National AgrAbility Conference

Abigail Kahrs and Dr. Tara Haskins represented AgriSafe at the 2024 AgrAbility conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Haskins provided sessions on Naloxone training and Conversations on Access to Lethal Means (CALM). Abby provided numerous resources and connections for old, new, and future collaborating partners.

“I love meeting the farmers and professionals at the AgrAbility conference. Whether they are established producers, new to farming, or specialty farmers, they all come together to support each other and teach us all. The experiences and vision for farming and community are inspiring.”- Tara Haskins 

What was the most popular resource at the AgriSafe table this year? AgriSafe’s Farm Yoga Poster!

South Dakota Women in Agriculture Conference

Farm Credit Services of America hosted and coordinated a motivating conference for South Dakota women in ag. on March 22, 2024, in Larchwood Iowa. It was an inspiring event where women hailing from a variety of farms and ranches ignited conversations to engage Midwesterners to grow and learn.

AgriSafe Total Farmer Health Coach Tara Jo Maus, RN, and Community Health Director Linda Emanuel, RN, engaged 100 women in two ways: 1) Training them on identifying farm ergonomic hazards and best practices for back pain management and 2) Facilitating a panel conversation on understanding female role processes, related stress on the farm, and creating pathways to find balance and deeper joy.

Did you know April is Alcohol Awareness Month? This is a great opportunity to update your knowledge about alcohol use disorder (AUD) and the adverse impact of alcohol misuse on health and society. Alcohol-related problems continue to take a heavy toll on individuals, families, and communities, especially in rural areas. Rural adolescents and young adults use alcohol at higher rates and are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, like binge drinking or driving under the influence, than their urban counterparts (source).

Resources:

• Facts About Teen Drinking: Designed for teens, this website contains in-depth information about how alcohol affects health, how to identify signs of an alcohol problem, and how to get help.
• NIAAA for Middle School: This web resource contains interactive activities to help parents, caregivers, and teachers introduce and reinforce key messages about peer pressure, resistance skills, and other important topics related to underage drinking.
• Alcohol and Your Brain: A Virtual Reality Experience: This educational experience shares age-appropriate messages through engaging visuals, informative billboards, and narration.
• Kahoot! quiz about underage drinking: This quiz can be taken at home or in the classroom to help teens gain a better understanding of underage drinking. Topics covered in the quiz are negative health consequences associated with drinking, signs of an alcohol problem, and how to find support.

In the April episode of Talking Total Farmer Health, our host Linda Emanuel discusses a study that came out last year, Mental Health in Farming Communities, that identifies 4 specific types of stressors that affect American farmers and ranchers. Linda then speaks with Al Pedigo, a farmer from Tennessee, who provides firsthand experiences that shed some light on those stressors, and offers some strategies for coping with them on the daily basis.

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!

Using a Total Worker Health/Total Farmer Health Approach to

Assessing Ag Worker Wellbeing

Tuesday, May 14

12 pm - 1 pm CDT

*Member Webinar* Non-Allergic Respiratory Hazards in Farming and Agricultural Environments: Recognition and Prevention

Thursday, May 16

12 pm - 1 pm CDT

Hearing is critical for quality of life and is often under-valued. Once it is lost or degraded, communication and relationships can be impacted. Workers are often exposed to hearing hazards, including loud noise and chemicals that can damage hearing. These exposures can lead to hearing problems including hearing loss and tinnitus. 

Fortunately, hearing can be protected! The National Occupational Research Agenda Hearing Loss Prevention Cross-Sector Council created two videos featuring conversations with noise-exposed workers who have experienced hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

>>Watch the hearing loss prevention videos!<<

Request for Information: NIOSH Outdoor Workers

Exposed to Wildland Fire Smoke

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in the Department of Health and Human Services, announces an opportunity for the public to provide information about approaches to assess and control the hazards of wildland fire smoke to outdoor workers.

Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of potentially toxic gases and particles that can vary depending on factors in the wildland or wildland-urban interface environment, such as weather, fire behavior, and the type of materials or vegetation burning. Because of this, outdoor workers may be exposed to varying types and amounts of compounds in wildland fire smoke throughout their work shifts or during different fire events and job tasks. NIOSH is seeking information to develop a hazard review document that summarizes the scientific literature about the health effects from exposures to wildland fire smoke and provides recommendations to protect outdoor workers.

To submit your comments on wildland fire smoke exposure or for more information, visit NIOSH's website. The deadline to comment is May 13, 2024.

AgrAbility Assistive Technology Professional Training

Registration is open for the Regional Workshop-Assistive Technology Professional Training in Ann Arbor, Michigan, held July 16-18, 2024. This Regional Workshop is provided in conjunction with MI AgrAbility and will focus on Assistive Technology and preparing for the RESNA Assistive Technology Professional exam. Sessions will include disability etiquette; medical conditions; assessment models, interviews, observations, and reports; and assistive technology for farming. The group will complete an assessment at a local farm to apply lessons learned in the training.

All attendees will receive a 1-year RESNA membership ($185 value) and may be eligible for up to 10 RESNA-certified CEUs after successful completion of the training.

If you are interested in attending the Assistive Tech Training or want more information, visit the event webpage.

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