Just a few days after a man was pinned underneath his tractor in Jackson County, agriculture experts remind us that farming is one of the most dangerous professions in the state.

But what makes farming so dangerous?

Thirty people died from farm-related accidents while working in Wisconsin fields in 2005.

That's according to a UW-Extension report.

The number is up from 25 deaths the year before but down from the number in 2003.

Local experts say the profession still has a long way to go to become safer.

Out in these fields, Dennis and Doug Hawkins are hard at work putting in long hours preparing for harvest.

Dennis' wife Sarah says she worries about her husband each day he is out, working these fields: everything from operating the tractors to being exposed to gases in the silos.

UW-Extension Agricultural Agent Jerry Clark says those are legitimate concerns: they're some of the most common sources of farm-related injuries.

"Farmers also trying to fix their own buildings, roofs," Clark said. "And on the equipment, they can run into trouble with falls, slips, things like that."

Clark says tractor rollover accidents are the most common.

But he says a lot of the responsibility lies with the people operating these big machines.

"Newer machinery is bigger, faster," Clark said. "But a lot has to do with reaction time. Workers are getting older, the average age of farms is getting older. Medical reasons could be a big part of why these accidents are happening."

That's why UW-Extension agents are trying to educate farmers about changes they can make to make farming safer.

"We encourage them to adapt, and add protective structures to their tractors," Clark said.

Another major hazard on the farm is one you may not think of: farm animals.

Clark says after farm machinery, farm animals are the second-largest cause of injuries.

The roads are also dangerous these days.

"There's more traffic on the roads, more people moving into rural areas," Clark said. "Roads were built for moderate-sized machinery, and now new machinery takes up the entire width of the road."

In 2005, 24 counties in Wisconsin reported farm-related deaths, including Chippewa, Clark, Dunn and La Crosse.