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AgriSafe in Action Newsletter
April 2022 Edition
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AgriSafe Board of Directors, Call for Nominations! |
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Interested in serving on the AgriSafe Board of Directors? Each turn lasts three years, and the deadline to apply is April 18, 2022. The AgriSafe Board of Directors assists in the development and application of policies, procedures, and regulations to govern operations. They also monitor the finances, programs, and performance of the organization.

The Board should include individuals with diverse work, life, social, and educational backgrounds to ensure well-rounded decisions are made to reflect its entire membership. Click here for more information. 
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Free Suicide Prevention Training! |
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QPR training teaches laypeople and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade, and Refer. AgriSafe currently offers free QPR trainings in the following states: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming.
If you live in one of these states, click here to sign up for one of our upcoming trainings!
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Alcohol, Ag, and Rural Communities |
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While only 14% of the US population lives in rural areas (USDA-ERS, 2019), rural areas account for 45% of all US alcohol-related fatalities. Agriculture is a solid anchor for our rural communities. Yet alcohol use in rural America continues to grow, threatening the stability of ag families. According to SAMHSA's 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the percentage of adults (ages 26 and older) living in completely rural areas that engaged in heavy drinking in the past month increased between 2019 and 2020.
Drinking at a younger age increases the risk of alcohol misuse in adults. Compared to large metro areas, rural adolescents (ages 12-20) have higher rates of: alcohol use, binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, and driving under the influence. Some rural social factors that play a role in alcohol use include: a lower level of underage drinking disapproval from parents; peer acceptance of alcohol use; alcohol access at family events; isolation; and a lack of mental health support and services for rural residents, particularly youth.
While alcohol education is a mainstay of youth prevention programming, parental influence has been the foremost protective factor in preventing youth drinking behaviors (Maine Rural Health Research Center, 2012). So, to support agricultural families, we must encourage them to have self-reflective and informed conversations about alcohol use. One topic area they might first discuss could be alcohol access.
For more information on alcohol use in agriculture, visit:
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Talking Total Farmer Health® Podcast
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This month on Talking Total Farmer Health we discussed Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases with Adina Bercowicz, Founder and Executive Director of LymeTV. Adina spoke about her experience with Lyme disease, named a few common tick-borne diseases plus their signs and symptoms, and gave some great tips for reducing our risk of tick bites.

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Protect your Flock, Protect your Family |
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AgriSafe is responding to the rapidly emerging issue of avian influenza, which is caused by the type A influenza virus. While people rarely contract bird flu, it is important to recognize the mode of transmission, best practices in prevention, and the use of appropriate PPE. To learn more about this rapidly spreading zoonotic infection, or to find resources for producers, visit our page on avian influenza.
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AgriSafe Webinar Opportunities |
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Tools to Help Manage Financial Risk for Livestock Producers
April 12, 2022
12 PM - 1 PM CT
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ATV-UTV Safety for Women
April 20, 2022
12 PM - 1 PM CDT
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Pesticide Safety Awareness |
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Spring is here, which means that the growing season is beginning. As such, people will be using pesticides to protect their crops and prevent weeds. There is a risk of exposure that can have adverse side effects on both humans and animals, which warrants strict adherence to the product labels and instructions for protective measures. Cooperative Extension services, state and regional conservation agencies, and agricultural membership organizations should provide guidance on use of chemicals and potential alternative measures. Special attention needs to be given to exposures by adults in childbearing years, children, immune-compromised adults, and pets. (source)
The health risks from pesticide exposure depend on pesticide components, the amount a person is exposed to, length of exposure, and the route of exposure – skin, eyes, inhalation, or swallowed. Symptoms of pesticide exposure can range from mild to severe and can include skin, nasal, throat, and eye irritation, headache, and dizziness, weakness, sweating, nausea vomiting cramps, blurred vision rapid pulse rate, excessive salivation, confusion or disorientation, rapid breathing or inability to breathe, pinpoint pupils, loss of reflex, muscle twitching, and unconsciousness. (source)
For more information, check out these links:
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AgriSafe in Action: AgrAbility 2022 Conference |
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In-person conferences are back and AgriSafe is on the move! Recently, AgriSafe presented on a broad range of Total Farmer Health topics at the AgrAbility National Training Workshop hosted in Madison, WI. Approximately 200 health and safety professionals, producers, and consumers attended the four-day event. AgriSafe topics included: prevention of back injuries; ergonomic safety for women; safety sensitivity of opioid use in agriculture; Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) for farmers and farm families; prevention of COVID-19 among the agricultural Industry; and a respiratory PPE show and tell. |
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Agricultural operations, large or small, are important to US agriculture. The National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) conducts a census of all agricultural operations every five years, in addition to other agricultural surveys. The last day to sign up for the census is June 30th, 2022. If you have never received a census and are new to NASS surveys, sign up to be counted today.
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The Agricultural Health and Safety Course for Medical and Safety Professionals, from Central States' Center for Agricultural Safety and Health in Nebraska, is designed to examine key health and safety issues specific to rural and agricultural workers. Experts will present course material relevant to those working in health care, public health, education, and safety professions. This course is offered FREE of charge. Registration for each session is required. More information is available here!

Course Dates
- Session A: Agricultural Health — July 12-13, 2022
- Session B: Agricultural Safety and Prevention — July 14-15, 2022
- Session C: Special Topics — Online modules available July 12 - Aug. 12, 2022
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