For the third year, UMASH and Dr. Troy McKay’s agricultural communications course created short one-minute health and safety videos, sometimes known as public service announcements (PSAs). This course is titled Advanced Video Production for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (AECM 4432) and is an Agricultural Education, Communications and Marketing course offered through the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource sciences at the University of Minnesota. …

UMASH and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety teamed up to survey FFA-ers’ at their 2022 National Convention. This is the fourth year we have surveyed students to gather insights on the next generation of agriculture. The previous years were 2018, 2019, and 2021. …

The Telling the Story Project team was at the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) in Tampa, Florida in June 2023. The team led a workshop called Taking Telling the Story to the Next Level. …

Spring is a season of renewal, and a busy time for farmers, farmworkers, and agricultural communities. It is a welcome relief from the long Upper Midwest winter and marks the arrival of new calves and the beginning of the growing season. To ensure the health of the herd and workers, keep safe animal handling and disease prevention procedures in mind. Prioritizing health and safety during this time can help support your operation's success and sustainability for years to come. Our ag health and safety partners have been diligently sharing information about how to have a safe calving season this year. Read on for more! …

Manure is a valuable resource for crop production. However, as manure decomposes, invisible gases are released, which can be deadly. Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, is particularly dangerous. In addition, there can be an increased release of such gasses during manure agitation. This is especially true when manure slurry contains sulfur compounds from gypsum bedding, poor water quality, or other sources. Read on for information about work at Pennsylvania State University to increase awareness of these dangers and guidelines for preventing injury or death around manure storage. …

The National Farm Medicine Center Year (NFMC) recently published their Year in Review, and NFMC and UMASH researchers Casper Bendixsen and Florence Becot contributed to an article on "Automation, Climate Change, and the Future of Farm Work: Cross-Disciplinary Lessons for Studying Dynamic Changes in Agricultural Health and Safety." UMASH shares some highlights of their collaboration and recent work. …

Since there are always so many things to get done on the farm, it can be hard to get healthy sleep. Sleeping too little, too long, or experiencing other sleep problems like struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep can leave farmers feeling exhausted, making it more likely for mistakes or injuries to happen. Consider these quick tips for healthy sleep during the day and at bedtime, and read on for our full toolkit of sleep resources. …

On the warm, sunny morning of Thursday, April 13th, 2023, UMASH researchers and staff gathered for the first in-person Center meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees represented each of UMASH’s collaborating institutions, including researchers and experts from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Veterinary School, Migrant Clinicians Network, National Farm Medicine Center, and the Minnesota Department of Health. In addition to networking and sharing Center updates, two UMASH researchers, Dr. Noelle Noyes and Dr. Florence Becot, presented about their current research projects, which were funded in the most recent renewal. …

Annie’s Project, a national non-profit to educate and empower women in agriculture, is celebrating 20 years since its founding this year! Their mission is to empower women in agriculture to be successful through education, networks and resources. Annie’s Project provides educational programs designed to strengthen women’s roles in modern agricultural enterprises. The goal is to facilitate confidence, networks, and lifelong learners among women farmers, ranchers, growers, landowners, and agriculturalists. Congratulations to Annie’s Project! …