AgriSafe in Action Newsletter
September 2023 Edition
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AgriStress Helpline Adds Oregon |
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AgriSafe is excited to announce that we are now providing the 24/7 AgriStress Helpline to individuals residing in the state of Oregon (joining Connecticut, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming)! Oregon State University is the first university land grant sponsor of the Helpline. The AgriStress Helpline will also be available to residents in the states of Colorado, Montana, and Washington by the end of 2023. Learn about adding the crisis line in your state by watching the short video: Launching the Helpline in Your State.
The AgriStress Helpline is the first suicide crisis/emotional support/resource line in the US. The AgriStress Helpline provides quality evidence-based suicide intervention by Lifeline credentialed staff trained to understand the complexity of our agricultural communities' behavioral health and mental well-being. The Helpline is 24/7 call and text and can communicate through 160 languages through voice calls and recently added Spanish and Vietnamese to the text line.
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AgriSafe Joins Take Care, Now Campaign
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AgriSafe is pleased to announce a new partnership with Bayer and Kroger to address limited access to healthcare in agricultural communities as part of their “Take Care, Now” campaign, which aims to increase access to health and nutrition for Americans living in rural areas. Together, Bayer and Kroger are investing in AgriSafe to support the training of 50 Nurse Scholars.
AgriSafe launched the Nurse Scholar program in 2018 to prepare nurses working in rural communities to meet the occupational health needs of farmers and ranchers. Since then, we have trained 245 nurses across 41 states! This sponsorship will allow 50 nurses in medical shortage areas to complete the course at no cost; information for those interested in participating will be available soon! Learn more about this partnership here.
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National Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Did you know September 15 – October 15 is recognized as National Hispanic Heritage Month? This month is a good time to celebrate the countless contributions of more than 60 million Hispanic Americans, Latinos, Latinas, and Latinx-identifying people to America's culture and society. Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group in the United States today, and generations of Hispanic Americans have consistently helped make our country strong and prosperous. The Hispanic-American community has left an enduring mark on America's government, culture, economy, and agricultural industry.
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According to the USDA Census of Agriculture, in 2017, the United States had 112,451 producers who identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin, accounting for 3.3 percent of the country’s 3.4 million producers. Hispanic-operated farms accounted for 32 million acres of farmland, 3.6 percent of the U.S. total. Additionally, Hispanic-operated farms also sold $21.8 billion in agricultural products in 2017.
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Ways to engage:
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Check out this TEDx Talk where Fernanda Ponce delves into Latinx experiences in the United States, including discussion on identity, stereotypes, assumptions, and her own lived experience.
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Our goal is to ensure that all workers in the agricultural sector are served! We are working on expanding our Spanish-language resources! Within the next month we will be increasing these resources almost 50% by uploading our 10 National Farm Safety and Health Week webinar recordings with Spanish interpretations on YouTube!
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Talking TFH® Podcast:
HR Management Yields Results
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Employees are essential for day-to-day operations on the farm, but it’s becoming harder to fill farmworker positions. With good Human Resource (HR) policies, you can increase your operations worker retention, while also boosting productivity, morale, and worker well-being. Listen to this month’s TTFHpod episode to find out more info from our host Linda Emanuel, and two guests – Stan Moore and Dr. Remmington Rice from Michigan State University!
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This is the first fall and winter virus season where vaccines are available for the three viruses responsible for most hospitalizations (COVID-19, RSV, and the flu). Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter! The recommendations on the below chart are especially important for those at high risk, including people who are elderly, pregnant, or have chronic health conditions.
Things to know:
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Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same visit if you are due for both vaccines. More information is available here.
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Free COVID-19 tests are back! Households can receive 4 free rapid tests through USPS again. You can order your test here.
- Individuals should not have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Private insurance companies are mandated to cover this vaccine with no copay.
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Uninsured or underinsured adults: CVS/Walgreens are required by federal law to cover your vaccine at no cost to you, thanks to the new Bridge Program.
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Uninsured or underinsured kids: Vaccines for Children cover all kid’s vaccines, not just COVID-19, for those that cannot pay.
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AgriSafe Hosts First Intern Round-Up |
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On August 2, 2023, AgriSafe invited four summer interns to share their experiences with staff on their various summer projects. Many thanks to our interns for helping us to protect the people who feed the world and provide fuel and fiber!
If you would like to be considered for an internship opportunity with AgriSafe, please contact KneshaRose-Davison, interns are accepted year-round and require a minimum commitment of 100 hours per semester.
Interns:
- Kobe Williams (LA), Infectious Disease Prevention Intern, created Lyme Disease and Tick Removal Resource and co-hosts the AgriSafe podcast on Zoonotic Disease and Pregnancy for Women in Agriculture.
- Andee Baker (MT), Farm Response & Invest in Your Health Intern populated the FarmResponse Directory with mental and behavioral health providers. Created an asynchronous module for youth on Personal Protective Equipment for Invest in Your Health Series
- Ella Wolf (VA), Crisis Line Outreach Intern promoted the AgriStress Helpline in Virginia to over 100 contacts! In addition, Ella researched and summarized women's health data, located veterinarian mental health resources, and reviewed some episodes of the Talking Total Farmer Health podcast and pulled out relevant points.
- Annie McKee (WY), Crisis Line Outreach Intern has helped to promote the AgriStress Helpline in Wyoming to 168 contacts. She also utilized her Master’s in Psychology and Addiction Counseling to help create a new module on Substance Use Disorders for youth in agriculture.
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Musculoskeletal & Ergonomic Safety for Forest Workers
Wednesday, October 4
12 pm - 1 pm CDT
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Tuesday, October 10
1 pm - 2:30 pm CDT
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Preventing Workplace Violence for Forestry Workers
Wednesday, October 11
12 pm - 1 pm CDT
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The Healing Capacity of Honey Bees: Veterans Using Beekeeping as a Modality to Achieve Positive Mental Health Outcomes
Wednesday, October 18
12 pm - 1 pm CDT
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Tara Haskins, DNP, RN, AgriSafe’s Total Farmer Health Director served on a panel discussion “Rural Mental Health Care: Reaching Cultural Competency” for the Association of Health Care Journalists workshop "The 5 Most Urgent Conversations About Rural Health in Kansas City, Missouri on August 24. Dr. Haskins highlighted the issues surrounding behavioral health and the agricultural workforce. |
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Natalie Roy, AgriSafe's CEO, spoke about the AgriStress Helpline and our AgriStress Response initiatives on September 7th in Ragusa Ibla, Italy at the 7th annual International Conference on Safety, Health, and Welfare in Agriculture and Agro-Food Systems!
While we are a national non-profit based in the U.S., there is much to be learned from agricultural health and safety professionals across the globe! We look forward to future collaborations and partnerships on a global level.
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Linda Emanuel, AgriSafe's Community Health Director, exhibited at Husker Harvest Days with CS-CASH and the University of Nebraska Extension Pesticide Safety program from September 12-14 in Grand Island, Nebraska. They handed out 300 N95 respirators and Respiratory Selection Guides to Midwest farmers! In addition, Linda Emanuel appeared on the "Finding Balance" panel sponsored by CS-CASH and Nebraska Women in Agriculture. On this panel, Linda and other female agriculturists openly discussed the various roles women in ag fill, including the stressors they encounter and stress relief techniques! |
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National Employ Older Workers Week: Sept. 24-30 |
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Did you know September 24-30, 2023 is National Employ Older Workers Week? This week recognizes the value that older workers bring to the workforce!
The U.S. workforce is aging: in 2021, 1 in 4 workers were 55 years or older - a markedly different reality than in 2001 when that number was just 1 in 7. A new blog post from NIOSH addresses some of the myths about older workers and offers tips for creating a work environment that is supportive of workers of all ages. Read more on the NIOSH Science Blog here.
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Boots to Business Reboot for Farmers & Ranchers
Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, 9:00 AM - Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, 4:00 PM CDT
The Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, in partnership with the USDA, invites veterans, service members, and military spouses to Boots to Business Reboot for Farmers and Ranchers. This two-day event will have specialized content and speakers for each module!
This workshop will aid those interested in exploring agriculture-based business ownership by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan. Participants are introduced to a broad spectrum of entrepreneurial business concepts and resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance, contracting opportunities, and more. Registration information is available here.
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Save the Date! 2024 AgrAbility National Training Workshop |
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