Tuesday, January 31, 2012
When the Department of Labor announced its plans to revise the current Child Labor standards, agriculture groups across the country stood up in opposition of the proposed revisions.
After all, the proposed revisions would prohibit children under 16 who are being paid from operating most power-driven equipment and bar children under 18 from working at grain elevators, feedlots and livestock auctions and from transporting raw farm materials, among other revisions, greatly changing the way family farms in Illinois - and across the country - operate.
So, when USA Today contacted the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) looking for information regarding the proposed revisions - and a source for a feature story - we jumped at the chance to help!
After talking with County Farm Bureaus and IFB staff, we found the perfect people to lend a helping hand - the Walter family from Grand Ridge, Ill.
Our thanks to members Darren and Samantha Walter, and their sons, Austin and Dalton, for agreeing to meet with reporter Judy Keen, and tell her just what would happen to their family farm if their sons weren't allowed to help.
Of course, we're a little biased, but we think the story turned out great. Take a look at the article yourself, and we're sure you'll agree.
For More Info Contact:
Darren and Samantha Walter talk to USA Today about their children working on the family farm
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Your grassroots policy reads in part:
"We will oppose the elimination of the present family farm exemption in the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)."
Download and read the entire Policy #81 Labor.
Download the Child Farm Labor Rule Impact presentation, presented by Illinois FFA's Jim Craft at last week's Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable.
