EMERGING ISSUES | AVIAN INFLUENZA | EVENTS | CONTACT

Billions and Billions (of microbes)

SEPTEMBER 2020 Dr. Peter Davies, BVSc, PhD is a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota and a principal investigator for the UMASH project: Longitudinal Study of Infectious Disease Risks at the Human Swine Interface. Dr. Davies and colleagues recently published an article in the National Hog Farmer addressing …

SPOTLIGHT: Be Safe and Smart Around Silage

Be Safe and Smart Around Silage Tracey Erickson South Dakota State University Extension August 24, 2020 As summer changes over to autumn, silage harvest is on the calendar for many dairy and livestock farmers. Farmers use corn silage as a source of nutrition for their herd as it provides a high-yielding, consistent source of forage. There are a number …

SPOTLIGHT: Extra Riders on Tractors are a High Risk for Fatality

SEPTEMBER 2020 Ever heard the phrase, “If one is good, two must be better?” Kids on and off the farm are often attracted to tractors and ask the driver to “ride along.” This may apply to many scenarios, but not so when it comes to tractors. Transportation incidents, which include tractor overturns, are the leading cause of death for farmers …

The Move to Virtual

Jeff Bender, DVM UMASH Director I’m missing seeing people in person. Yet, over the past few months, nearly all of our UMASH interactions are being handled virtually. We’ve successfully connected with our partners through a number of activities: We brought our mental health network and resources into a Public Health Institute course. Students developed …

Don’t Kiss the Calves

AUGUST 2020 Dr. Jeff Bender was one of the featured speakers on the August 26, 2020 episode of The Dairy Signal™, a live streamed event hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. The Dairy Signal™, is a free online resource providing dairy farmers insights for informed decisions. Dr. Bender discussed what types of zoonotic diseases …

Farm Safety Check: Safety for Working Youth

Children, teens, and adults working on farms face hazards not encountered in other jobs. Youth doing work that doesn’t match their developmental level and abilities increases the risk of injury. Use these guidelines to help determine if a youth is ready to perform a job and learn about hazards and keeping working youth safe.  …

SPOTLIGHT: Grain Bin Cost Share

Even though the days remain hot, humid and summerlike, fall harvest is just around the corner and many farmers are gearing up for the busy days. Grain bin safety has been the subject of much discussion during the past few years and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is leading an effort to make safety more affordable. A new cost share program …

SPOTLIGHT: The UMASH Expo Lives On!

AUGUST 2020 When the farm show ends, the reminiscing begins. The people we saw. The lessons we learned. So much to do and never enough time to do it all. But wait! You can continue experiencing the farm show. With the virtual nature of the UMASH Online Expo: A 20/20 Look at Ag Health, Safety, and Wellness, you can relive the glory days all over again. …

Staying Safe and Staying in Business: a Farmfest Panel

AUGUST 2020 “We’ve transitioned the event online” seems to be the norm for the time being. This year, Minnesota Farmfest moved their programming online. UMASH and the Minnesota Safety Council co-hosted a panel on August 4, 2020, Staying Safe and Staying in Business, to launch the three days of live programming. There are many risks on the farm- …