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SPOTLIGHT: Meg’s Mishap

JUNE 2020 It is December 8, 2019, late afternoon and nearly time for milking… Meg Moynihan-Stuedemann is getting the parlor ready and notices that the air filter looks somewhat dirty. Milk quality is very important on the Stuedemanns’ farm so she wanted to make sure this filter was replaced.  Outside the barn she finds a ladder which is stuck …

First Online Community Forum a Success

JUNE 2020 On June 15, UMASH hosted a community forum for the western Wisconsin/eastern Minnesota region. The focus was aging on the farm, an important issue given the aging of America’s farmers. The turnout was terrific, with more than 80 participants. Professor and director of University of Minnesota Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, Joe Gaugler …

SPOTLIGHT: How Old is Old? Aging in Agriculture

JUNE 2020 How old is old? Depending on who you ask, you may get a number of answers. 45? 55? 65? Is it when you are eligible for senior discounts, safe driving courses or Social Security benefits? What does one mean by “old?” The average age of farmers is 58, and many continue to work into later ages including 65 and older. Farming is a dangerous …

FYI on PHI: UMASH Teaches New Course Online

JUNE 2020 COVID-19 has changed how we live, work and learn, and UMASH has been adapting with everyone else. UMASH staff taught a new course at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s summer Public Health Institute, which went online for the first time ever. The course built on our center’s work in stress and mental health support in …

SPOTLIGHT: Aging is a Public Health Issue

JUNE 2020 The United States and many communities around the world are “growing older.” With the changes in demographics today and in the future, aging is an increasingly important public health issue. The average age of farmers is approaching 60. Many continue to live and work on the farm well beyond typical retirement age. How can we as a community …

SPOTLIGHT: Aging on the Farm – A Community Forum

JUNE 2020 Aging is part of life and if Benjamin Franklin had his way, none of us would grow old. But we do and with aging comes many changes – physiologically, mentally and sensory. Many of these changes can challenge our safety and health particularly when staying in one’s home. NDSU Extension Service is an educational leader in the area …