SEPTEMBER 2024
UMASH Founding Director Bruce Alexander discusses safety and health with University of Minnesota President Cunningham and University of Minnesota Extension Dean Durgan.
For the sixth year, on August 6-8, 2024, UMASH hosted the UMASH Wellness Pavilion at Minnesota Farmfest, the largest farm show in Minnesota. Hosted on the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County, Minnesota, this event attracts thousands of farmers, workers, families, state and local officials, and community members from across the region.
The UMASH Wellness Pavilion provides valuable safety, health, and injury prevention resources for farmers, farmworkers, and families with hands-on activities, blood pressure screenings, live farm safety and rescue demonstrations, and a “new to 2024” Family Wellness Area to encourage learning and conversation about Living Healthy, Farming Safely.
Health and Safety Hub, All Under One Tent
Bringing together national health and safety partners from across the nation, the pavilion offered valuable resources and demonstrations on topics such as farm and occupational safety, mental health, healthy living, roadway safety, and many other topics.
Joined by over 20 other national, regional, and local partners, over 4,400 attendees visited the Wellness Pavilion to learn about and engage with topics ranging from grain bin safety, mental health, healthy living, youth and family safety on the farm, roadway safety, and more.
Attendees of all ages visited UMASH outreach team members Megan Schossow, Cassie Edlund, and Olivia Clark to put their farm safety knowledge to the test, spinning the UMASH Farm Safety Wheel for a chance to win safety and health giveaways like cooling towels provided by Minnesota Farmers union, flashlights, medication deactivation kits, and children farm safety coloring and activity books.
In collaboration with sponsors, exhibit partners, and experts, UMASH presented ag safety and rescue demonstrations about ATV/UTV safety, Emergency Harvest, and Adaptive Equipment. CentraCare also offered free blood pressure screenings in the Wellness Pavilion.
New to 2024! Family Wellness Area and Interactive Safety Zone
A new highlight of the pavilion this year was UMASH’s new Family Wellness Area that featured fun, safe family activities, including shade, water, youth farm safety activity books, a lactation room provided by the City of Marshall and a safety zone space presented by the Central States Center, Great Plains Center and Progressive Agriculture Safety Days.
The Safety Zone drew nearly 700 attendees to the Pavilion as they engaged in hands-on activities to learn about sun safety, hearing protection, ATV/UTV safety and grain bin safety while earning a sporty bucket hat and PAF backpack.
Together, Wellness Pavilion exhibitors distributed 5,200+ safety and health resources and giveaways to Farmfest attendees!
Thank you to our sponsors, supporters, and other partners who worked with us to help keep farmers, farmworkers, and families safe, healthy, and injury-free.
- Emergency Harvest, Adaptive Equipment, PTO Demonstration
Presented by: Farm Rescue - ATV/UTV Safety
Presented by: CS-CASH + UMN Extension
- 10,000 Families Study
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Minnesota Chapter
- Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS CASH)
- Farm Rescue
- Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health
- Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Minnesota Operation Lifesaver
- Minnesota Regional Poison Center
- Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence
- Minnesota Veteran Farmer Coalition
- MN Safety Council
- NAMI Minnesota
- National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
- National Farm Medicine Center
- Pipeline Ag Safety Alliance
- Progressive Agriculture Safety Days
- Rural Health Research Center
- Stop the Bleed / Southwest Regional Trauma Advisory Council
- UMN Extension - Farm Health and Safety
- University of Minnesota Extension Department for Youth Development | ATV Safety
- Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center
- Workplace Safety Consultation