It's going to take me a bit to get back into the swing of farming. I've missed it, but my other job at UPS has been consuming a lot of my attention. It's physical work, just like farming.
I'm convinced at this point in my life that my previous UPS safety training back in 2005 has kept me from getting injured during my time as a farmer. I should feel bad about nagging coworkers as much as I have over the years to not do this or that.
"Don't jump off the trailer! Do you have any idea the impact on your knees?"
"Hand to surface! Don't throw that!"
"Three points of contact. Don't jump down from that."
"Bend at the knees and keep the natural curve of your back, don't jerk when lifting! Opposite corners, dammit!"
My coworkers must think I'm a Nagging Nancy or something. But the methods work no matter where you apply them. If an almost-40, 5'4" tall female can farm with no injuries, some tough young guy can too. Nothing makes me more annoyed than people jumping down from a trailer. It makes my knees hurt just watching. You may not know it, but when you're my age, you're going to want that cartilage intact. It does make a difference.
When you're schlepping 70# bins of potatoes, a little proper lifting and lowering can go a long way. I'm more likely to be sore from shoveling than lifting.
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