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Staying Safe and Staying in Business: A Minnesota Farmfest Virtual Panel Discussion

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Staying Safe & Staying in Business

A Minnesota Farmfest Virtual Panel Discussion

Tuesday, August 4, 2020 | 9:00-10:30am Central

Farming is risky business. Farmers and farm operators face numerous health, safety, and financial risks. Physically demanding work and high levels of uncertainty place a heavy burden on the health and wellbeing of farmers and farm operations. COVID-19 brings additional layers of risk and uncertainty.

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Hear from leaders and experts in agriculture as they discuss all matters of farm health in this virtual panel discussion co-hosted by the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center (UMASH) and the Minnesota Safety Council.

Paul Aasen, President of the Minnesota Safety Council, will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by a short Q&A session. Speakers include a range of farm management, health, and safety experts:

Dr. Joni Scheftel
State Public Health Veterinarian & Infectious Disease Expert
Dr. Joleen Hadrich
Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics & Finance
Doris Mold
Agricultural Management & Leadership Consultant
Emily Krekelberg
Farm Safety & Health Extension Educator, Rural Stress Task Force Director

Moderator:

Paul Aasen
President and CEO of the Minnesota Safety Council

Paul Aasen has over 30 years of experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Aasen has served in the public sector as the city coordinator for the City of Minneapolis, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, director of government relations and policy in Governor Jesse Ventura’s office, and assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Paul has also worked for Global Volunteers, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and the Metropolitan Council. Aasen holds a master’s degree in environmental health from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

Panelists:

Joni Scheftel DVM, MPH, DACVPM

State Public Health Veterinarian
Supervisor, Zoonotic Diseases Unit
Minnesota Department of Health

Joni Scheftel is Minnesota’s State Public Health Veterinarian and she leads the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health. Dr. Scheftel’s group is responsible for zoonotic disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, and she serves as a liaison between the Department of Health and Minnesota’s animal agriculture agencies for issues that intersect human health and animal health. Dr. Scheftel has a longtime interest in occupational health and farm safety. In addition to her DVM degree, she has a Masters of Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health. For COVID response, she is Co-lead of the Workplace Clusters Workgroup.

Joleen Hadrich

Associate Professor, Extension Economist
Department of Applied Economics
University of Minnesota

Joleen Hadrich is as an Extension economist and associate professor in the Department of Applied Economics. Dr. Hadrich works with agricultural producers to study how farm management decisions affect the financial success of their operation using farm data from multiple sources. Joleen grew up on a dairy farm in central Minnesota and gets many of her research project ideas form interacting with farmers and the agricultural professionals that support farmers.

Doris Mold

President,
Sunrise Agricultural Associates, LLC

Doris Mold is the President of Sunrise Agricultural Associates, LLC, an agricultural consulting firm. She is an Agricultural Consultant, Agricultural Economist, Educator, Advocate, and Catalyst, as well as a farm co-owner/operator. Wearing multiple hats like many women in agriculture has informed her of the challenges and stressors that face many in agriculture. Mold’s consulting practice has included a broad range of work, including but not limited to management, business and economic analysis, farm stress, feasibility and transition plan development, coaching, evaluation, marketing, advocacy, leadership, education and organizational development.

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Emily Krekelberg

Educator for Farm Safety and Health
Director of Rural Stress Task Force
University of Minnesota Extension

Emily Krekelberg grew up on her family’s dairy farm near Le Sueur, Minnesota. She works for University of Minnesota Extension as the Extension Educator for Farm Safety & Health and as the Director of the Rural Stress Task Force. Her farm safety & health programming focuses on grain bin safety, livestock safety, and farmer mental health; her work with the Rural Stress Task Force includes leading Extension’s statewide effort to address rural stress issues such as farmer mental health, the opioid crisis, and access to care. Working in both positions has given her a unique and intimate view of the stresses farm families experience.