TRAGIC HARVEST

TRAGIC HARVEST

The family farms that dot the Midwestern landscape are some of the most dangerous places in America to work. Training is scarce, rules lax — and deaths are rising.

Part 1

Nearly all U.S. workplaces are getting safer, but not the small farms of Minnesota and the Midwest.

Part 2

Safety upgrades to farm equipment can save lives, but many improvements are expensive and optional.

Part 3

Serious accidents are a concern for farmers of any age, but the risk only increases as they get older.

Part 4

One state’s record shows how death rates plunge when oversight covers every farm, no matter how small.

Farm deaths database

More than 200 workers died in farm accidents in Minnesota alone since 2004. Explore this Star Tribune database to read more about the accidents.