In the depths of their sorrow, the Biadasz family made a courageous decision: they would not let Mike’s death be in vain. They recognized that if a seasoned, fourth-generation farmer like Mike could be caught off guard by these hidden dangers, then thousands of others were at risk. From this realization, the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety and Education Memorial Fund was born. The fund’s mission is to peel back the veil on the “invisible dangers” of farming, specifically focusing on the hazards of manure gas exposure.
The work of the memorial fund has become a vital resource for farmers across the Midwest and beyond. They advocate for the use of gas monitors—small, wearable devices that beep or vibrate when concentrations of hydrogen sulfide or methane reach dangerous levels. These devices, which cost significantly less than the price of a single head of cattle, are literal life-savers that could have altered the outcome of that August morning. Beyond hardware, the fund focuses on education, teaching farmers to recognize the weather conditions—such as low wind, high humidity, and temperature inversions—that increase the risk of gas entrapment. They also push for better ventilation designs in manure storage facilities and promote a “buddy system” during high-risk tasks.
