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SPOTLIGHT: Play It Cool – Keeping You and Your Dairy Cows Safe From Summer Heat

JULY 2020 “Is it hot enough for you?” Summer has arrived with all the heat, humidity and everyday conversations (or complaints) about the weather. We humans know what heat and humidity feel like, but what about your livestock? Could your dairy cows be at risk for heat stress in the same way you are? The I-29 Moo University podcast covered the topic …

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 …

Farm Safety Check: COVID-19 Infection Prevention

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we work on the farm. You and/or your employee(s) can use this form to complete safety checks in light of the pandemic. Use the form below to list additional safety checks you think are important when inspecting your farm. …

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 …