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Off-Road Ready: ATV/UTV Safety for Every Ride

While ATVs and UTVs can be enjoyable to drive and practical for work, the thrill of riding can turn dangerous, even deadly, if not handled with caution. Use these ATV and UTV safety tips to get off-road ready and gear up for a safe ride every time. …

Welcome back, Cassie! A catch up Q&A

UMASH welcomes Cassie Edlund back to the team as Senior Communications and Evaluation Specialist! Learn more about her journey, passion for public health, and commitment to promoting health and safety for agricultural communities through effective communication strategies and storytelling in this insightful Q &A. …

Advancing Agricultural Safety in DC

UMASH, MCOHS and other NIOSH Centers met in Washington, DC to discuss occupational safety and health research, training and outreach, focusing on advancing the well-being of workers in the agricultural sector, and workers across the US. …

Possible or probable? MDH tracks potential farm-related injuries to prevent future risks

Dr. Erik Zabel studies health and safety on farms. In his work, he looks at data about injuries and illnesses from hospitals and clinics to understand which injuries likely happened on farms. Using hospital discharge data (diagnosis codes and e-codes), Erik is tracking farm injuries and working to develop a farm safety indicator. A farm safety indicator could be used to accurately track the number of farm injuries over time, which would provide insight into whether safety programs have helped reduce the number of injuries, create possible and probable safety and health categories, and target where workplace interventions may be helpful. …

Honoring the Life of Carol Peterson

All of us at UMASH are deeply saddened to share that our dear friend and colleague, Carol M. Peterson, passed away November 19, 2023. Carol was a significant part of the UMASH team, and a gift to the agricultural safety and health community. We are deeply grateful for Carol’s impact and contributions, as well as the relationships and memories made along the way. …

Fall Connections

NOVEMBER 2023 Autumn is a significant season in agriculture, and UMASH had an active month connecting with colleagues and FFA students and making new connections. Fraternizing at FFA UMASH & National Farm Medicine Center’s (NFMC) Scott Heiberger and Melissa Ploeckelman traveled to the 2023 National FFA Convention. Thousands of attendees, both …

Scene and Herd in September

September was a busy month for meetings and presentations. The Ag Centers Safety and Health Summit in Marshfield, WI; the Auction of Champions at National Farm Medicine Center, and John Gibbins, DVM, MPH, dipl. ACVPM visited to UMASH and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine. …

Cultivating Wellness for Aging Farmers through Partnerships

Many farmers in our region continue to live and work well past retirement age. Aging can bring on new challenges on the farm. The body changes with age, sometimes causing slow reaction times, mobility challenges, eyesight, and hearing loss. As you can imagine, these physical changes can make working with farm hazards like pesticides, animals, and heavy machinery more dangerous. With this in mind, UMASH has been working on projects and encouraging conversations to help make sure farmers are safe on the farm as they grow older. Join us on October 12, 2023, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. to learn more, network, and participate in a panel discussion and Q&A with UMASH aging partners. …

ACTION! Recognizing Student Participants in the 2023 Ag Communications Contest

For the third year, UMASH and Dr. Troy McKay’s agricultural communications course created short one-minute health and safety videos, sometimes known as public service announcements (PSAs). This course is titled Advanced Video Production for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (AECM 4432) and is an Agricultural Education, Communications and Marketing course offered through the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource sciences at the University of Minnesota. …

Living Healthy, Farming Safely at MN Farmfest

On August 1-3, for the fifth year, we collaborated with our partners to host the UMASH Wellness Pavilion at the 2023 Minnesota Farmfest, the largest farm show in Minnesota. Hosted on the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County, Minnesota, this event attracts thousands of farmers, workers, families, state and local officials, and community members from across the region. The Wellness Pavilion offers hands-on activities, blood pressure screenings, and live ag safety demonstrations to encourage learning and conversation about Living Healthy, Farming Safely. …