Farm Fatalities Remain a Concern Across Wisconsin

By Blake Jackson

Wisconsin faces farm safety challenges, with reports showing that agricultural injuries and deaths remain a concern. Reports covering 2021 through 2023 were released by the National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, UW-Madison Division of Extension and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

The organizations revived annual reporting in 2017, using Wisconsin death certificates and AgInjuryNews.org information.

The reports were co-authored by John Shutske, Bryan Weichelt and Roger Aby and highlight risks involving older farmers, roadway collisions, ATVs and UTVs, and suicide.

“This is incredibly unfortunate, given the many other challenges farm families and farm workers are facing here in this day and age,” said one of the reports’ co-authors, John Shutske, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist.

“We saw a high of 41 deaths in 2017. And, then a low of 28 in 2020, but climbing back in these last three years, we looked at around 30-35 deaths.”

Farmers age 65 and older remain vulnerable. They represented 46% of fatalities in 2021, 55% in 2022 and 50% in 2023. The trend is important as the average age of farm operators continues to increase.

Roadway deaths involving agricultural equipment have declined, falling from nine in 2017 to three in 2022 and four in 2023. Safety officials promote slow-moving vehicle emblems and proper equipment lighting and marking.

The reports also identified ATV and UTV deaths during recreational or other non-farming activities. Wisconsin recorded 47 ATV fatalities in 2021, 21 in 2022 and 32 in 2023.

Suicide remains another concern, although outside the project’s primary scope. Researchers noted elevated risks associated with financial pressures, workloads, physical health concerns and barriers to seeking mental health support.

The reports rely on verified death certificates and news reports, with cases reviewed to determine whether deaths involved farm work hazards. Recreational incidents and unrelated medical events are excluded.

Photo Credit: gettyImages-shaunl