Education & Safety - ABC Program

History/Background
Program Description
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
Items for sale

 History/Background
Always Be Careful on the Farm (ABC) was developed in 1991 by North Dakota Farm Bureau (NDFB). The program was initially funded through a grant from the Center for Disease Control, administered by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Following a successful pilot program, the program was refined and expanded statewide. Since then, a network of volunteers throughout the state of ND have been trained and have delivered the program to thousands of students and teachers annually. This effective program has also extended into Montana and Manitoba. Individuals from several other states have also purchased ABC program materials.

The ABC program was written by an experienced team of farm safety experts and educational consultants. Each year, we gather feedback from trainers, teachers and parents so that we can continually modify and improve the program. Through pre and post testing of all students, we see significant improvements in their knowledge of farm safety concepts.

The ABC program has been designed for long-lasting effectiveness based on the theory of multiple intelligence's (Gardner, 1983). It isn't just another lecture - we've included lots of special learning tools to reach all kinds of learners. Just check out the visual aids - bright, colorful transparencies (as pictured here), as well as recommended video tapes to emphasize key points. You'll also find a variety of fun demonstrations using toy tractors, wagons and other props - guaranteed to peak the curiosity and maintain the interest of all students. And don't forget about Safety Sam, our puppet mascot, who provides catchy farm safety slogans and even has his own read-along book and CD concluding with an up-beat theme song.

The ABC program has received numerous awards since its beginnin in 1991.

Program Description
Are you looking for a way to reach the children in your community with important farm safety concepts? We've got it! This fun, informative in-school presentation is just what you need to help children stay safe on the farm.

ABC is a comprehensive safety program for students in grades two and five which includes an hour-long in-school presentation by a trained volunteer (you), a teacher folder with activities and a take home packet for each student. The presentations introduce farm safety concepts in eight different topic areas through an interactive format of discussion, visual aids, videos, demonstrations and hand-on activities.

Download the second-grade curriculum
File Size: 279.44 kb

Download the fifth-grade curriculum
File Size: 274.18 kb

Topic areas include:

The complete program also has pre and post tests for each grade level which are valuable for both planning presentations and tracking results.

 Go to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Web site to check out all the items available for sale.

Testimonials
"The classroom teachers are impressed with the ABC program, especially how age appropriate the curriculum is of the entire program". C.P., Public Health Nurse, Fargo, N.D.


"One of the best programs I've seen in school in a long time - and important." C.W., Teacher

"The kids were actively involved in the presentation. They're still talking about farm safety!" T.H., Teacher

"That was fun. I liked that Safety Sam guy and his sayings." J.A., Second-Grader

"For our family, nothing is more important than farm safety. We're glad to see it in the school." L.S., Parent

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you find volunteers?
Determine the stakeholders in a safer farming environment - local farm organizations, cooperative extension volunteers, agri-businesses or FFA groups are all possibilities.

2. From start to finish, how long will it take to implement the program?
You should plan on at least 3-4 months.

3. How can this program be funded?
Again this would be the stakeholder in a safer farming environment - local medical facilities, farm organizations & insurance companies. Share your goals and program success information provided on these Web pages.