WI Farm Bureau Concerned About New Labor Laws

1/30/12 – The Wisconsin Farm Bureau says it is worried new agriculture labor laws affecting people under the age of 18 will make it hard to manage family farms. The proposal rule changes would significantly reduce the amount of farm work a young person can do legally. One of the proposed regulations would limit the operation of power-driven machines by youths 16 and older. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack supports the changes, pointing out that while only four percent of working youth are in the farm sector, 40 percent of fatalities among the working young people come while they are working on or around machines, equipment or facilities related to agriculture.