On-farm conditions can vary greatly and can include responding to animal disease outbreaks. Such incidents evoke difficult decisions, including depopulation, or humane endings for livestock. Farmers, veterinarians, and other agricultural professionals can experience tremendous stress and trauma during these events. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) recently published a Viewpoint on the Psychological implications of humane endings on the veterinary profession. The article emphasizes the mental health impacts of the profession of veterinary medicine, particularly the impact of making end-of-life decisions regarding animals. …

Spring brings even more activity to the farm, with preparation for fieldwork and the growing season, young livestock, and all the daily work that gets done. Take time to refresh on overhead and buried power lines and cables before moving augers or digging for your latest tile drainage. This article, republished from Safe Electricity, urges farmworkers to be aware of overhead power lines and to keep equipment and extensions far away from them. …

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! …

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. …

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. …

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. …

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. …

As 2022 comes to a close, UMASH presents our 2021- 2022 Annual Report. This report provides a yearly snapshot of the work accomplished for farmers, farm families, and workers. In this report, you will find a summary of our Center’s research, outreach, engagement, and evaluation activities. As UMASH moves forward to 2023 with our newly renewed center, we welcome your questions, comments, and insights into improving occupational health and safety for farmers in the Upper Midwest. …

There are many factors to consider when dressing for winter success. With a bit of information, dressing for winter work can help keep you warm and mobile. We'll help answer some questions...How many layers should I wear? Why do I sweat when working outside? Are gloves better than mittens? There are many factors to consider when dressing for winter success. Let’s look at some suggestions to keep you warm when actively working on the farm. …