INDIANAPOLIS — Harvest season is officially underway for Indiana’s 94,000 farmers, which means more slow-moving farm equipment will be on Indiana’s rural roads and highways. To keep Hoosiers safe this year, state agencies are asking motorists to be alert and patient, as they share the road with farm equipment this fall.

“The fall is an exciting time for all Hoosiers as the temperatures cool and the leaves turn colors. And Hoosier farmers share that excitement as they prepare to begin harvest,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “While traveling rural roads and highways this fall, remember to watch for large farm equipment moving between fields as they work to harvest the crops, and be sure to know the proper steps to safely navigate around.”

In 2022 four vehicles were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana which resulted in one death, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Moving farm equipment can be one of the most dangerous parts of a farmers job,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “When motorists know how to safely navigate around farm equipment, our roads are safer. By working together, farmers and everyday Hoosiers can ensure they arrive safely to their destination.”

Farm equipment during harvest season could include tractors, combines, grain carts, grain wagons and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.

The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment:

• Farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so.
• Be alert. Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the road.
• Be careful when passing. Do not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure or tunnel.
• Do not try to pass a slow-moving vehicle on the left without ensuring that the vehicle is not planning a left turn. It may appear that the driver is pulling over for you to pass when it is actually preparing to turn. You will drive right into its path, endangering yourself and the farmer.
• Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road.
• Allow plenty of time to get to a destination, be aware of alternate routes and avoid distractions.

“When you see farmers out working and moving from field to field, please be patient as they work to harvest their crops which are needed to help feed our communities and the world,” said Doug Carter, Indiana State Police Superintendent. “Let’s all work together to help ensure everyone’s safety on our roadways.”

Braun, Tuberville, Manchin, Cotton, Tester, Marshall, Fetterman, Grassley, Blackburn, Ricketts, Barrasso, Britt, Baldwin, Young, Fischer, Ernst, and Lummis lead Senate version of bill expected to move in House this week

Sen. Fetterman, Sen. Grassley, Sen. Blackburn, Sen. Ricketts, Sen. Barrasso, Sen. Britt, Sen. Baldwin, Sen. Young, Sen. Fischer, Sen. Ernst, and Sen. Lummis introduced the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 to add the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to add another layer of scrutiny on foreign acquisitions of U.S. farmland and agricultural industries and, specifically, flag farmland purchases by foreign adversaries like China, North Korea, Russia and Iran for CFIUS. This will add much-needed extra oversight in this process. According to the USDA, over 43.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land is foreign-owned. 

Rep. Dan Newhouse introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives is expected to move on this legislation this week.

The House Rules Committee met about this bill Monday, September 9. 

“Chinese ownership of American farmland increased more than 20-fold in the past decade. The amount of American soil in the hands of our foreign adversaries will only go up if we do not implement restrictions and oversight, especially on nations that compromise our national security and agricultural supply chains. I’m proud to lead this effort to protect American farms and food security.”— Sen. Mike Braun

“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have bowed to China every chance that they get—even when it comes to our agriculture industry. In the last decade alone, we have seen a surge of over 35% in foreign land purchases—including in my home state of Alabama. We can’t give our adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran room to negatively influence our agricultural supply chains and food production. Food security is national security, which is why I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Braun that ensures the Secretary of Agriculture has a seat at the table on CFIUS and the opportunity to push back on proposed foreign ag investments.” – Sen. Tommy Tuberville

 Allowing foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party to purchase American farmland and agribusiness poses an unacceptable risk to our food security and national security,” said Tester. “Congress needs to act, and our bipartisan bill will secure much needed oversight to help stop bad actors who want to undermine our country. I’ll keep working with my Republican colleagues to fully prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing a single inch of American farmland.” – Sen. Jon Tester

 “The purchase of American land by our adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party drains our country of resources and puts our national security at risk. We should not allow anyone working on behalf of hostile foreign powers to own a single inch of American soil.” – Sen. Tom Cotton

“The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 is an essential tool for safeguarding our nation’s agricultural resources from foreign threats. In recent years, we’ve witnessed a troubling surge in foreign ownership of American farmland, posing serious risks to both our national security and food security. This commonsense bill gives the Secretary of Agriculture a permanent review role on CFIUS to prevent adversaries who don’t share our values from gaining control over American agricultural assets, which will protect our farms in West Virginia and across the country.”—Sen. Joe Manchin

“When adversarial foreign governments buy up U.S. farmland, it undermines economic opportunities for families across America’s Heartland and presents obvious national security threats. The federal government’s number one job is to protect its citizens. Our legislation would support that fundamental responsibility by taking commonsense actions to address current vulnerabilities.” – Sen. Chuck Grassley

“The Chinese Communist Party has proven over and over again they cannot be trusted. They are our adversary, not our ally. All Americans should be alarmed by the amount of American farmland China and other foreign entities own. Giving our adversaries any control over our agricultural resources is a direct threat to our national and food security. Senator Braun’s legislation will help protect America’s farms and safeguard our food supply.” — Sen. John Barrasso

“Food security is national security and that requires America’s farmland be protected from foreign adversaries, like China. I believe one acre of American farmland owned by the Chinese Communist Party is one acre too many,” said Senator Britt. “To protect Alabama and America’s farmland from being purchased by malign actors, the Secretary of Agriculture must have a seat at the table. This commonsense legislation ensures the Secretary of Agriculture is made a permanent member of CFIUS in order to weigh in on the needs of America’s agriculture industry when reviewing foreign investment and ownership.”—Sen. Katie Britt

“Nearly two-thirds of land in Indiana – and more than half of all land in the United States – is farmland. Recent efforts by China and other adversaries to buy agricultural land across the country could present a national security threat. Indiana is a leader in restricting these purchases, but Congress must act to ensure permanent safeguards are in place in all fifty states.” – Sen. Todd Young

“Food security is national security, and for too long, the federal government has allowed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to put our security at risk by turning a blind eye to their steadily increasing purchases of American farmland. It is not enough to just discuss this issue—we must take immediate action to stop the CCP from further encroachment. By adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, we can ensure much-needed oversight of agricultural land purchases by foreign adversaries, which will protect American farmers and the industry as a whole. The Chinese Communist Party has long sought to undermine our institutions and very way of life, and I am proud to lead this effort to support farmers in Central Washington and across the nation.”— Rep. Dan Newhouse

The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 would: 

1. Permanently include the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) with respect to covered transactions involving agricultural land, agricultural biotech, or the transportation, storage, and processing of agricultural products.
2. Authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to report both agricultural land transactions that involve foreign persons of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, and transactions that require AFIDA reporting to CFIUS. 

This bill is sponsored by the Indiana Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance, and the Indiana Corn Growers Association.