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Pigs & Public Health

On February 26, 2023, UMASH Director, Dr. Jeff Bender, discussed public health aspects related to African swine fever and global animal health with National Hog Farmer and Feedstuffs in their African Swine Fever iCOMOS webinar series. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Bruce Alexander, UMASH’s founding and former director. …

Manure is risky business – we’re putting safety first!

MARCH 2023 As a part of our Emerging Issues Program, UMASH has been working to understand and prevent injuries and fatalities related to manure management.  A recent study by UMASH and colleagues at the University of Minnesota Extension explored the self-reported occupational hazards of manure applicators in Minnesota. In October 2022, UMASH’s Devon …

SPOTLIGHT: Lead the Way in Safety during ASAP Week 2023

This year, ASAP Week is March 6-10 with a theme of “Lead the Way in Safety.” Each day of the week highlights a different agricultural health and safety focus. Check out UMASH resources for each day’s topic below, and use the promotional toolkit to share your own safety messages! …

Ag Health and Safety on the Hill – Q&A with UMASH Student, Erica Shuck

Each year, UMASH leaders visit with congressional staff at the U.S. capitol to educate them about the importance of funding agricultural health and safety programming. This year, UMASH research assistant Erica Shuck joined Center Director Jeff Bender, Outreach Director and Center Coordinator Megan Schossow, and Founding Center Director Bruce Alexander on their trip to “the Hill.” Read more about her experience below. …

SPOTLIGHT: UMASH Behind the Scenes

In the latest SPH Behind the Scenes, University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) Interim Dean Tim Beebe interviewed Center Director Dr. Jeff Bender, Research Project Specialist Chela Vázquez, and Center Coordinator and Director of Outreach Megan Schossow. They share their stories and discuss their work and current topics in agricultural health and safety, like the impact of the changing climate, workforce, and agricultural industry. …

SPOTLIGHT: Promoting safety and health during avian influenza outbreaks

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continue to occur across the United States and globally, affecting millions of birds. UMASH has responded to the HPAI outbreak by developing a toolkit, serving as a resource, and collaborating with partners. This NIOSH blog post highlights efforts during the outbreak to communicate about HPAI, its risks to workers, and prevention strategies. …

SPOTLIGHT: Call 1-800-FARM-AID for support in English or Spanish

UMASH is a collaborative center of five leading research and healthcare institutions. One of our collaborators, Migrant Clinicians Network, recently highlighted the Spanish-language hotline they created with Farm Aid. All farmers, including Spanish-speaking farmers, can call 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243) and receive support. …

Kicking Off 2023 Talking Farm Safety

With 2023 under way, the UMASH outreach team has been covering ground to continue to amplify health and safety in Upper Midwest agriculture. Looking for ag health and safety resources, speakers, or experts? Please reach out. …

SPOTLIGHT: Stay Safe with Sows – Protect Yourself from Injury

Common injuries include back and knee injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and hearing loss. These and other injuries can affect your bottom line. UMASH has a new video for protecting swine workers from becoming injured on the job. Farm Worker Sow Behavior Safety Tips offers practical recommendations to avoid serious injury. …

SPOTLIGHT: An Attitude of Gratitude – UMASH highlights from 2022

Each year, UMASH works to improve agricultural health and safety in the Upper Midwest through research, outreach, and community engagement. As we enter 2023, we look back at the 2022 with gratitude. This story shares our top emails, website pages, social media posts, and more, of the past year. …