No, an idealist would not treat his children worse than a regular employer would treat his employees. His disregard for the safety of his children is disgraceful. If he had treated "employees" with as little regard for safety as he treats his children, he'd have his business closed down by Fed-OSHA. He'd have been fined probably about $50,000 for the back hoe incident.
It's one thing to home school your children. Its another thing to use them for slave labor for your business. The safety of children is a "public" concern. Always has been. Always will be.
I live in an Amish region of southern Ohio. We've long been a hardwood logging area, and the Amish are no exception.....everything from lumber to finished furniture.
They have an exemption from the state for their kids to work in home sawmill operations (a la "The Waltons").
For your information, it is not uncommon for backhoes to tip. In this case, wet soil caused one tire to sink and slowly tip. The agile youth hopped out before the hoe finished tipping with no ill effects.
Also, allowing a youth the pleasure of learning skills when he so chooses does not constitute "slave labor."