SALEM, SD (Dakota News Now) – A South Dakota student is teaching others about farm safety, especially in grain elevators. It all started with an FFA project. Lauren Roling recently hosted an event on the topic in her home community and is this week’s “Person You Should Know.”
Lauren Roling loved growing on the farm.
“And I’m very proud to work on this family farm that has been in operation for six generations. I learn a lot every day from my grandfather, my father and my brother and it’s just a great experience to be a part of,” Lauren said.
For Lauren, a senior at McCook Central High School, grain silos safety is an important issue.
“I started this project in 2021 as an eighth grader, trying to figure out what I could do with an FFA agricultural science project. I talked to my dad about his grain elevator safety practices and where he learns his practices from,” Lauren said.
At that time, she learned that these grain elevator safety measures were outdated. She continued her research and eventually organized an event at the McCook County Fairgrounds, where a grain elevator simulator was set up to demonstrate what could happen in such an emergency situation.
“It was an eye-opening experience to see with everyone how quickly they were devoured. And also how hard it was to get out of the corn when they got back up because the pressure on their legs was so great. When they came back out, it was also very interesting to see the imprints the corn kernels had left on their legs,” Lauren said.
“When she did the agronomy project on grain silo safety, it really inspired her to bring an event to her community so that she could really prevent grain silo accidents from happening in that area, but also to educate her neighbors, her friends and most importantly her family. And to make sure they stay safe,” said Lauren’s mother, Jennifer.
Lauren also has a goal in mind.
“Whether it’s giving them the education they need or enabling them to purchase a grain rescue tube to ultimately save a life, that’s my big idea here,” Lauren said.
Lauren’s research earned her first place at the 2021 National FFA Convention.
“It’s so inspiring to see Lauren doing this project. She’s a senior. Knowing that she started this project back in eighth grade and won this important award at the state championships was really, really cool. But also to see that she picked it up later and continued it really shows how strong the FFA program is and what a strong leader can do in agriculture today,” said Erin Cummings.
“I want everyone to really step back and think about what can happen in a grain elevator and how that can impact what happens to you if you don’t think for a second,” Lauren said.
After high school, Lauren plans to attend South Dakota State University to study agriculture or nursing, but she will never let go of the farm.
“I would definitely love to return to the farm one day and help out wherever needed. I hope I can inspire someone to one day look at safety on the farm and even in grain elevators. I hope someone continues to promote this and I will also continue to advocate for grain elevator safety in general,” Lauren said.
If there is someone you think we should all know, email [email protected] to suggest them.
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