Obama recently signed a proclamation declaring the week, which was first announced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. In his declaration, Obama encouraged farmers to participate in farm safety and health activities as they begin this year's harvest season.
Obama also said the week is a chance for the whole nation to thank farmers for their contributions, which often take long hours of work doing dangerous tasks.
"Even as they have faced risks, they have made our agricultural sector more productive and practiced good stewardship of our country's natural resources," Obama said.
This year's theme for the safety week is Rural Roadway Safety: Alert, Aware and Alive. Both farmers and motorists are being encouraged to take care when farm equipment makes its way to the road. Farmers are encouraged to properly mark their farm equipment with slow-moving-vehicle signs, and drivers have been advised to have patience when encountering farm vehicles.
