Getting a combine stuck in a ditch during harvest is the last thing a producer needs. Professionals with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service are encouraging producers to prepare for this occurrence and to use the proper techniques and equipment to safely remove stuck farm equipment if they find themselves in that situation.

“With the wet season we’ve had, we expect farmers to encounter these situations by surprise,” said Curtis Dame, Hopkins County extension agent for agriculture and natural resources education. “A prime example is a situation we had this year where a washout developed over the growing season after we had a summer with more than 20 inches of rain.”

Due to their concern for farmers’ safety, Dame and Darrell Simpson, Muhlenberg County extension agent for agriculture and natural resources education, worked with a local towing company and UK Agricultural Communications Services to produce an educational video about the correct and incorrect ways to dislodge stuck equipment.

Improper extraction techniques could cause a tremendous amount of costly damage to an already expensive piece of equipment and could cost someone their life.

“It doesn’t matter the type of equipment, if it’s stuck, there’s always a danger there,” Dame said. “We want to provide producers and commercial applicators with the knowledge to make informed decisions and to have the right equipment on hand so they keep themselves and their employees safe.”

Topics discussed in the video include developing plans for potential extraction situations, proper hooking techniques, extraction equipment condition and cost, things to look for when purchasing extraction equipment, safe zones and factors that could influence how a farmer dislodges a piece of stuck equipment.

The video is available on the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/PsRxfSRUlEk.