AgriSafe in Action Newsletter June 2023 Edition

Meet AgriSafe's 2023 Summer Interns

Andee Baker grew up on a small diversified farm in rural south-central Montana, focusing primarily on swine production. She is an undergraduate student at Montana State University pursuing a double major in agriculture communications and psychology. Following graduation from MSU in the Fall of 2023, Andee plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health. At AgriSafe, Andee works to edit and post professionals to the FarmResponse® Directory and assists in work related to Invest in Your Health programming. In her free time, Andee likes to go for walks, watch Netflix, and eat good food in New Orleans! Kobe Williams is from Gretna, Louisiana. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in Geography with a concentration in Disaster Science Management as well as a minor in Health Science Kinesiology. Currently, Kobe is currently pursuing a master's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. At AgriSafe, his applied practicum is focused on Infectious Disease Prevention for workers in the agricultural industry.

Heroes To Hives Project

Heroes to Hives is a 9-month beginning beekeeping education course designed to train Military Service Members (veterans, active duty, National Guard, Reservists, and their dependents) through a free online training program that is coupled with on-ground training opportunities (in select states), and to develop a community of support with other Service Members. Since 2015, Heroes to Hives has trained over 10,000 Service Members and their dependents from all over the world. Service Members successfully completing the Heroes to Hives program are eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and have the opportunity to transfer Heroes to Hives credits to the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program at the University of Nebraska where Service Members can complete their Master Beekeeping Certificate. Click here to learn more!

Talking TFH® Podcast: Youth Stressors and Mental Wellness

In this month's episode of Talking Total Farmer Health, our host Linda Emanuel speaks with Mattie Smith, who is the All Star Chief for the Tennessee 4-H State Council. Tune in to hear a little bit about extension educators, and to learn more about stressors for youth in agriculture as well as some tips on mental wellness. Don't forget to check the show notes for resources! Visit our website to listen to the latest episode or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get notified when our episodes are released!

Celebrating Pride Month in Agriculture

Join AgriSafe in celebrating the LGBTQ+ agricultural community this Pride Month! AgriSafe is intentionally addressing diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in programming and marketing for all agricultural producers and workers. AgriSafe’s staff, external stakeholders, and Board of Directors are committed to advancing and integrating equity in all we do. Our goal is to ensure that all workers in the agricultural sector are served. Stories of LGBTQ+ people are a critical component of helping us become aware of how both our actions and inactions, impact those who feel underrepresented in agriculture and rural communities. Click here to read real stories about LGBTQ+ people in agriculture and rural communities from the Pride in Agriculture project.

Upcoming FREE Webinars

Best Practices in the Detection and Monitoring of Pesticide Exposure Thursday, June 15 12 pm - 1 pm CDT Register Here

Chainsaw Safety Training Wednesday, June 21 12 pm - 1 pm CDT  Register Here

How Farm Rescue Helps Farmers Through a Crisis Thursday, June 22 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm CDT Register Here

Animal Depopulation Resiliency Check-in Tool Thursday, July 13 12 pm - 1 pm CDT Register Here

QPR for Farmers and Farm Families

Wednesday, June 21  12 pm - 1:30 pm CDT Register Here

Wednesday, July 12  12 pm - 1:30 pm CDT Register Here

COVID-19 Policy Update

The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration officially expired on May 11th, 2023, marking the end of several federal financial assistance programs and federal mandates. During the public health emergency, the USDA extended deadlines for agricultural producers to respond to loan servicing and temporarily suspended debt collections and foreclosure for financially distressed borrowers. States are now resuming Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews. This means some people with Medicaid or CHIP coverage could be disenrolled from those programs. Employees, especially those in rural areas, who have benefited from telehealth services will have extended telehealth services through the end of December 2024. OSHA guidelines have yet to be updated since the end of the emergency, meaning the contraction of COVID-19 due to work-related activities is still a recordable illness. Federal vaccine mandates for all federal employees have also been lifted, however, vaccines and COVID tests are still available. Do you work with non-English speaking populations? Check out this Health Education and Communication Toolkit on infectious disease prevention for Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health. This toolkit contains information in a variety of languages on diseases such as COVID-19, flu, polio, measles, and more.

Wildfire Smoke

At this point in time, Canadian wildfires are causing poor air quality conditions across much of the eastern United States. During wildfires, air quality drastically worsens due to smoke from burning materials and chemicals. Particulate matter also known as PM2.5, which is associated with air pollution and wildfires, can be deposited deep into the respiratory tract inhibiting lung and cardiovascular function. Visit www.AirNow.gov from the US Environmental Protection Agency to check your local air quality index measures. View AgriSafe's guide on protecting yourself against wildfire health threats here.

Upcoming Events in Agriculture

Bemidji State University Indigenous Nursing Conference: June 29-30

2023 ISASH Annual Conference: June 18-21

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