The Tioga County 4-H Tractor and Machinery Operations Training / Certification program will begin Tuesday, Feb. 5 in the auditorium of the Ronald E. Dougherty County Office Building, 56 Main St. in Owego at 7 p.m. The cost of the program is $35 for non 4-H members and $25 for 4-H members.
Registration forms and brochures can be picked up in advance from the Cornell Cooperative Extension office located at 56 Main St. in Owego. Parents or guardians must attend the first meeting and are encouraged to attend the remaining classes. Participants (with a parent) can register at the orientation meeting but should plan to arrive early to complete the required forms before the class starts.
Students must complete all classes before receiving a certificate. The training program will enable youth, 14 and 15 years of age, who wish to work as a hired employee for someone other than a parent or legal guardian and operate a farm tractor that is 20hp or greater, to obtain the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hazardous Occupations Order in Agriculture (HOOA) certification. The program will provide participants with the required 24 hours of instruction and it will include group discussions, demonstrations, field trips, hands-on activities, independent study, and field assignments.
During the educational phase of the program, youth will receive instruction in the safe operation of agricultural tractors and related machinery. Certification upon completion of the educational phase of the program will include a written examination, a tractor and machinery skills demonstration, and a tractor and machinery driving course.
Participants must receive a minimum passing score of 70 percent in each test area to be issued a certificate of completion.
The program is available to anyone 12 years of age and older, however only individuals 14 and older will be able to operate equipment and receive a certificate of completion. Individuals over age 15 are encouraged to attend as well. The top six participants will be eligible to participate in the New York State 4-H Tractor Operator’s Contest at the annual Empire Farm Days event.
Dates for the remaining classes, which will be held at various farm and equipment dealers in Tioga County, are Tuesdays, Feb. 12, 26, March 5, 12 and 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. each night. Three classes will be held on Saturdays, Feb. 23, and March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon, and March 23 from 9 a.m. to noon.
To find out more about the Tioga County 4-H Program, contact the 4-H Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tioga County at 687-4020 or visit tioga.cce.cornell.edu.
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