EMERGING ISSUES | COVID-19 | EVENTS | CONTACT

UMASH – the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center – brings a multidisciplinary approach guided by One Health principles to improve the health and safety of agricultural workers and their families in the Upper Midwest region.
LEARN MORE


Explore how UMASH is working to promote health and safety on the farm!

Latest News
  • In The Field / SpotlightMarch 20, 2024
    Off-Road Ready: ATV/UTV Safety for Every RideWhile ATVs and UTVs can be enjoyable to drive and practical for work, the thrill of riding can turn dangerous, even deadly, if not handled with caution. Use these ATV and UTV safety tips to get off-road ready and gear up for a safe ride every time. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightFebruary 28, 2024
    Welcome back, Cassie! A catch up Q&AUMASH welcomes Cassie Edlund back to the team as Senior Communications and Evaluation Specialist! Learn more about her journey, passion for public health, and commitment to promoting health and safety for agricultural communities through effective communication strategies and storytelling in this insightful Q &A. [...] READ MORE
  • In The FieldFebruary 20, 2024
    Advancing Agricultural Safety in DCUMASH, MCOHS and other NIOSH Centers met in Washington, DC to discuss occupational safety and health research, training and outreach, focusing on advancing the well-being of workers in the agricultural sector, and workers across the US. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightJanuary 18, 2024
    Possible or probable? MDH tracks potential farm-related injuries to prevent future risksDr. Erik Zabel studies health and safety on farms. In his work, he looks at data about injuries and illnesses from hospitals and clinics to understand which injuries likely happened on farms. Using hospital discharge data (diagnosis codes and e-codes), Erik is tracking farm injuries and working to develop a farm safety indicator. A farm safety indicator could be used to accurately track the number of farm injuries over time, which would provide insight into whether safety programs have helped reduce the number of injuries, create possible and probable safety and health categories, and target where workplace interventions may be helpful. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightNovember 29, 2023
    Honoring the Life of Carol PetersonAll of us at UMASH are deeply saddened to share that our dear friend and colleague, Carol M. Peterson, passed away November 19, 2023. Carol was a significant part of the UMASH team, and a gift to the agricultural safety and health community. We are deeply grateful for Carol’s impact and contributions, as well as the relationships and memories made along the way. [...] READ MORE
  • In The FieldNovember 22, 2023
    Fall ConnectionsNOVEMBER 2023 Autumn is a significant season in agriculture, and UMASH had an active month connecting with colleagues and FFA students and making new connections. Fraternizing at FFA UMASH & National Farm Medicine Center’s (NFMC) Scott Heiberger and Melissa Ploeckelman traveled to the 2023 National FFA Convention. Thousands of attendees, both students and advisors, get a front row seat to agricultural safety and health when they visit the NFMC booth, where farm safety jeopardy initiates conversations and resource sharing around farm safety. Making a splash at MRASH UMASH staff and researchers also gathered in Dubuque, Iowa, November 8-9, 2023, for the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Conference (MRASH). UMASH’s work was presented to conference attendees, including a Telling the Story Project workshop and a poster on the Promoting Safety and Worker Health for Immigrant Dairy Workers research project. The National Farm Medicine Center was part of the MRASH conference with Dr. Florence Becot and her research project, which focuses on understanding the impact of individual and environmental influences on farmers and how likely they are to seek mental health support. Also attending was Jakob Hanschu from the Rural Firefighter Delivering Ag Health and Safety project, which has expanded internationally. Brief from the Board Our work is guided by the input of the UMASH Advisory Board, who represent many facets of Upper Midwest agriculture. On November 16, 2023, Advisory Board Members from South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota gathered virtually to revisit UMASH’s activities over the past year, and discuss a variety of ongoing and emerging farm safety issues and priorities.  The board members took this time to share the issues that keep them up at night and how UMASH can continue its work to promote agricultural health and safety to keep farm workers and families safe, and help us all sleep a little better! On the road again UMASH & National Farm Medicine Center’s (NFMC) Scott Heiberger and Melissa Ploeckelman attended the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasters conference in Kansas City, Missouri on November 15-17. This conference results in dozens of interviews, highlighting new resources and important information from the agricultural health and safety experts. We’re thankful for a community committed to the health of our agricultural workforce. Happy Holiday Season! [...] READ MORE
  • In The FieldOctober 31, 2023
    Scene and Herd in SeptemberSeptember was a busy month for meetings and presentations. The Ag Centers Safety and Health Summit in Marshfield, WI; the Auction of Champions at National Farm Medicine Center, and John Gibbins, DVM, MPH, dipl. ACVPM visited to UMASH and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine. [...] READ MORE
  • In The FieldSeptember 11, 2023
    Cultivating Wellness for Aging Farmers through PartnershipsMany farmers in our region continue to live and work well past retirement age. Aging can bring on new challenges on the farm. The body changes with age, sometimes causing slow reaction times, mobility challenges, eyesight, and hearing loss. As you can imagine, these physical changes can make working with farm hazards like pesticides, animals, and heavy machinery more dangerous. With this in mind, UMASH has been working on projects and encouraging conversations to help make sure farmers are safe on the farm as they grow older. Join us on October 12, 2023, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. to learn more, network, and participate in a panel discussion and Q&A with UMASH aging partners. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightSeptember 6, 2023
    ACTION! Recognizing Student Participants in the 2023 Ag Communications ContestFor the third year, UMASH and Dr. Troy McKay’s agricultural communications course created short one-minute health and safety videos, sometimes known as public service announcements (PSAs). This course is titled Advanced Video Production for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (AECM 4432) and is an Agricultural Education, Communications and Marketing course offered through the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource sciences at the University of Minnesota. [...] READ MORE
  • In The FieldSeptember 6, 2023
    Living Healthy, Farming Safely at MN FarmfestOn August 1-3, for the fifth year, we collaborated with our partners to host the UMASH Wellness Pavilion at the 2023 Minnesota Farmfest, the largest farm show in Minnesota. Hosted on the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County, Minnesota, this event attracts thousands of farmers, workers, families, state and local officials, and community members from across the region. The Wellness Pavilion offers hands-on activities, blood pressure screenings, and live ag safety demonstrations to encourage learning and conversation about Living Healthy, Farming Safely. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightAugust 27, 2023
    Do you believe in… farm safety? FFA’ers share their thoughtsUMASH and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety teamed up to survey FFA-ers’ at their 2022 National Convention. This is the fourth year we have surveyed students to gather insights on the next generation of agriculture. The previous years were 2018, 2019, and 2021. [...] READ MORE
  • In The Field / SpotlightJuly 16, 2023
    Telling the Story at ISASH 2023The Telling the Story Project team was at the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) in Tampa, Florida in June 2023. The team led a workshop called Taking Telling the Story to the Next Level. [...] READ MORE

VIEW ALL NEWS

NEW AND FEATURED RESOURCES

calendar

EVENTS

Keep your calendar up to date with farm safety events and offerings from our farm safety partners.


CONNECT WITH US

Follow us on social media to stay connected with all the latest ag health and safety information, resources, UMASH news, and just some fun social interaction.


Are you receiving The UMASH Connector?

Join our mailing list to receive our email newsletter delivered to your inbox!  You’ll also receive ag health and safety spotlight stories, farm safety checklists, and featured news, resources, and events.

PARTNERS

The center is a collaboration of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine, the National Farm Medicine Center of the Marshfield Clinic with the Migrant Clinicians Network, and the Minnesota Department of Health. This collaboration brings together unique and complimentary expertise to address existing and emerging occupational health and safety issues in agriculture.

  • University of Minnesota School of Public Health
  • National Farm Medicine Center
  • University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Minnesota Department of Health
  • Migrant Clinicians Network