PAF Safety Coordinator Spotlight: Kylie Haugen

For Kylie Haugen, farm safety is personal. Kylie and her family live on a grain farm, where her husband and four children are involved in farm life every day, and her kids are beginning to raise their own Angus cattle. Wanting to give back to her community, Kylie recognized that agricultural safety education was something she wanted to help bring back to the forefront.

After researching options, Kylie discovered the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® program and connected with another county in her state already involved with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation®. Their recommendation helped convince her to take the leap.

Kylie and her team have now completed their first Progressive Agriculture Safety Day, with another planned for this fall. While she says some community members were initially unsure what to expect, that quickly changed after the event.

“Once they saw how successful it was, so many people loved it and found great value in it,” Kylie shared.

One of her favorite parts was seeing that the learning extended beyond the students. Teachers and other adults commented that they learned new information, too. For some participants, it was also their first opportunity to experience aspects of farm life firsthand.

Kylie credits the program's success to a strong team, including Kelsey Berger and Sandi Weiland with the county 4-H program and her husband, Mark. “It takes a great team to make success,” she said.

She also appreciates having PAF’s curriculum, resources, and support available while still having the flexibility to build a Safety Day that fits her community.

Her advice to anyone considering getting involved? “Go for it!”

“You can do many things on your own, but make your life easier and utilize some of the best-quality information that PAF has,” Kylie said. “I’m so happy I took the leap into this position. It really gives me the feeling of everything I’ve been wanting. If we can help save a life, why not?”

Thank you, Kylie, Kelsey, Sandi, Mark, and everyone who has helped make this Progressive Agriculture Safety Day possible!