|
|
AgriSafe in Action:
January 2021
|
|
AgriSafe is excited to announce the addition of Web Technologies Librarian, Sarah Dauterive, to the team! Sarah comes to AgriSafe Network after nearly a decade working as a librarian in higher education. She has spent most of her life in rural communities and descends from dairy farmers in Mississippi. She will be the project lead for the AgriSafe Health Hub, a new project funded by the National Library of Medicine. She is excited to help connect the AgriSafe community with vital health information, both produced by AgriSafe and trusted outside sources! |
|
Southern Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (S-FRSAN) in Action |
|
In 2020 the Southern Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network partners collaborated to offer Mental Health First Aid and QPR training for farmers and farm families. |
|
For more information on the January 22, 2021, QPR training, click here! |
|
AgriSafe Welcomes New Interns |
|
 |
Patrick Burbano is the new Mental Health Crisis Intern for AgriSafe. Patrick brings ten years of experience as a New York City EMT and a desire to serve all communities saving lives one day at a time. Patrick is a Tulane Master's of Public Health student, and is excited for the opportunity to learn about the needs of agricultural producers and their families. AgriSafe is thrilled to have his interest in mental health and experience working with individuals in crisis as an emergency health provider.
|
|
|
|
|
Scotlyn Sunkel is the AgriSafe intern for Opioid Misuse Prevention. She is from Lafayette, Indiana and attended Purdue University for undergrad. She currently attends Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine working on a master’s degree in Maternal and Child Health. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, watching reality TV, and traveling. She is excited to work at AgriSafe and learn more about health in farming communities!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Train the Trainer: Prevention of Zoonotic Diseases
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CST
|
|
Agricultural Community QPR for Farmers and Farm Families
Friday, January 22, 2021
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM CST
|
|
|
Preparing for the Cold Weather Ahead |
|
While winter weather tends to send us in search of more indoor time, individuals working in agriculture are still spending a great deal of their time outdoors in these cold months. Cold weather can make individuals prone to slips, trips, falls, and frostbite as well as cold and flu symptoms. Now is a good time to take inventory of gloves (moisture and weather—proof, fit snug but not too tight), hats (protecting ears but not limiting visibility), protective layers, and footwear (moisture proof, lined, and deep channels for traction).
Taking care of the immune system (as well with adequate hydration) is also important! High fiber winter food favorites foods such as legumes, cranberries, and sweet potatoes help to support a healthy immune system– good news is that they also contain great Vitamin C levels. Homemade soups and whole grain breads, and dark leafy greens make great comfort food meals that are lower in sugar and sodium…goodbye to holiday calories! It is also a good idea for individuals to add a vitamin and mineral supplement to their winter diet regime.
Click here for a list of tips to live a healthy lifestyle (provided by the Medline Plus).
|
|
Cold Weather, Warm Muscles |
|
Snow and ice, wind, frigid air temperatures are an expected seasonal element farmers and ranchers face daily while caring for their operations. In addition to feeling uncomfortable, cold weather exposure reduces the heat in muscles causing them to contract resulting in overall tightness. Tight joints and muscles reduce range of motion and increase the risk of injury. Hardworking muscles work even harder to complete the same tasks, causing more muscle damage and increased soreness. Take the chill out by breathing while stretching the major muscle groups that power a person through the physically taxing work of farming and ranching. Checkout these pilates and yoga resources below, that contain examples of exercises that can be done on the farm!
|
|
January Health Spotlight:
Cervical Cancer Awareness
|
|
January is cervical cancer awareness month. Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women and women can lower their risk for cervical cancer by getting screened regularly, starting at age 21. The primary cause of cervical cancer is a high risk type of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Other risk factors include a personal history of dysplasia (abnormal growth or development of cells) of the cervix, vagina or vulva, family history of cervical cancer, smoking and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Cervical Cancer | ACOG. In a study released by the CDC, rural counties had higher incidence of cervical cancer than urban counties at every stage of cervical cancer. According to the study, higher cervical cancer incidence among women in rural areas highlights missed opportunities to implement evidence-based interventions to promote cancer screening and increase screening use in rural communities (see the full report here).
For more information on cervical cancer prevention, click here.
|
|
AgriSafe Board of Directors
Out Going Members
|
|
AgriSafe would like to thank Debra McCallum and Jessica Wilburn for their service on the AgriSafe Network Board of Directors, we appreciate all of their hard work and wish them the best on their future endeavors. We are extremely grateful for their time and dedication that they have given while serving. We want to thank them for bringing their passion, intellect, insight, experience and resources to the table to help those in the agricultural community. |
|
Debra McCallum, PhD
A message from Debra:
To be honest, I had limited knowledge about AgriSafe when I became a board member, and it took me a good amount of time to feel that I had a reasonable grasp on its organizational structure and activities. I think this is because there was so much going on! Natalie and the staff members were always thinking about new ideas and creative new ways to fulfill the mission and vision for AgriSafe. I had to agree to a second term, because I finally felt like I understood a few things about this complex, vibrant organization. And then I agreed to a third term because I truly enjoyed working with Natalie, the board members, and the staff members to help make AgriSafe the strong organization it is. My respect and admiration for Natalie and for the hard-working, wonderful staff members she has gathered together has grown with each passing year. I know AgriSafe is in good hands!
|
|
Jessica Wilburn, RN, MSN, CEN
A message from Jessica:
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, AgriSafe-NC Nurse Coordinator and co-owner of a registered Angus seed stock farm, I have both professional and personal knowledge of the health and safety issues affecting agricultural populations on a day-to-day basis. Being certified as an audiometric technician/hearing conservationist and pulmonary function technician as well as having experience in emergency medicine as a nurse and administrator, I have gained knowledge needed to assess needs of patients 0-100 years of age including health, safe environments, activities of daily living, nutrition, medication management, hearing, lung function, occupational health and more. Most importantly, I am keenly aware of the need for healthcare providers to be sensitive to the realities of individuals being able to manage their health in all aspects and safety wherever they are - on a farm, log deck, boat or elsewhere - and understanding the 'culture' of agriculture. Having the opportunity to contribute to the AgriSafe board and afforded me the ability to collaborate and continue to gain knowledge in all aspects of agriculture and share this knowledge with others.
|
|
Upcoming Events in Ag Health and Safety |
|
Horizon Conference January 9-10, 2021 |
|
The Horizon Conference is a new virtual conference offered by the National FFA Organization to cultivate the next generation in production agriculture. The conference focuses on juniors and seniors in high school and graduate FFA members (ages 18-24). The Horizon Conference will have all of the highlights of an in-person National FFA conference: engaging speakers, panels, roundtables, industry experts and opportunities to connect. Registration is through January 8, 2021.
AgriSafe staff members Linda Emanuel & Tara Haskins will be presenting Cultivating a Healthy Mind, on Sunday, January 10, 2021 from 3:00-3:45pm CST. Registration is available here.
|
|
Free Online Training on Finding Multilingual and Multicultural Health Information |
|
In alignment with AgriSafe’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, we are excited to share a course on providing health information to diverse populations from the Network of the National Library of Medicine. Quality health information on the web will be identified, with special focus on the refugee, immigrant, migrant, and seasonal farmworker populations and they languages they primarily speak. A full, month-long self-paced version of the course is available beginning February 22nd, or you may watch a pre-recorded one-hour version of the course on YouTube. Registration for the month-long course, a link to the one hour recording, and course materials are available here.
|
|
National Farmers Union Women's Conference
January 17-18, 2021
|
|
Farming is never a one-woman job – it takes a village to run a successful operation. This conference will not only prepare attendees for success in agriculture, but it will also provide them with their own network of women farmers and ranchers they can reach out to throughout the year. Farmers, policy makers, educators, and specialists will present on a number of subjects, including business management, marketing, farm safety, leadership, and more. Registration is available here.
|
|
Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice Hosts Virtual Town Hall- January 27, 2021 |
|
Partnerships for Environmental Public Health will host a Virtual Town Hall Meeting with a focus on impacts of natural disaster and farm workers. This virtual town hall will be held on January 27, 2021 and will discuss: Hurricanes, Major Floods, Tornadoes, and Earthquakes amidst COVID-19 and Impacts of Natural Disasters on Farm. For more information, contact Joy Lee Pearson, ( joy.leepearson@nih.gov).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
