NOVEMBER 2021
Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.
UMASH is celebrating a milestone this year by turning ten.
As we have “unfolded” over the years we have developed relationships with our colleagues in the agricultural community. These ties have been so beneficial to us by sharing and learning from one another, all in a combined effort to improve the health and safety of the farmers, farm families and farm workers we serve.
We asked a few of our partners to share their thoughts on UMASH turning ten and reflect on how we have grown as a center. Looking from the outside in, our partners have shared their thoughts on who we were, who we are and where we are going.
TEN YEARS OF PARTNERSHIPS
Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH)
“I have witnessed UMASH evolve from a fresh-faced, new NIOSH Agricultural Center into a robust, impactful, innovative Center of Excellence. UMASH has led the way in addressing many emerging issues over the past 10 years and I look forward to seeing what wonderful research and outreach will emerge from this Center in the next 10 years!” – Ellen Duysen, MPH, COHC, Coordinator
FROM THE ARCHIVES…
AgriSafe Network
“Like all of our great NIOSH Ag Centers, UMASH has built a tradition of responding to the dynamic needs of the agricultural community. Their work to assess and evaluate issues in their region and to supply evidence-based safety and health information for producers and agricultural related businesses saves lives. One of the greatest strengths of UMASH is a remarkable staff that bring varied experience and knowledge to the program. By cultivating relationships, UMASH has become a strong partner and collaborator with many organizations that serve our rural workforce and their families. They truly could display a logo and banner that emphasizes “we are better together!”. In addition, their caring staff members are so enjoyable to work with on programs and projects. The AgriSafe team is grateful to consider UMASH an integral part of our circle of expertise!”
FROM THE ARCHIVES…
Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER)
“As a Latine immigrant in Minnesota, I appreciate UMASH’s collaborative approach towards building partnerships and its intentionality towards deepening those relationships, particularly when learning about and engaging culturally diverse agricultural workers. When it comes to this worker population, UMASH has been ahead of the curve designing initiatives focused on building trust and making these workers feel “seen”: making space for them to share their experiences with a wider audience; empowering them to train their peers; or talking about their mental health consistently when no one else was doing so.” – Mónica Cruz-Zorrilla, Associate Director
FROM THE ARCHIVES…
TEN YEARS OF TACKLING ISSUES
For ten years, UMASH has been “promoting healthy and safe people in sustainable agriculture in the Upper Midwest” through research, community engagement and outreach, and cultivating partnerships with others in agriculture, health and safety, education, and government and community leadership. Together with our partners, we have worked to raise awareness of agricultural health and safety for farmers, farm workers, and their families, addressing a variety of existing and emerging issues.
