USDA Awards Youth Farm Safety Grant

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to make it safer for young people working in farming.

The USDA has awarded a grant to provide safety training for more than 2 million young people involved in agricultural production.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says the department wants to make sure young people can help out on the farm while staying safe.

USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics Ann Bartuska is announcing the grant Wednesday at the North American Agricultural Safety Summit in Minneapolis.

The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $600,000 to Penn State to develop a national training curriculum that lessens agricultural hazards to young workers.

The curriculum will be promoted for use by youth and farm safety instructors, parents and 4-H youth programs.