17 Indiana Farm Deaths in 2025: Purdue Report Reveals the Hidden Dangers of Agriculture

Production agriculture in Indiana is producing record yields with fewer workers than ever before, but the cost of getting grain into the bin and livestock to market continues to be measured in human lives.

According to the newly released 2025 Indiana Farm Fatality Summary from Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program, 17 agricultural workplace deaths were documented across the state in 2025. While that figure marks a historic reduction from decades past—down sharply from the 54 deaths recorded in 1981 or the 40-plus annually when Dr. Bill Field arrived at Purdue in 1977—safety experts stress that agriculture remains the state’s most hazardous industry.

“For nearly 60 years we have been distributing an annual summary of farm-related fatalities in order to keep the problem in the public eye,” says Dr. Bill Field, Purdue professor of agricultural and biological engineering and National AgrAbility Project director. “While the total number of farm-related deaths has gradually declined, the fatality rate per number of workers remains one of the highest of all Indiana occupations.”

With an estimated 94,282 farm producers working 52,000 operations across Indiana, 1 out of every 3,058 farms experienced a work-related fatality in 2025. The estimated death rate stood at approximately 18 to 21 per 100,000 workers—more than four times higher than the statewide average for all combined industries (5.1 per 100,000).

Key Trends: Where Safety Is Improving—and Where Risks Remain

The 2025 summary highlights major long-term shifts in farm hazards, showcasing where safety initiatives are saving lives and where new vulnerabilities are emerging:

• Tractor Rollovers Declining, But Still Deadly: Historically, tractor overturns and runovers accounted for up to 47% of all Indiana farm fatalities (1994–2008). In 2025, tractor-related incidents dropped to 29% (5 deaths). Experts credit the broader adoption of Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS), modern cabs, better stability, and proper ballasting. However, older tractors without ROPS—frequently used on small acreage or for rotary mowing on steep banks—remain a primary danger zone.
• Young and Old at Highest Risk: Age extremes continue to represent a startling majority of victims. In 2025, individuals under 18 and those 60 and older accounted for 53% of all fatalities (3 youth, 6 seniors). While youth fatalities have dropped dramatically from peak years like 1994 (when 9 children died), devastating incidents still occur, including a tragedy in June where a 4-year-old boy and his 68-year-old grandmother were both killed in a combine runover incident in Jackson County.
• Amish & Old Order Communities: Indiana’s growing Old Order communities continue to face disproportionate loss. High reliance on horse-drawn equipment, older unshielded machinery, active child involvement in daily labor, and livestock handling contribute to higher incident rates in counties like Elkhart (39 historical deaths), LaGrange (34), and Adams (21). Outside of farmyard incidents, 8 horse-and-buggy collisions were recorded on public roadways in 2025, resulting in 8 deaths and 14 injuries.
• Confined Space Surveillance: Indiana historically ranks No. 1 in the nation for documented agricultural confined space incidents, logging 1 fatal grain bin suffocation (a 58-year-old female in Marshall County) and 5 non-fatal grain entrapped rescues in 2025. Researchers note Indiana’s top ranking is largely due to Purdue’s aggressive 40-year tracking program rather than higher actual occurrence rates than neighboring states.
• Emerging Hazards: Over the past decade, Purdue researchers observed a wider range of incident causes. Modern farm hazards requiring heightened awareness include skid steer operation around bystanders, UTV/ATV overturns, tree felling, falling from structures, and carbon monoxide exposure in enclosed farm buildings.

Summary of Documented 2025 Fatalities

Non-Fatal Injuries and Economic Impact

Beyond the 17 lives lost, Purdue tracked 37 severe non-fatal agricultural incidents in 2025, including 13 buggy collisions, 7 equipment-highway crashes, 6 tractor incidents, and 6 grain bin/silo entrapments.

Because non-fatal farm injuries are not subject to mandatory reporting, experts estimate the true count is far higher. Historical studies suggest that 1 in every 9 Indiana farms experiences an injury requiring emergency medical treatment each year.

“Injuries that were not survivable 20 or 30 years ago are now being successfully addressed by better-trained first responders and rapid deployment of air transport medical services,” Field noted.

What Can Farm Families Do Today?

Purdue safety specialists emphasize several immediate actions farm operators can take to safeguard their families and workers:

1. Equip Older Tractors with ROPS: If you operate older utility tractors for mowing ditches or light chores, retrofit them with rollover protection and seatbelts.
2. First Aid & Emergency Training: With rural EMS response times stretching in remote areas, farm family members should complete training like “Stop the Bleed,” CPR, and basic first aid.
3. Enforce Bystander Rules: Keep young children away from active work zones, especially around skid steers, combines, and heavy implements.
4. Utilize Mental Health Resources: Rural stress remains a vital issue. Help is available 24/7 through the national suicide and crisis hotline by calling or texting 988.
5. Access Preparedness Tools: Visit www.INPrepared.org and www.farmsafety.org for practical emergency planning templates and training resources.

Turning Tragedy into Action: The ‘Maverick Minute’ Movement

Behind each instance of a fatality listed in Purdue’s report is a farm family altered forever, but for one Southern Indiana community, grief has transformed into a powerful mission to save lives. Following the June 23, 2025, Jackson County accident that claimed 4-year-old Maverick Flinn and his great-grandmother Nancy Fox, Maverick’s family turned a heartbreaking loss into nationwide action. What began as a simple text message plea from Maverick’s great-grandfather, Charlie, asking a friend to “Take a Maverick Minute,” quickly grew into the Maverick Minute Foundation. Built on three clear pillars—Pause. Inspect. Protect.—the organization encourages producers to adopt a conscious, 60-second habit before starting any farm task to check for blind spots, bystanders, and machinery hazards.

To build a lasting culture of safety across rural America, the foundation has established a major national alliance with the National FFA Organization to integrate its safety curriculum into agriculture classrooms nationwide. By empowering school-aged agriculture students to lead the movement on their family operations, the Flinn family hopes the younger generation will remind parents and grandparents to slow down, pause, inspect, and protect when it comes to operating large equipment and machinery on the farm.

Since 1970, at least 1,619 Indiana farm families have suffered the devastating loss of a loved one in a work-related incident. As another production season unfolds, taking a few extra minutes to assess risk around equipment and grain structures could be the decision that saves a life.

CLICK HERE to read the full 2025 Indiana Farm Fatality Summary report from Purdue University.