Beth Lee is thrilled to be working as the Spring 2024 Library Intern at AgriSafe, under the supervision of Angela Landrum, AgriSafe’s Librarian. 

Beth grew up in Oklahoma, where she often visited her grandparents’ farm in the southeastern part of the state. Her grandparents raised six children, had a herd of cattle, and grew a small variety of crops. Visits to their farm taught Beth a deep appreciation for the hard work and tenacity that agriculture requires.

Beth and her husband have lived in the suburbs of Kansas City for over twenty years, where they raised their daughter and Beth worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist. After deciding to change career paths, Beth went back to school to obtain her master’s in library science. Beth is excited to help AgriSafe keep the website’s health information relevant and accessible, and to help agricultural communities!

AASV 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee

Did you know that pig squeals can reach 100 dbA (A-weighted decibels)? That means veterinarians working closely with swine are at risk of permanent hearing loss. AgriSafe nurses, Charlotte Halverson and Linda Emanuel recently trained individuals on hearing loss, hearing conservation, and mental wellness at the 2024 American Association of Swine Veterinarians conference from February 24-27.

In tandem with hearing screenings, veterinarians were given point of contact education on the impacts of hearing loss and appropriate hearing conservation.

March is National Kidney Month! Did you know kidneys filter all of a person's blood up to 25 times a day? This kidney month, join AgriSafe in getting to know your kidneys. Learn how to protect these two fist-sized, bean-shaped organs that work for you around the clock!

8 Tips to Protect Your Kidneys: (source: Massachusetts General Hospital)

1. Get tested for kidney disease- physicians can test for this with an eGFR blood test and a uACR urine test.
2. Monitor your blood pressure- a healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80 or less.
3. Exercise regularly- 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly, such as walking for 30 minutes 3 days a week.
4. Manage blood sugar levels- when a person's blood sugar is too high, their kidneys have to work extra hard to filter blood.
5. Eat a balanced diet- a balanced diet is low in sodium, processed meats, fried foods, and sodas.
6. Stay well hydrated- water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys and reduces the risk of chronic kidney disease.
7. Stop smoking- smoking causes damage to your blood vessels and puts you at an increased risk of kidney damage.
8. Limit over-the-counter (OTC) medication use- according to the National Kidney Foundation, using OTC medications including ibuprofen, naproxen, or other NSAIDs, can damage your kidneys if taken for more than 10 days in a row for pain or more than 3 days in a row for fever.

Additional Resources:

• Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• All About Kidney Disease Fact Sheet- American Kidney Fund
• Prevention and Risk Management of Chronic Kidney Disease- CDC

In this months episode of Talking Total Farmer Health, our host Linda Emanuel speaks with married couple Chris and Eve Pawelski (who are onion farmers from Goshen, NY) about mental health, financial hardships, and remaining resilient through troubled waters. If you're a farmer, you know it's not always smooth sailing - check out this episode for a touching story and some great tips for what to do if you encounter financial strain on your own farm.

To listen to the latest episode, visit our website or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - make sure to subscribe so that you to get notified when our episodes are released!

Did you know that March is recognized as Workplace Eye Wellness Month?

Eye injuries can cause pain, eye diseases, and the loss of time, money, and possibly eyesight. It is important to wear eye protection any time that your eyes are at risk of injury while working in agriculture. It is also important to educate yourself on proper first aid treatment for eye injuries and to seek medical attention immediately if any eye injury occurs.

Need resources to help? No worries, UMASH has you covered - check out their Farm Safety Check: Eye Protection on the Farm page and resources, which includes a checklist that shows potential hazards and steps to prevent workplace eye injuries.

National Farmworker Awareness Week: March 24-31

Farmworkers feed the world. Did you know that 85% of our fresh fruits and vegetables are handpicked? There are an estimated 2.5-3 million men, women, and children who work in the fields in the United States.

National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) is a week of action for communities and individuals to bring attention to farmworkers and honor them for the contributions they make to our daily lives.

To get involved, or for more information, visit the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs' website.

FORHP Rural Maternal Health Webinar Series

Registration is now open for a webinar series presented by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), in collaboration with the Rural Health Information Hub (RHI-Hub), to support access to safe, high-quality maternity care in rural communities.

Focused on the needs of rural hospitals with and without birth units, the series will launch in March 2024 and support facilities to understand the new Birthing-Friendly Hospital Designation and earn recognition through regional collaboration and implementation of patient safety care bundles. In addition, the final installment will address hospitals without birth units to support their readiness to care for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people who present for care.



• Engaging with Perinatal Quality Collaboratives for Rural Hospitals – March 26, 2024 at 1 pm CT
• Implementing Patient Safety Bundles in Rural Hospitals – April 9, 2024 at 1 pm CT
• Obstetric Readiness in Rural Facilities without Birth Units – April 23, 2024, at 2 pm CT

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