DECEMBER 2022
The 2022 Midwest Regional Agricultural Safety and Health Conference (MRASH) was held November 16th and 17th in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and virtually. The conference theme encouraged participants to envision a safe and healthy future for food and agriculture. Megan Schossow, Carol Peterson, and Devon Charlier attended the conference on behalf of UMASH.
The keynote speaker for the event was Matt Russell, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer and State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency. His presentation addressed the changing trends affecting the future of agriculture, including climate change, cover crops, equipment modifications, and land prices.
UMASH REPRESENTIVES
Megan presented information in two roundtable discussions, including Collective and Effective Communication: Measuring the Impact of a National Campaign delivering Farm Safety and Health Messaging, sharing a novel process for evaluating multi-institution campaigns, and Better Together: Applying the IAP2 Spectrum of public participation to engage ag health and safety partners, discussing the spectrum of strategies for meaningful engagement with the communities we serve.
Carol provided many UMASH resources at an exhibit table, showcasing our Success Stories, Farm Safety Check, Women in Agriculture, and Stop Think Act posters.
Devon facilitated a virtual breakout discussion session to complement in-person conversations about how attendees can re-imagine and contribute to a food and agriculture system characterized by health and safety. The MRASH conference provided a venue to connect with other regional ag health and safety professionals and share ideas, resources, and collaboration opportunities.
