Community Involvement

Thanks to the help of our friends over at the Miami County Farm Bureau and Nationwide, we were able to donate a life saving Grain Rescue Tube to the Laura Fire Department. Plans have been in motion for the delivery of this rescue tube and training for the Laura Fire Department since 2019. Did you know, they are serviced 100% by volunteers? What an amazing team they are! They train every month for situations they might come across, such as fires, car crashes and now grain bin rescues. They will be able to not only serve and protect their local community with this new piece of equipment and training, but also neighboring communities. 

Every year, thousands of farmers and commercial grain handlers risk their lives by entering grain bins to remove clumped or rotted grain. As rural communities have come to know all too well, an accident in a grain bin can quickly turn deadly. In just seconds, adults can sink to their waist in flowing grain, rendering them completely trapped without the proper rescue devices. These accidents result in dozens of lost lives each year, and deaths have spiked in 2019 and early 2020 due to the wet harvest.

To lead the fight against these all-too-common accidents, the country’s leading insurer of farms and ranches1, Nationwide, in partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), is awarding 41 fire departments across the country with life-saving grain rescue tubes and hands-on training to prepare them to respond when grain accidents occur.

In 2014, Nationwide initiated its Grain Bin Safety advocacy campaign to educate those entering grain bins about the hazards involved and the importance of implementing safe entry procedures. A central piece of the campaign, the Nominate Your Fire Department Contest, aims to address the lack of specialized resources available to rural fire departments who are responding to bin entrapments. With 2020’s donations included, Nationwide has awarded grain rescue tubes and training to 152 fire departments in 29 states.

After receiving 1,006 nominations in this year’s contest, Nationwide and its partners are proud to award grain rescue tubes and training to the following 41 fire departments:

1. Adams Rural Fire, Adams, NE
2. Addieville Community Fire Protection District, Addieville, IL
3. Avoca Fire Department, Avoca, PA
4. Berlin Township Fire Department, Berlin Heights, OH 
5. Bleckley County Fire, Cochran, GA
6. Brainard Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, Brainard, NE
7. Burlingame/Osage County Fire District No. 6, Burlingame, KS
8. Camden Township Fire Department, Kipton, OH
9. Campbellsport Volunteer Fire Department, Campbellsport, WI
10. Carlisle Fire Company, Milford, DE
11. Carter Fire District, Dale, IN
12. Chilton Fire Department, Chilton, WI
13. Crothersville-Vernon Township Volunteer Fire Department, Crothersville, IN
14. DeRuyter Fire, DeRuyter, NY
15. Drayton Fire Department, Drayton, ND
16. Earling Fire and Rescue Department, Earling, IA
17. Ellis County Fire Department, Hays, KS
18. Gilt Edge Volunteer Fire Department, Burlison, TN
19. Goodwill Fire Company, Centreville, MD
20. Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire, Grimes, IA
21. Hartwick Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Hartwick, IA
22. Hazelton Township Fire Department, New Lothrop, MI
23. Hospers Fire, Hospers, IA
24. Hoyleton Fire Protection District, Hoyleton, IL
25. Iron Ridge Fire, Iron Ridge, WI
26. Jordan Fire Department, Jordan, MN
27. Laura Fire Department, Laura, OH
28. Lu Verne Fire Department, Lu Verne, IA
29. Miesville Fire Department, Hastings, MN
30. Nerstrand Fire Rescue, Nerstrand, MN
31. Nevada Fire, Nevada, MO
32. New Haven Volunteer Fire Department, New Haven, VT
33. New Salem Volunteer Fire Department, Marshville, NC
34. The Odessa Fire Company, Odessa, DE
35. Peach Orchard Volunteer Fire Department, Peach Orchard, AR
36. Poole Community Fire Department, Sebree, KY
37. Rockingham County Fire and Rescue, Harrisonburg, VA
38. Shelburn Fire Department, Sullivan, IN
39. St. Olaf Fire Department, St. Olaf, IA
40. Tri Cities Fire Protection District, Jasper, MO
41. Womelsdorf Volunteer Fire Company, Womelsdorf, PA

“We began our Grain Bin Safety campaign in 2014 to support the agriculture community and put an end to avoidable deaths from individuals entering grain bins without recognizing the dangers and taking precautions,” said Brad Liggett, president of Nationwide Agribusiness. “Thanks to the generous and increasing support of our partners, I’m extremely proud to say that we’re providing more rescue tubes and training to first responders this year than we have ever before.”

NECAS, based out of Peosta, IA, will deliver the tubes and training to the winning fire departments, as COVID-19 guidelines allow, throughout 2020. Since 2014, four fire departments have put their rescue tubes and training to action by rescuing workers trapped in grain bins.

According to United Press International reports, grain bin deaths spiked last year and in early 2020 due to last season’s wet harvest. In February 2020, U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Sonny Perdue, brought a national spotlight to Nationwide’s efforts by proclaiming Feb. 16-22 as National Grain Bin Safety Week.

“It’s as important as ever to be following proper safety precautions when entering a bin,” said Liggett. “Our goal is to continue these efforts until we can ensure every rural fire department has access to these critical rescue resources.”

 We love the "Serve Arcanum" program. Each year, students from Arcanum go out into the community and serve others. From mulching flower beds to painting buildings, they do it all. What a great experience for these future leaders of our community. Now more than ever, we need to love thy neighbor and they all did just that. As a thank you for their service, we provided them with lunch and dessert! Just our way of saying "Way to go, kiddos! We are so proud of you."

Agriculture is a big part of our community and our lives. We are so grateful that we have the ability to give back by providing meals for local farming families. This spring we fed over 200 farmers delicious chik-fil-a sandwiches, chips, fruit, and a Beanz Bakery Cookie. With around 80 meals left over, we were able to bless the night shift at Wayne Healthcare. Thank you to our famers and health care workers! This community we live in is something to be admired. 

Be sure to stay informed with our current events on Facebook and be on the lookout for our fall "Feed A Farmer" event! 

While 2020 has been quite the year for many, it sure has been refreshing to see the community pull together in all of the events we have hosted this year. Thank you. We wouldn't be here without your support. It is our mission to give back in a big way. I believe we achieved that this year. Looking forward to new opportunities and more community service in 2021!  

Happy Thanksgiving 2020!