FFA members from across the state put their farm safety knowledge to the test competing in the South Dakota Farmers Union Farm Safety Quiz Bowl held during the 2026 South Dakota State FFA Convention held in Brookings on the campus of South Dakota State University April 20-22.
Four FFA Chapter teams qualified for the Farmers Union Farm Safety Quiz Bowl Championships held during Farmers Union day at the South Dakota State Fair, September 5: Faulkton Area, Hitchcock-Tulare, Tri-Valley and Wessington Springs. Team members include Faulkton-Area FFA Chapter: Landon Coyle, Sean Roseland, Kamryn Rhodes and Foster Bode; Hitchcock-Tulare FFA Chapter: Sawyer Miller, Cash Chaplin, David Bixler and Tucker Gilbert; Tri-Valley FFA Chapter: Kendall McAreavey, Lincoln Kirstein, McKayla Dow and Taylor Nelson; Wessington Springs FFA Chapter: Ella Fagerhaug, Remie Roduner, Lily Roesler and Wyatt Arhart.
“Farms and ranches are wonderful places to raise families, but they are also full of situations that can be unsafe if individuals are not aware of how to stay safe. The Farm Safety Quiz Bowl is designed to get teens thinking about farm safety,” explained Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of South Dakota Farmers Union.
Farm safety is something teens should think about more, explained Landon Coyle, a member of the Faulkton Area team. “I have been on the scene when a farm accident happened. And it was preventable,” explained the high school Junior who raises cattle with his dad, Anthony and brother, Paton.
Kendall McAreavey agreed. The Tri-Valley FFA president said her dad talks to her quite a bit about staying safe on the family farm. “On the farm we deal with a lot of dangerous situations – we drive large machinery or work with large animals. Staying safe to the best of our ability is important so that no one gets hurt.”
Even though she thinks about general farm safety when she is on her grandparent’s Wessington Springs farm, Ella Fagerhaug said that studying for the Farm Safety Quiz Bowl made her think of how to stay safe in situations she never thought much about. “I never thought much about grain bin safety, but there are many accidents that happen in grain bins so it is important to know to be extra cautious when I’m working around grain bins.”
As the teens look forward to the Farm Safety Quiz Bowl championships during the State Fair, many say they plan to study up on farm safety to prepare. This is not something Hitchcock-Tulare FFA member David Bixler would typically do over the summer, but the idea of winning the title and cash prize is appealing.
“And thinking about farm safety a bit more than usual is a good idea because we are out on the farm working in the summer,” Bixler said.
Farm safety education is a year-round focus for Farmers Union
In addition to the Farm Safety Quiz Bowl for FFA members, South Dakota Farmers Union educates youth and families about farm safety through hands-on activities that are part of their Farm Safety Trailer that they take to schools, fairs and other community events throughout the year. The organization also hosts youth camps where farm safety is discussed.
To learn more about how South Dakota Farmers Union educates youth and families on farm safety, agriculture, cooperatives and leadership, visit www.sdfu.org.
