Patience is being preached as farm machinery moves this spring. (Humboldt Fire Department/Facebook)

By Cam Lee

Safe driving during seeding

Local fire departments urge highway safety as farmers gear up for seeding

May 5, 2025 | 12:36 PM

A reminder to drivers as the farming season is upon us.

Large machinery will be moving on local roads and highways, and motorists need to be careful when sharing the road with producers.

“This time of year, we see lots of big air drills and stuff like that rolling down the highway, so patience is…our best course of action,” Melfort Fire Chief Leonard Whitney told northeastNOW.

Whitney said it can be difficult to get around the larger, slower farm machinery on the highway, but it’s important to remain patient before trying to pass.

“You get drivers coming both ways, coming toward oncoming farm equipment, and [drivers] trying to pass,” said Whitney. He said motorists going in both directions need to slow down and be careful and be mindful of those in the other lane when passing machinery.

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“Farmers are trying to get off the road as quickly as they can too and get into the field, so they’re getting down the road as quickly as they can but of course that machinery can only go so fast,” Whitney explained. “It’s up to other traffic to be aware of them and take them into consideration.”

The Humboldt Fire Department also posted on social media that drivers must be patient, give farm machinery enough space, pass only when safe to do so, watch for wide loads and escort vehicles, and watch for the machinery to make wide turns.

“These folks are putting in long hours to feed us all, and a little patience goes a long way in keeping everyone safe,” the post stated.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com