Katie Hammock has been passionate about the medical field for a long time and wanted to bridge that passion with her deep-rooted background in dairy farming. Hammock made this possible when she created emergency farm kits to sell to farmers. Her mission grew to educate, equip and empower farm families.
“Over the last couple of years, I decided I wanted to merge the gap between agriculture and emergency medicine,” Hammock says. “Being able to connect to other women in agriculture who are living this lifestyle and realizing we are all together in this community is inspiring.”
Katie Hammock lives in southern Virginia with her husband and 2-year-old son on their dairy farm. Hammock grew up in Canada but went to college in Virginia, which is how she met her husband. She is a full-time ER nurse, but when Hammock is not working at the hospital, she does what she can to be a supportive wife and mom.
Many reasons came to Hammock’s mind that inspired her to create farm emergency kits. Working in a level one trauma center her entire career has opened her eyes up to many situations. She has seen firsthand severe traumas as well as farm-related accidents.
“When tragedy strikes, it doesn’t just make the news, it hits home,” Hammock says. “I have seen friends, neighbors and local farmers come through the ER doors after devastating farm accidents.”
Hammock realized how important it is to make sure that every farmer is prepared for the worst. Hammock’s goal is making sure farmers are equipped with what they need when every second counts. She has experienced that feeling, knowing that with the right tools and training, these accidents can be prevented.
“The farm kits are designed for the first five minutes after a true emergency happens,” Hammock says. “It is there to save someone’s life and give them the best chance of surviving.”
A tourniquet, quickclot, coban, CPR materials, whistle, emergency weather blanket, trauma shears, gauze, Band-Aids, burn cream and comprehensive guide on how to use each item are included in a waterproof bag.
Working in a level one trauma center inspired Hammock to create farm emergency kits. Courtesy image.
Hammock emphasizes the relation of being prepared for any event that is life threatening, just as you would for everyday work on the farm. The agriculture industry is in the top five most dangerous industries worldwide. The U.S. averages 500 deaths every year related to agriculture.
“It surprises me that farmers are interested in what I have to say,” Hammock says. “This has allowed my speaker conferences to grow.”
If anyone would like to get started with a workshop or attend a speaker event, you can visit Hammock’s website. Katie’s workshop offers interactive and hands-on learning with the items found in her kit. Participants leave this workshop with the knowledge and confidence to respond to an emergency. The speaking conferences highlight the significance of being prepared for a tragedy and attendees leave feeling ready to act and respond with the proper knowledge of first aid.
Hammock has been selling her emergency kits for the last couple of years and has been able to sell out a couple of times. The kits can be bought directly from Hammock’s website or through the Virginia Farm Bureau.
“Making these kits affordable is a huge priority,” Hammock says.
There has been so much positive feedback from the farm emergency kits. Hammock loves to hear what her customers are saying. Customers tell her they have a level of comfort having the kit on their farm. There are items in it they would not think about having on their own.
“The goal is to get these kits to as many farmers as possible,” Hammock says. “I wanted to broaden my reach and who I can talk to.”
The steps in preparing your farm or business for the unexpected is simple. It all starts with recognizing the risk and realizing it is important to be prepared. Being prepared comes with choosing the right safety solution such as a kit or attending a workshop. Once the proper tools have been provided, your farm should be ready for any emergency.
“Farm safety is not a one-time deal,” Hammock says. “It is an ongoing commitment to protecting the people who make agriculture possible. Stay connected, keep learning and make emergency preparedness part of your business’s culture. A safer farm makes a stronger farm.”
Hammock also offers a smaller version of the larger kit, called the emergency cab kit. This kit is a smaller version designed to go in the cab of each piece of equipment any farmer may use.
“This kit is designed with only the very essentials that you can utilize on yourself in the event of an emergency that happens while you are alone,” Hammock says.
Providing these kits gives Hammock a great feeling knowing that she can help family farms by advertising these kits to farmers. Her favorite part about selling the kits is being able to incorporate the educational aspect of emergency medicine into farming.
“Being able to help families feel prepared and less scared in true emergencies is really awesome,” Hammock says. “I want to protect the hands that feed us.”
Creating the farm emergency kits was the outcome of combining Katie’s passion for emergency medicine to agriculture.
