Perth County sheep farmer loses leg in auger accident

Dec 01, 2023

MONKTON — A 34-year-old Perth County sheep farmer suffered life-altering injuries in what a family member said was an auger accident. One leg was lost in the accident and the farmer’s other leg was broken.

Lucas Stock was caught in a sweep auger, which are most commonly used at the base of a grain bin to clean and maintain it. Emergency crews responded just after 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 to the rural address near Line 49, south of Monkton. Stock was flown by air ambulance to a trauma centre.

“He’s in tough shape,” John Kolkman, uncle to the injured man’s wife, told Farmers Forum on Nov. 28. “His one leg is off and they are trying to save the other. The other leg is broken with the artery cut.”

Local Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario director Tom Diemand said that he understood that the accident involved the use of a sweep auger. “The power was supposed to have been off but … activated. Clothing gets caught in those augers very badly, fast.”

Stock works with his father-in-law and brother-in-law on the farm, Diemand said. “I was led to believe that his spirits are good and was optimistic towards the future and thankful to be alive.”

Diemand said that his Stratford-area parish would be reaching out to the family. “Sometimes our prayers are the strongest thing we can start out with.”

Source : Farmersforum

Video: Agriculture Secretary Rollins Speaks at American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim

One of the highlights at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, was an address by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. During her remarks, she thanked America’s farmers and ranchers and said the Trump Administration is fully aware that food security is national security.

She also acknowledged the challenging times in Farm Country with low commodity prices and high input costs and said that’s why the President stepped in to help with the recent Bridge Assistance Program.

Montana Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Scott Kulbeck says that Farm Bureau members are appreciative of the help and looks forward to working with the American Farm Bureau Federation and its presence in Washington, DC to keep farmers and ranchers in business.

Secretary Rollins said the Trump Administration is also committed to helping ranchers build back America’s cattle herd while also providing more high-quality U.S. beef at the meat case for consumers.

And she also announced more assistance for specialty crop producers who only received a fraction of the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA).

It’s important to note that producers who qualify for Farmer Bridge Assistance can expect the Farm Service Agency to start issuing payments in late February. For more information, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center.