Posted October 18, 2013
Three people were injured after a tractor rolled into
at ditch at a Bedford County, Virginia farm, according to an article by The
Roanoke Times, available here.
Layman Family Farms opened its facilities to the public
as part of its fall festivities in which visitors can pick pumpkins, go on
hayrides, and explore a corn maze.
The injuries occurred when six people were on a flatbed
trailer hitched to a tractor which rolled down a hill into a creek on the
farm. Rescue crews were called to the
farm around 10:30 p.m. on Friday. Montvale fire chief, Scott Hawkins, said two
people fell off the trailer and were pinned underneath it in the water. Two people were airlifted to a trauma center
at a nearby hospital and one person was transported by ambulance, according to
a WSET article, available here. WSLS 10 reports that the farm reopened on
Saturday.
Agritourism
is a field that is growing in popularity as producers try to diversify and
increase profits. By combining
agriculture and tourism, new sources of revenue are available, but the
potential for problems and legal complications can arise. A webinar presentation on “Landowners’ Legal
Liability Concerns” by Rusty Rumley, National Agricultural Law Center Staff
Attorney, is available here.
