LaMar Grafft operated the family farm in Jones County, IA until he went to Iowa State University to study Animal Science / nutrition. Following graduation, he obtained employment with ISU extension as an area livestock specialist out of the Cedar Rapids office and was hired as the I-CASH “farm safety educator” in 1993.
Grafft served many years as an ambulance crew member and as a flight paramedic for two hospitals in Cedar Rapids. He took the special Farm Medic program which trains paramedics and first responders in the specific details of farm injury rescues and first responder and on site paramedic treatment of persons injured on the farm. Grafft became a Farm Medic trainer Iowa and the Midwest, training hundreds of fire-rescue service professionals.
As an assistant in the University of Iowa’s academic MS/PhD program in Agricultural Safety and Health, Grafft took students on farm tours to increase their understanding of the equipment, processes, and exposures on farms. He also provided an average of 10 continuing education presentations per year in Iowa.
Grafft was also an important cog in the wheel of the “Building Capacity Program.” This program works with other entities around the country to establish sustainable programs in agricultural medicine training. He taught the acute injury portion of these courses and established a national reputation through this program.
The Certified Safe Farm is another program in which Grafft made significant contributions. He helped design the audit tool, and was been the principal trainer for our CSF auditors. He trained 30 CSF auditors, who now operate in Iowa, Nebraska, and North Carolina.