Katie Hammock, a southern Virginia ER nurse, has created portable emergency kits tailored for agricultural workers. Having spent her medical career at a level one trauma center, Hammock has seen firsthand how devastating farm accidents can be.
“My farm emergency kits began as a need for our own farm,” says Hammock. “When the guys built a new parlor, we knew we needed a first-aid kit. My husband tasked me with finding one that would be helpful in an accident.”
That task proved harder than expected.
“I found myself stuck between a cheap kit that didn’t have the items we needed in a true emergency or a kit that was expensive and stuffed with more items than we’d ever use. We didn’t need so many duplicates within one kit, so I created my own.”
The rest is history.
“This project has really snowballed. I’ve had wonderful opportunities to speak and to sell my farm emergency kits to farmers across the country.”
These medical kits are designed for the first five minutes after an emergency. The goal is to save lives before professional help arrives. Each waterproof bag contains a tourniquet, QuickClot, Coban, CPR materials, a whistle, an emergency weather blanket, trauma shears, gauze, Band-Aids, burn cream and a comprehensive guide on how to use each item.
Hammock chose everything for the kits based on her real-life experiences as a nurse.
“I really wanted to put together a kit that was truly for emergencies,” she says. “I’ve witnessed the benefit that each item has had on patients prior to their arrival at the hospital.”
Whistles, for example, were not originally included.
“Then I met a farmer who had fallen out of a tractor. He was too injured to get up, but he happened to have a whistle on him. That’s ultimately how his family was able to find him.”
She’s collected many stories from farmers who have used her emergency kits, each with a good outcome.
“These injuries have been very similar,” she says. “Each was a significant cut to the hand or fingers on various items around the farm. The farmers all utilized the QuickClot within the kit to get the bleeding to stop.”
For Hammock, one big challenge is convincing agricultural workers of the importance of being prepared before something happens.
“No one wants to think about worst-case scenarios, especially in an industry where risk is part of everyday life. Unfortunately, statistics and my own personal experience tell us that farm accidents happen frequently.”
Hammock shares that the joys of the business come from the people.
“Being able to combine my experience in emergency medicine with our life in agriculture and create something that truly helps farm families is incredibly meaningful,” Hammock says.
She’s grateful for the positive feedback from farmers who find the kits give them peace of mind.
“Farm accidents happen fast, often in remote places. What happens in those first few minutes can make all the difference,” Hammock says. “My goal isn’t to scare people. It’s to equip them for the worst-case scenario.”
Kits are available for $69.99 through Hammock’s website or the Virginia Farm Bureau.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Katie Hammock (thedairywife@gmail.com; www.thedairywife.com).