water at hand is important
for people working in hot weather to
refresh themselves and replace fluids
being lost as our bodies work to chill us.
Proper hydration is critical to stemming
the consequences of heat, so employers
keep plenty of water around and
encourage its liberal use.
Also critical, as we know, is making
sure we have an opportunity to take a
break now and again shielded from the
sun's rays. Farm and ranch families know
that absent trees to cover us, sometimes
it is necessary to create shade in the field
and allow for its utility. And the use of
sunscreens will help protect our skin.
Work clothing also changes as the
temperatures rise. It is a good idea not
to wear winter's best black overcoat
out in the field as livestock do not care
much if you are stylish or not. Lightcolored
clothing that is loose fitting
is unlikely to absorb heat as well as
dark colors, so clothing is swapped for
something more appropriate.
As I mentioned earlier, the swelter is
not a tale. It is summer and the heat is
here. VGN
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