AUGUSTA, Ga. (RFD NEWS) — Agriculture remains one of the nation’s most dangerous industries, and a new effort is encouraging farmers and ranchers to take a simple step that organizers hope will help prevent future tragedies.
Maverick Minute Foundation President Doster Harper joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss the organization’s mission of promoting farm safety through awareness, education, and community action.
In his conversation with RFD News, Harper explained the foundation was established in honor of Maverick Flinn, a four-year-old boy who was killed in a farming accident in 2025. He said the organization, founded by Maverick’s grandmother, focuses on community outreach to help promote agricultural safety.
“It was an otherwise typical busy day during harvest season, and Maverick Flinn, who was a bright, 4-year-old boy, was helping his family do what he loved doing, which was working on the farm during harvest,” Harper said.
He said the movement grew out of the support shown by the Seymour, Indiana, community following the tragedy, with the foundation encouraging producers to “Take a Maverick Minute” by pausing for 60 seconds before beginning the next task.
“All it took was one sudden moment of inattention, and tragedy struck,” Harper continued. “Unfortunately, we lost Maverick Flinn and his great-grandmother, Nanny, in the same accident. In the days and weeks following that accident, the community in Seymour, Indiana, rallied around the Flinn family; they continued to help them finish that harvest and what normally would have taken weeks or even a month in just a matter of days.”
One recent event included a Touch-a-Truck program held during a county fair, where children learned about farm equipment safety, including blind spots around large machinery, while interacting with tractors, trucks, and other equipment.
Harper said reducing agricultural accidents begins with building awareness and creating habits that encourage people to stop, assess their surroundings, and think through potential hazards before starting work. The foundation also hopes to partner with agricultural organizations and youth groups to expand farm safety education in communities across the country.
He emphasized that taking just one minute for a safety check can make a difference for farmers, ranchers, and their families, especially during busy seasons when it is easy to move quickly from one task to the next.
Looking ahead, the Maverick Minute Foundation plans to continue participating in agricultural events and expanding its outreach efforts. Harper said more information about the organization’s mission and upcoming activities is available through the Maverick Minute Foundation.
LEARN MORE: www.maverickminute.org
