Have grill, will travel

More than one-hundred Illinois farm families will be reminded to stay “Alert, Aware & Alive” as they enjoy a complimentary lunch meal delivered to where they are working during the September 20-26 National Farm Safety & Health Week.

Farm Credit Services of Illinois is sponsoring the annual “Meals in the Field” program this week to help promote farm safety – but it doesn’t end there. Throughout the south 60 counties of Illinois, representatives of Farm Credit Services of Illinois will be busy promoting farm safety throughout the harvest season.

With four gas grills on wheels, Mike Lonergan,Vice President of the Jacksonville branch Farm Credit Services of Illinois explains, the Fall harvest grill tour reaches a lot of farmers.

“This time of year,” Lonergan explains, “we’re setting up at elevators in conjuction with the Illinois Pork Producers who provide the porky burgers for a lot of these events.”

He estimates they will feed more than 2,000 farmers during the harvest season. Although it is a good promotion for Farm Credit Services of Illinois, Lonergan feels good about handing farmers a burger, chips and a candy bar as they drive across the scales.  Some farmers will not stop to eat lunch or rest once they get started with harvest, and he is hopeful the little part he and others from Farm Credit Services of Illinois play will make a difference in the number of farm accidents this harvest season. 

AUDIO: Conversation with MikeLonergan (9 1/2 minutes)