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A Communications Innovator in Agricultural Safety and Health

OCTOBER 2022 Farming is a way of life that is ever-changing. Financial uncertainty, market shifts, the unpredictability of weather events, and infectious disease are just a few factors that can impact the health and well-being of agricultural communities. When a potential threat takes form, communication plays a vital role in keeping farmers, farmworkers, …

SPOTLIGHT: Indigenous Peoples’ Day

OCTOBER 2022 On the second Monday of October, we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Many people are taught the story of Christopher Columbus “sailing the ocean blue in 1492” and discovering the “New World.” While it made for a catchy rhyme, this story erases the land’s true history – that indigenous people lived, farmed, and were …

SPOTLIGHT: Is it just a “senior moment”?

SEPTEMBER 2022 According to the most recent 2017 census, the average age of farmers is estimated to be 57.5 years old – continuing a long-term trend for overall aging in the United States. Aging leads to a gradual decrease in physical and mental capacity, and there is a growing risk of developing age-related diseases or conditions. One of many …

SPOTLIGHT: Put on your pilot’s cap and prepare for a safer harvest season!

SEPTEMBER 2022 Agriculture is known to be hazardous. With higher death, injury, and illness rates than many other occupations, it can often feel like threats to health and safety are unavoidable on the farm. However, agricultural incidents are preventable. In a recent Hoard’s Dairyman article, our colleague, John Shutske, shares a powerful comparison …

Making Progress: Farm Progress Show back in 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022 The 2022 Farm Progress Show (August 31 to September 1, 2022) was back in action in Boone, Iowa for the first time following a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19. UMASH was fortunate to be part of the show, where attendance is one of the largest in the country!  In the Health and Safety tent, UMASH’s Carol Peterson interacted with show …

SPOTLIGHT: Farm Stress: Starting the conversation

SEPTEMBER 2022 Farming is one of the most dangerous and physically challenging occupations. It is also mentally and emotionally challenging. Economic, social, and environmental forces can be major sources of stress for farm families and rural communities. In a recent Capital Times article by Blake McCoy, ‘It’s OK to not be OK’: Farmers open up …

SPOTLIGHT: Ouch! Don’t Get Stuck on the Farm

AUGUST 2022 If you are a livestock farmer, you know that vaccinations are commonly used to treat or prevent disease for overall animal health. However, when working with needles, it is important to note that injections can be a safety hazard to the producer or employee. RESOURCES UMASH has developed the following Needlestick Prevention fact sheets and …

Coming Together Under One Big Tent to Keep Farmers and their Families Safe at MN Farmfest

AUGUST 2022 The UMASH Wellness Pavilion The UMASH Wellness Pavilion served as a one-stop shop for attendees to get up-to-date farm safety and health information with health screenings provided by the Mobile Health Initiative and Roadmap to Health, live safety demonstrations, and farm safety and wellness exhibitors from around the nation. As showgoers …