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COVID-19 Awareness and Preparedness

August 2021 Dr. Jeff Bender was a featured virtual presenter at the Wisconsin Farmworkers Coalition meeting, organized by Legal Action Wisconsin.  Jeff gave a short presentation on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021 of the producers’ survey paper, COVID-19 Awareness and Preparedness of Minnesota and Wisconsin Dairy Farms.  The survey found dairy farmers support …

Mobile COVID-19 Vaccinations and Immigrant Dairy Workers

APRIL 2021 Dairy workers in the country face considerable occupational risks and hazards in their daily operations. As essential workers, the risk of contracting COVID-19 has become an additional concern. Many are immigrants, and in the face of other barriers such as language, transportation and immigration concerns dairy farms are finding it difficult …

SPOTLIGHT: Practice Physical Distancing on the Farm

DECEMBER 2020 The recent news is overflowing with the approval and distribution of the COVID -19 vaccine. Coverage of the UPS and FedEx trucks leaving the warehouse, the first people to receive the vaccine and the elated healthcare workers dancing in the street showcase the excitement. It is a welcome sign of hope for what is to come. With all that …

SPOTLIGHT: Check Out Our Checklist – Take 5 Minutes to Save a Life

SEPTEMBER 2020 Farming is a dangerous occupation, and many communities may be extra vulnerable to COVID-19. If you live, work, or grew up on a farm, you probably know someone who was injured or died in a farming incident. Can’t think of anyone? You’re lucky. Imagine a world where no one got hurt or died from a farming-related incident. That world …

Don’t Kiss the Calves

AUGUST 2020 Dr. Jeff Bender was one of the featured speakers on the August 26, 2020 episode of The Dairy Signal™, a live streamed event hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. The Dairy Signal™, is a free online resource providing dairy farmers insights for informed decisions. Dr. Bender discussed what types of zoonotic diseases …

Farm Safety Check: Safety for Working Youth

Children, teens, and adults working on farms face hazards not encountered in other jobs. Youth doing work that doesn’t match their developmental level and abilities increases the risk of injury. Use these guidelines to help determine if a youth is ready to perform a job and learn about hazards and keeping working youth safe.  …

SPOTLIGHT: ATV’s and the Pandemic

AUGUST 2020 Many farmers and ranchers use ATVs and UTVs responsibly for essential work. They are a common piece of equipment and need to be handled in a way that prevents injuries and fatalities. This is especially true when youth are operating the machine. Our partners at the National Farm Medicine Center recently shared a press release highlighting …

UMASH Director Jeff Bender Ensures Safe Farming Practices During COVID-19

JULY 2020 COVID-19 has changed the way we work, and farmer cooperatives are no exception. Human resource leaders at farmer cooperatives are taking in information and planning how to keep workplaces healthy. UMASH Director Jeff Bender was recently invited to speak to human resources employees from Land O’Lakes and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives …

SPOTLIGHT: Helpful Tricks to Keep You in Tip-Top Shape During COVID-19

JULY 2020 The sun is shining, and the birds are chirping. All I want to do is go to the fair. I can imagine the cheese curds, the laughter, the 4Hers showing off their livestock. To be around other humans? What a blessing that would be. But then I think about my friend’s father, who contracted COVID-19, and I wonder what would happen if my aging parents …