Farm Safety Quiz Bowl – Congratulations to Wessington Springs FFA!

Wessington Springs FFA members won the South Dakota Farmers Union State Fair Farm Safety Quiz Bowl Championship on August 31, during Farmers Union Day at the South Dakota State Fair. Team members Addyson Orth, Mariah Messmer, Holden Jackson, and Haiden Boschee qualified for the championship during the 2024 State FFA Convention. This quiz bowl emphasizes the importance of farm safety for all South Dakota youth, given that agriculture is one of the most dangerous careers and many teens spend time on farms or ranches.

Brady Duxbury, the Agriculture Education Instructor and Wessington Springs FFA Advisor, highlighted that participating in the quiz bowl encourages teens to study farm safety and think critically about their practices. The competition covers topics such as operating heavy equipment and working with livestock, fostering a culture of safety awareness among youth. The Wessington Springs FFA team received a cash reward, and the Farmers Union promotes farm safety through various initiatives, including their hands-on Farm Safety Trailer at the fair.

Making safety awareness fun

What is the leading cause of weather-related deaths?
Do you know what kind of fire extinguisher should be carried in a combine?
What does Hydrogen Sulfide smell like?

Safety is of paramount importance on farms and ranches, where people work daily with complex equipment, unpredictable animals and cranky Mother Nature. Knowing how to avert accidents and react to them, should they occur, is essential. SDFU helps make this fun, with the ‘Team Up For Safety’ Quiz Bowl.

This competition involves teams from South Dakota FFA chapters competing to answer questions about health and safety on the farm. Hundreds of people are hurt or killed on farms and ranches every year. Quiz Bowl helps young people learn safety strategies, in a fun and engaging way, that could one day save their life or the life of a loved one.

The first round of the Quiz Bowl will be held during the 2025 South Dakota State FFA Convention in Brookings. The finals will be held during the South Dakota State Fair in Huron on August 30th, 2025!

Need more information? Contact Rocky Forman at 605-554-3025