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SPOTLIGHT: Precarious bugs to avoid this spring

MARCH 2021 Addisalem Hunde Bedada DVM, MS Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident After the long, dark, winter months, spring is literally a breath of fresh air. In this time, the snow recedes, and the temperatures become more moderate and we can say goodbye to the frigid winter and enjoy the transition before a hot summer kicks in. …

SPOTLIGHT: The Hierarchy of Controls: Keeping Toothpaste in the Tube!

MARCH 2021 Have you ever tried putting toothpaste back in the tube? It doesn’t work well. The same goes for farm safety. It’s better to prevent an incident, such as COVID-19, than to deal with the aftermath. The Hierarchy of Controls is a great tool to prevent injuries and save lives. It requires you to identify hazards and develop creative solutions. …

SPOTLIGHT: Springtime – shedding sweaters and crypto

MARCH 2021 For those of us in the Upper Midwest, spring is a welcomed time of year. The days are longer, warmer and we can slowly shed the sweaters and puffer coats. For dairy and beef farmers, spring is a time to anticipate spring calving and prepare for herd health. Cryptosporidium is a common parasite during calving season and cryptosporidiosis is …

SPOTLIGHT: Safer FACEs Online Training Program for Agritourism Venues

UPDATED MARCH 2021 In January 2018, the Minnesota Department of Health launched Safer Farm Animal Contact Exhibits (Safer FACEs), a training program for agritourism venues. The free, web-based, at-your-own-pace training offers an opportunity for owners and staff of these operations to learn how to keep visitors safe from illnesses that can spread from …

SPOTLIGHT: A Veterinary Perspective to Ag Health and Safety

MARCH 2021 His background in veterinary medicine, public health, and research has proven an impactful addition to the development of animal and human health resources at UMASH, adding a unique and specialized perspective for farm safety. As we continue to provide support to farmers and the ag community, Addisalem will play a key role in the research …

SPOTLIGHT: Biosecurity and Swine Educators

MARCH 2021 Diane DeWitte and Sarah Schieck Boelke are Extension Educators with the University of Minnesota Extension. With both having educational backgrounds and experience working with swine, they can offer research-based information on a number of topics including swine production, nutrition, health, facilities, management and biosecurity. Biosecurity …

SPOTLIGHT: Some Things Shouldn’t be Shared

FEBRUARY 2021 The concept of sharing for most of us probably goes back to childhood. Whether we learned to share with a sibling, a friend, or in school, we learned that sharing is good. As adults, the importance of sharing is always present; whether it be sharing knowledge, wealth, time or resources, the idea is that everyone benefits from sharing. …

Stress Busting with Women in Ag Network

FEBRUARY 2021 At the 2021 Women in Ag Network Annual Conference, UMASH hosted a stress buster in the virtual community. The 2021 conference Building Bridges, Cultivating Connections, held on February 3, 2021, gathered over 100 attendees, ranging from agricultural businesses, farmers, Extension educators and more. The UMASH presentation focused on equipping …

SPOTLIGHT: Youth safety resources

FEBRUARY 2021 UMASH regularly emphasizes that agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the US, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Farmers are at very high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries; and farming is one of the few industries in which family members (who often share the work and live on the …