The days are shorter, the breeze is a bit cooler and cornfields throughout northwest Iowa have already turned that special shade of gold. It's harvest season once again, and with its arrival comes certain precautions for both area travelers and local farmers alike.

September 20-26 was National Farm Safety and Health Week. This time of year, specific emphasis is placed on raising awareness about the many dangers farmers face in their day-to-day jobs, and the numbers certainly reinforce those claims. Agriculture has the highest annual death rate per 100,000 workers in the nation and surpasses all the other industries including mining, construction and manufacturing. It is typically more than five times higher than the average death rate for all industries combined.

In the face of such grim statistics, the Iowa Farm Safety Council has released a helpful list of tips for farmers this harvest season. Suggestions include: Cautiously approaching field adjustments or repairs; taking precautions to avoid slips and falls; making smart decisions while assigning tasks to youth; using and maintaining the slow moving vehicle emblem correctly; and retrofitting tractors with rollover protective structures. They might seem like no-brainers, but utilizing these tips could go a long way as we charge into the 2020 harvest season.

Of course, farm safety is a two-way street. Drivers on rural highways and gravel roads should take extra precaution when traveling around O'Brien County and Iowa in general. Be conscious of slow-moving vehicles like tractors, combines and semis. Always give them space and slow down when approaching these vehicles, because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Cars and small trucks don't match up favorably with huge farm equipment.

We all know somebody who has either suffered an injury while farming or, even worse, died. Just northward in Osceola County, two farming-related fatalities occurred within less than a year of each other, which reminded us all that the threat of an accident is always looming. Please use extra caution while you're in the fields this fall and travel safely.

Harvest season is a busy and exciting time, which makes it easy to get distracted. Be alert, drive smart and be careful out there, but most of all, have a safe and bountiful harvest.