CRESCO, IOWA ~ Sometimes, the most important lessons don’t come from a textbook.
They come from someone who’s lived through something they hope nobody else will ever have to experience.
And for a group of Howard County fifth graders, one man’s story offered a powerful reminder that farm safety is something worth taking seriously.
On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, students from Notre Dame, Howard~Winneshiek, and Riceville schools gathered at the Howard County Fairgrounds in Cresco for a day devoted to learning how to stay safe.
The day’s main speaker was Trent Pisney of Lime Springs, who shared his experience of being buried in a grain bin and successfully rescued.
According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, numerous local firefighters and emergency agencies worked together to bring him to safety.
It’s the kind of experience nobody would ever wish for.
But by sharing what happened to him, Trent offered something valuable to the young people listening: an opportunity to learn from a real-life emergency and better understand the dangers associated with grain bins.
And that was the purpose of the day.
For more than 26 years, Howard County has helped bring farm~safety education to area grade-school children.
This year’s event offered lessons that reached well beyond tractors and grain bins.
Students learned about electrical safety from MiEnergy, propane safety from Fencl Oil and LP, and fire safety from Cresco firefighters.
They also explored animal safety with Dr. Boe and a dairy cow named Buster, along with education about the dangers of tobacco and vaping.
The afternoon brought even more opportunities to learn.
Students met representatives from Regional Health’s ambulance service, watched a helicopter landing involving Gundersen, and learned about law enforcement from Sheriff Busch.
Other sessions covered chemical safety, reaction time, and swine education.
Turkey River Ag Sales also helped educate students about grain~bin safety, reinforcing the importance of recognizing hazards and understanding how quickly dangerous situations can develop.
It was a full day of hands~on learning, practical information, and reminders that recognizing danger can make all the difference.
And the students didn’t go home empty-handed.
Thanks to generous community supporters, participants received safety information, a T~shirt, earplugs, safety glasses, and a first~aid kit.
But perhaps one of the most meaningful things they carried home couldn’t be tucked into a bag.
It was the reminder that accidents can happen, that emergency responders play an important role in protecting their communities, and that knowing how to recognize hazards matters.
There’s something especially meaningful about hearing a farm~safety message from someone who has personally experienced a serious agricultural emergency.
By sharing what happened, Trent gave students a firsthand reminder of how serious grain-bin hazards can be~and why learning about farm safety matters.
And when that lesson is combined with hands-on demonstrations and guidance from local professionals, it becomes something students can carry with them long after the school day ends.
Hats off to Trent Pisney for sharing his story, to the firefighters and emergency agencies involved in his rescue, and to the many educators, volunteers, businesses, and organizations who continue making Howard County’s farm~safety education possible.
Because sometimes, the greatest thing we can pass along to the next generation isn’t something we can hold in our hands.
It’s knowledge that helps bring them safely home.
And that’s a lesson worth remembering.
There’s always something good goin’ ’round!
Deliverance Hope ~Word ’Round Town
Northeast Iowa Community Living
word-round-town.com
Keep Goin’ ‘Round Town
There’s always another story waiting just around the corner.