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SPOTLIGHT: Alma Jordan: Generational Change Begins with Children

OCTOBER 2019 At UMASH, we value the power of connections. At Minnesota Farmfest, a conversation led to an introduction with Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids.   Continue reading to learn about the Irish foundation and the story behind its beginning.   Alma Jordan is a visionary and a doer. Having grown up on a farm south of Dublin, Ireland, …

SPOTLIGHT: safeTALK – Training to Prevent Suicide in Agricultural Communities

OCTOBER 2019 A friend in need is a friend indeed. Old Proverb A friend is there to help when times are tough.  Unfortunately, times are tough right now in agriculture.  Depression, anxiety and suicide are products of the economic downturn. Being a good friend is important now more than ever with our rural neighbors. Fortunately there are opportunities …

SPOTLIGHT: Minnesota is now Hands-Free. What does that mean for you?

SEPTEMBER 2019 Minnesota drivers have to be Hands-Free as of August 2019, so we talked to Minnesota Safety Council’s President, Paul Aasen for answers to common questions and how this law applies when driving farm equipment on public roadways.       What is ‘Hands-Free’? Effective August 1, 2019, Hands-Free Minnesota asked …

SPOTLIGHT: Head to Toe (or Hooves)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Dr. Gerard Cramer is one of our colleagues that knows dairy cows well – right down to the hooves. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota – College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Cramer owned a foot health specific veterinary practice and today his research focuses on figuring out what causes lameness in cows, hoof trimming, …

SPOTLIGHT: Grain Bin Rescue Equipment

AUGUST 2019 Travel around the Upper Midwest and you’ll see that the landscape is dotted with grain bins in all shapes and sizes. These structures house soybeans, corn and other grains grown in the region and are a central part to crop farming. Grain bins can be a dangerous presence on farms with respect to deadly asphyxiation and entrapment. The National …

SPOTLIGHT: One Stop Shop for Wellness and Safety at Minnesota Farmfest

AUGUST 2019 Being efficient is key to getting jobs done on the farm.  Farm Bureau Financial Services and UMASH understand this need and encourage farmers to be safe and healthy at the same time. New to Farmfest this year is the Farm Bureau Financial Services Wellness and Safety Pavilion.  It is a one stop shop to learn from over 25 exhibitors on …

SPOTLIGHT: SAY What?

JULY 2019 Teaching agriculture today is more diverse than ever from biosecurity standards to hearing protection to business management, teachers have much to accomplish in the classroom. Read on to learn more about this organization designed to help teachers prepare students for sound agriculture safety and health practices on and off the farm. Linda …

SPOTLIGHT: The Multiplier Effect – US Ag Centers at Minnesota Farmfest

JULY 2019 The term “multiplier effect” is a term you may be familiar with and one commonly used in the world of economics.  UMASH and our neighboring U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers  also apply the multiplier effect in the world of safety and health as it relates to reaching farmers, farm families and workers. UMASH and our colleagues …

SPOTLIGHT: In the Interest of Safety

The phrase, “in a split second” is used frequently to describe all types of situations that happen quickly and without time to react, many of which can be life threatening events.   …