PAF Safety Day Coordinator Spotlight: Stephanie Tobin

Stephanie Tobin, an Alabama regional extension agent in Clay County, shared that a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day (PAF Safety Day) means educating youth on best practices and what it means to be safe on a farm and in the community. As a past community-based PAF Safety Day participant from 1998 through 2012, before taking the reins as a lead PAF Safety Day Coordinator in 2018, Stephanie knows firsthand the positive impact that the Program has on individuals and communities.  

“Because of what I learned during our Progressive Agriculture Safety Days, I was able to avoid unsafe practices in and around our equipment and animals,” said Stephanie. “I also learned safety in the community and want to ensure that all children in our community practice safety.”

By partnering with the PAF Safety Day program, Stephanie has found that the curriculum easily coincides with the basic standards of Alabama 4-H, while also being a great tool for other programming. She added that as aparticipant of the safety and health programs in the past that she believes the PAF Safety Day program has set the standard.

“The educational materials and curriculum provided by PAF are essential,” said Stephanie. “The t-shirts, take-home-bags and SWAG (stuff we all get) are just another bonus to partnering.”

She has experienced many wins during her PAF Safety Days, including animal safety being a huge success helping youth understand how to approach not only livestock but also domestic cats and dogs. Stephanie shared that she has found many youths and adults to be surprised when finding out that horses and cows need to be approached a certain way or that the animal could otherwise sense danger.

When asked if she would recommend partnering with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF) for its PAF Safety Day program, Stephanie undoubtedly said yes.

“I highly recommend PAF for its curriculum, organizational support, and the resource materials,” said Stephanie. “The Foundation continues to be a wonderful partner year after year.”