“NIOSH Ag Centers work collaboratively on national efforts and events,” said Jennifer Lincoln, NIOSH Associate Director for the Office of Agriculture Safety and Health, “while at the same time, each Center specializes in the distinct agricultural, forestry, and fishing industries and worker safety and health needs of their region.”

“The overarching goal of our Center is to improve the health and safety of agricultural owners, producers, and workers relevant to the Upper Midwest, the country, and the world,” said UMASH Director Jeff Bender, D.V.M. “The central theme of UMASH is to promote a One Health approach that emphasizes the interconnections between human, animal, and plant health and the health of the environment for addressing the changing health and safety conditions for the people that feed us all.”

UMASH Outreach Director and Center Coordinator, Megan Schossow, commented, “To address some complex challenges in agricultural health and safety, we’ve brought together a diverse team of experts. We have folks from sociology, veterinary medicine, anthropology, environmental health, agronomy, public health, education, and more. By learning from each other and working closely with our agricultural community, we believe we’ll continue to positively impact this critical workforce.”