By Molly Pokrzywka

GALWAY–A new law presented calls for all children under fifteen to be excluded from farm activities such as working with large animals and operating farm equipment. To the average person these rules may seem necessary to prevent injury to the children that live on or around farms. The idea of young children being around, riding in, or operating large equipment, and working with or around large animals that could potentially hurt a child. They may ask “why a parent would put their child in harm’s way?”

But what the average person (who does not work in these conditions) does not know is that exposing children to these settings at an early age has many benefits. Sherri Hanehan a mother of four children and a 4H leader, who lives on the Hanehan family dairy farm, strongly opposes theses rules.

“It’s a terrible idea, that’s going to affect kids showing cows at the county fair or working with cows on the farm. Kids have to learn responsibilities, and work ethics. Let parents make their own decisions about what the kids are going to do.”

I asked Hanehan,  “as a mother, do you feel safe letting your children operate equipment and work with the cows on the family farm?”

“Certainly, but they have to be old enough to do it, and reasonable parents will not put their children in danger. There are safety courses to take and on our farm, children have to be old enough to drive a car on the road, as well as being taught what to do on the farm.”

I wondered what kind of impact this law would have on Hanehan. She responded saying “Huge! The children would not only be upset, but they would not have the satisfaction of farming. On a family farm kids learn what to do on a farm, and prepare for their future. Many kids may grow up not being interested in farming, hurting the family farm. To us it’s our family, home, and life.”

Hanehan’s youngest daughter, Gracie also felt very strongly, “It would not be fair. Being on the farm is one of my favorite things as well as showing a calf at the fair. When leading my calf I am not scared and never feel in danger. My parents are responsible and let me know about dangerous things I should not do.”

Gracie is under fifteen and would be affected by the new law. Even though she has lived on a large farm all her life, and has shown calves at the fair for years, she would be prevented from doing this if this law is passed. Why is she unable to handle that calf now, but she could before when she was younger?

Liam Hanehan, Sherri’s youngest son is now old enough that the law would not affect him, but he commented, “Many people including the government are out of touch with what farming is. When I come home I go out to the barns, and the work I do gives me a good feeling. The rules on farming would prevent the next generation from farming.”

Since his parents feel he is old enough to operate the equipment on their farm I asked him about his safety on the farm.  “I feel safe as long as I follow protocol or what it is that I am supposed to do.  And when I’m around cows I know what I should and should not do. I feel that it is best that we learn when younger, so that we could grow up with that knowledge already, and only learn more.”

Kids have been riding horses, herding/milking cows, and driving tractors for decades . What makes kids today less capable of doing the same things?

My father worked on the farm all his life and started working on a tractor at eight. He said, “it’s a foolish law. Kids would have nothing to do but to drink beer, smoke dope, and make trouble.  Kids are entitled to learn from their parents.” This comes from someone who had a major tractor accident at fifteen: “I was safer at eight than I was at fifteen!  Learning at an early age about the limits of tractors can only make you safer.”

This law would not only affect the cattle farmers, but horse owners as well. Any children under fifteen would not be allowed to handle large animals. So all the kids that have horses would not be able to ride them?

In my opinion, I know that I would not be the same person if I had not been raised up able to work with animals and equipment. Yes they both can be dangerous if you don’t know what to do around them, but we have all had our accidents and they only have made us stronger. I should know, once I was dragged through the length of my barn, and then stepped on by the heifer I was holding onto. What you don’t know is that I chose to hold onto her, I was reluctant to lose her to the road before the fair, I had just turned fifteen then. I had found the value of the animal, and I had respect for the work I put into raising her up from a calf. These laws may not affect city towns, but in agricultural towns like Galway it would affect at least half, if not all the kids under fifteen.