CANTON, N.Y. -- Toby Irven has owned a farm for more than 30 years, raising horses and producing hay.
"The tractors themselves do all the work for making the hay, and it's just nice to have them a little more protected and have the drivers protected," said Irven, Cedar Tree Farm owner.
According to State Sen. Patty Ritchie, nearly 100 farmers are killed in tractor rollovers each year. That's why farmers are being urged to make sure they have rollover bars installed.
Advocates for the rollover protection system say that these bars can help save lives because they give an extra cushion of space for farmers to safely get out from under their tractors.
However, Irven's tractors are almost 50-years-old, and many older models like his aren't equipped with the safety feature. He says it would have cost thousands of dollars if he were to buy the rollover bars himself, a cost he says would be out of the question.
In fact, officials say about 40 percent of tractors in New York do not have the protection bars, but Irven was able to get help through the the Rollover Protective Structure Rebate Program, which installs and pays for most of the cost.
"When our hard-working farmers are out there, we need to make sure that their jobs are as safe as they can possibly be," Ritchie said.
A thought that gives Irven peace of mind.
"You've got something above you, and having something above you makes a lot of difference," Irven said.
Now Irven can focus more on producing hay, and less on what might happen to him in the fields.