Governor Walz announces $250K farm safety proposal

(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan announced a $250,000 farm safety proposal Tuesday.

Walz and Flannagan’s proposal includes a recommendation to relaunch the Tractor Rollover Grant Program, a grant program that reimburses farmers who retrofit eligible tractors with protective structures.  The proposal would also create a cost-share or reimbursement program for farmers who wish to invest in grain bin safety equipment, and fund a farm safety outreach campaign highlighting tractor and grain bin safety.

“Too many Minnesota families have lost loved ones to preventable farming accidents,” said Governor Walz.  “We need to make sure all Minnesota farmers have access to these resources so they can work safely and prevent future tragedies.”

At least ten people have died in farming-related accidents in Minnesota since June 2019.   In August 2019, a St. Peter teen was killed after becoming trapped in a grain bin at a farm near Norseland.  The month prior, a 74-year-old Eagan man died after he was engulfed in a grain bin in Sibley County.