Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States? February is American Heart Month, a time when all people are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. According to data reported in the Call to Action: Rural Health, people living in rural parts of the U.S. are 40% more likely to develop heart disease and have a 30% higher risk of stroke than people who live in urban areas.

Read The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension and share it with your colleagues, peers, and loved ones. By living a healthy lifestyle, individuals can help keep their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels normal and lower their risk for heart disease and heart attack.

Check out the CDC's toolkit designed for health care professionals and clinicians to help support their patients, especially women, by listening to their hearts, available here.

In February's installment of Talking Total Farmer Health, we continue our discussion with Dr. Aaron Yoder from UNMC, but this time we explore how ergonomic and wearable technology can improve our health and safety on the farm.

Ergonomic tech for farms isn't about desks or chairs - it's about equipment that prevents risk of injury or accidents, or helps us to do our jobs better. And wearable tech can cover a broad scope, but think about watches that check your heart rate, or sensors that track your exposure to chemicals. Or even, GPS tracking, which can be used to locate someone who went radio silent and might need emergency medical services, or to track areas with high rates of accidents to avoid when driving farm machinery.

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!

We are proud to announce that FarmResponse® is now listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC’s) Best Practices Registry!

This is a great achievement that supports the effectiveness and credibility of FarmResponse, and we hope this encourages more organizations and healthcare providers to invest in this training. Every listing on the SPRC’s Best Practices Registry has been reviewed by experts to ensure the trainings align with the most current guidance on suicide prevention, and that they are evidence-based. At this point in time, FarmResponse is the only agriculture-focused listing on the registry.

To date, we have trained over one thousand healthcare practitioners and behavioral health providers in FarmResponse, across 43 states! We look forward to continuing to increase that number, as well as continuing to update and expand. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to, taken, or promoted FarmResponse. If you are interested, you can check out the full press release.

ISASH CHAT AND CHEW: MARCH 6

Grab your favorite bite to eat and join the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) virtually on March 6 at noon CT for a special edition of ISASH’s Chat and Chew to talk about youth mental health in agriculture and rural communities. You don’t have to be a member of ISASH to join the conversation and collaborate. AgriSafe's Total Farmer Health Director, Dr. Tara Haskins, will discuss AgriSafe's youth mental health programming, approach, and innovative strategies. 

This interactive webinar aims to encourage a dynamic exchange of ideas and collaboration opportunities while strengthening connections among professionals working in the field of rural health and agricultural safety. Each of the 5 panelists will briefly introduce their work, followed by Q&A, discussion, and potential avenues for collaboration with participants.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: 2024 NASAAEP Summit

The 2024 National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs (NASAAEP) Summit will be held on December 3 - December 5 at the Maritime Conference Center near Baltimore, MD. Submit your presentation for consideration by the NASAAEP Summit Agenda Planning Committee here. All submissions are due March 15, 2024.

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. More information is available here.

SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming FREE Webinar Series

The Carle Center for Rural Health & Farm Safety is hosting a webinar series designed to create a place for women in agriculture to understand the risks, needed protection, and supervision for tasks performed by youth on farms.

This project is designed to shift the mindset and behavior of parents and grandparents, leading to safer and healthier lives for our farm youth and those who visit and work on farms. While the target of this work will be women who serve as family influencers, the materials will be suitable for all adult family members.

Registration is available here.

REGISTRATION OPEN: AgrAbility National Training Workshop

The AgrAbility National Training Workshop is the premier training event addressing issues of disability in agriculture. Registration closes on March 18. Register here today!