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SPOTLIGHT: Produce Safety

JANUARY 2020 Alexandra Cortes, Outreach staff Produce Safety Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture What comes to mind when you think about the risks in a farm environment? It might be physical hazards such as those associated with certain equipment and tools. What about biological hazards such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria, which can be …

SPOTLIGHT: The Opioid Crisis – Where Can You Turn for Help?

DECEMBER 2019 Opioid dependency has been and continues to be a problem for many and it does not discriminate. Rural America is not immune to the problems opioids create particularly in the agricultural community. Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country and with that can come the potential for misuse and addiction. Fortunately …

SPOTLIGHT: To Be Safe, You Have to Know How: OSHA QuickCards

DECEMBER 2019 Safety is a big issue on the farm, but with busy days and potential language barriers, how do you discuss farm safety with employees? QuickCards are free laminated cards that offer quick, bulleted talking points about various safety issues. They even tell you exactly how to train workers about safe practices. There are over 50 topics, …

SPOTLIGHT: A Commitment to Farmers

NOVEMBER 2019 UMASH is invested in helping farmers through these challenging times. We join many others in this effort to offer resources to assist farmers, families, workers and rural communities to manage the physical and mental impacts of the current farm economy. As part of our commitment to this cause, we often highlight relevant initiatives and …

SPOTLIGHT: Roadmap for delivering child care in agricultural communities

NOVEMBER 2019 Sharing is caring is a well used tag line for emails and social media to “get the word out ” on important topics. UMASH often shares relevant farm safety and health information to help make our agriculture producers in the Upper Midwest safer and less prone to injuries. Roadmap for delivering child care in agricultural communities …

SPOTLIGHT: Bryan With Ag Injury News

NOVEMBER 2019 Agriculture still ranks one of the most dangerous occupations, but what does that really mean? Where are the injuries occurring? What are the type of injuries? Who is being injured – youth, adults, immigrants? How severe are the injuries? There are many factors to consider when looking at the whole picture of agricultural injuries. …

SPOTLIGHT: Alma Jordan: Generational Change Begins with Children

OCTOBER 2019 At UMASH, we value the power of connections. At Minnesota Farmfest, a conversation led to an introduction with Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids.   Continue reading to learn about the Irish foundation and the story behind its beginning.   Alma Jordan is a visionary and a doer. Having grown up on a farm south of Dublin, Ireland, …

SPOTLIGHT: safeTALK – Training to Prevent Suicide in Agricultural Communities

OCTOBER 2019 A friend in need is a friend indeed. Old Proverb A friend is there to help when times are tough.  Unfortunately, times are tough right now in agriculture.  Depression, anxiety and suicide are products of the economic downturn. Being a good friend is important now more than ever with our rural neighbors. Fortunately there are opportunities …

SPOTLIGHT: Minnesota is now Hands-Free. What does that mean for you?

SEPTEMBER 2019 Minnesota drivers have to be Hands-Free as of August 2019, so we talked to Minnesota Safety Council’s President, Paul Aasen for answers to common questions and how this law applies when driving farm equipment on public roadways.       What is ‘Hands-Free’? Effective August 1, 2019, Hands-Free Minnesota asked …