Summary: It’s no surprise that farmers’ behavioral health is positively correlated with crop production and healthy animals. But what happens when markets swing, there’s a drought, feed prices go sky-high, and you can’t find good employees? Stress. It’s the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. Stress creates chemical reactions inRead More
Summary: Stress can directly impact safety. Whether managing forestry wildfires or working long strenuous days harvesting and hauling timber, the forestry and logging workforce face unique situations that can predispose stress and challenges to mental well-being. The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (AgFF) industries has one of highest percentages of deaths by suicide. Key factorsRead More
Meeting Purpose: The purpose of these monthly meetings is to engage innovative ideas and strategies to serve the farming and ranching community in the area of mental health. Please extend invitations to colleagues and other professionals that are interested in this subject. Register Here Interested in sharing a mental health innovation? Email CareyRead More
Summary: Forest workers face unique ergonomic challenges due to their exposure to extreme environmental conditions, heavy workload, and dangerous tools and machines. The forest sector has one of the highest rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), almost 100 times higher than the industrial targets the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) set. This programRead More
What is QPR? QPR training teaches laypeople and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade and Refer. To attend this training participants must be 18 years of age or older. In this 1.5-hour QPR training, we will provide: - Information on the unique challenges farmers face thatRead More
Summary: Forestry and logging workers are exposed to a range of biological hazards, extreme weather, accidents, and – especially for women– assault. Workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. This training will review the many forms of workplace violence among co-workers, including sexual harassment. The federal Occupational Safety and Health ActRead More
Summary: Veterans deal with a whole host of disabilities, traumas, and transitional issues following military service. Agriculture can serve as a solution to many veteran issues through professional training to support career goals and therapeutic activities to support overall wellness of the veteran and their families. Crosscutting programs like Heroes to Hives seek to addressRead More
Summary: Foresters and loggers work in the most hazardous industries with high job-related injury, illness, and fatality rates. This workforce faces unique environmental exposures, ergonomic challenges, and health disparities across all ages. The last comprehensive literature review in forestry health and safety for NIOSH was completed in 2012. Under a NIOSH IPA project, AgriSafe conductedRead More
Meeting Purpose: The purpose of these monthly meetings is to engage innovative ideas and strategies to serve the farming and ranching community in the area of mental health. Please extend invitations to colleagues and other professionals that are interested in this subject. Register Here Interested in sharing a mental health innovation? Email CareyRead More
Summary: Dr. Merendino will present the Importance of Foot Health in Agriculture in the first half of the presentation. He will address important practices and provide examples of foot health issues to take action on. Karen will finish with a presentation on her extension fieldwork with the ag/hort growers along with Dr. Merendino including a field day programRead More
What is QPR? QPR training teaches laypeople and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade and Refer. To attend this training participants must be 18 years of age or older. In this 1.5-hour QPR training, we will provide: - Information on the unique challenges farmers face thatRead More
Summary: As people spend more time outdoors, so do many insects and pests. Among them are ticks, which are small bloodsucking insects. The deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) is found mainly in the Eastern and upper Midwestern regions of the U.S. It can cause conditions such as Lyme disease – the mostRead More
