This population‐based study reports the cumulative incidence of agricultural injuries during a 1‐year period in a sample of 998 farmers aged 55 years and older living in Kentucky. A total of 98 farm‐related injuries were reported among 88 older farmers for a crude injury rate of 9.03 injured farmers per 100 farmers (95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.03–11.03) over a 1‐year period. The leading external causes of farm injury were falls (24.9%), machinery (22.5%), wood‐cutting (14.6%), and animal‐related events (14.3%). Farmers working on farms with beef cattle (alone) (odds ratio = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.02–3.55) or farms with beef cattle and tobacco (odds ratio = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.00–4.59) had a statistically significant increased risk for a farm‐related injury. Farmers reporting a prior injury that limited their ability to farm were at increased risk for a farm‐related injury. Approaches to using farm injury surveillance data for injury control programs in the state are discussed. Am. J. Ind. Med. 33:341–353, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Agricultural work is the most prevalent type of employment in the world. In the United States only a few are engaged in creating food and fiber for many. Agriculture includes farming, ranching, fishing, and forestry, and together they carry significant risk for the development of injury or illness. There are numerous specialpopulation issues related to agriculture. Farmers are old and growing older, many workers are children, and migrant and seasonal help, often foreign born, make up a large percentage of the workforce. It has been only relatively recently that concerns of agricultural safety and health have become a major research focus in the United States.

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