We hope you have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season! Wishing you happiness and prosperity in the year ahead. - The AgriSafe Team

2024 is going to bring some exciting new changes with AgriSafe membership benefits! Members will have access to all of our live webinar recordings in the AgriSafe Learning Lab for FREE. Starting in the new year, non-members will be required to pay a fee to access webinar recordings. A limited number of webinar recordings will remain free to non-members, but this will be dependent on grant funding. Our members will also gain exclusive access to special member-only live webinars, presented by carefully-selected topic experts. (Non-members will still be able to attend these webinars, but they will be required to pay a fee to attend.) 

Be on the lookout for more information coming soon about our 25% off early-bird individual membership special!

Wet, Slippery, and Slimey! The real truth about working in agriculture during the harsh winter months is that these conditions can turn a producer on their head in a fraction of a second. Start the day off right by choosing proper footwear that will keep your feet firmly planted on the ground while working through the day.

Check out the following article by the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Central States-Center for Agricultural Safety and Health outreach coordinator, Ellen Duysen, to get a grip on safe footwear for ample performance and protection as well as tips to defy winter walking hazards.



It’s a slippery slope: Find best footwear to keep you upright (farmprogress.com)

Did you know Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) impacts around 10 million Americans every year? Symptoms of SAD include low energy, oversleeping, increased feelings of depression and anxiety, social withdrawal, trouble concentrating, weight gain, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. SAD is most common in northern climates, and more likely to impact women and older adults.

How is SAD Treated?

• Vitamin D supplements
• Incorporating the use of a therapy light into a person's daily routine
• Talk therapy
• Medication can also be prescribed to help with SAD symptoms, such as antidepressant medication

If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD, please consult with your primary care provider for options. For more resources and information visit this article's source provided by the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI): December Blog Highlight.

In this month's episode of Talking Total Farmer Health, our host Linda Emanuel speaks with Elena Velez, a certified healthcare interpreter and a wellness trainer from California. Elena is fluent in Spanish, Italian, and English, and developed a program called Community Restorative Training, a holistic health program that is centered on movement and breathing. Tune in to this episode to hear some health and wellness practices for Latino and Hispanic farmworkers!

Visit our website to listen to the latest episode or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get notified when our episodes are released!

Ready to inspire change? The Cultivating Change Foundation is currently seeking nominations for individuals to serve on its Board of Directors. The Cultivating Change Foundation’s mission is to value and elevate LGBTQ+ agriculturists through advocacy, education, and community. The nominating committee will consider each nominee’s commitment to the Foundation’s mission, ability to effectively represent the various stakeholders, capacity to dedicate sufficient time to board service, willingness to engage in fundraising efforts, contribution to board diversity, and any other factor that would advance the Foundation’s mission. Please share this call for nominations broadly with your networks. Nominations will be accepted through December 31, 2023 - more information is available here.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Agricultural Safety & Health Symposium 

The North Carolina Agromedicine Institute would like to announce its third Agricultural Health & Safety Symposium which will be held Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Farm Pavilion (3020 McConnell Rd, Greensboro, NC 27401). 

The deadline for abstracts is January 14 - more information is available here.

REGISTRATION OPEN: AgrAbility National Training Workshop

Registration is now open! Earlybird pricing ends on February 23, and registration closes on March 18. Travel stipends are available to help farmers/ranchers with disabilities come to the 2024 NTW in Atlanta, Georgia. If you are a farmer/rancher with a disability and would like to attend, please click here for an online application. Registration is available here.

The International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) invites abstract submissions for the 2024 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon (June 17 - 20).

Research abstracts:

• Standard oral presentations (15 minutes, Deadline: Feb. 2)
• Program and research posters (Deadline: March 1)



Colloquium/Panel abstracts: (Deadline: Feb. 2)

•  50 minutes, include 3-4 speakers, plus a discussion leader or 1-3 facilitators and interactive components and active engagement from attendees
• Presentations should tie together themes, but not components of the same project or line of inquiry
• Should include interactive components and active engagement from attendees

Click here for more information.

SAVE THE DATE: ReConnect Round 5 Application Workshop

The USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is providing a three-day workshop for those interested in applying for ReConnect Program funding. The ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America without sufficient access to broadband. To learn more about the ReConnect Program, please visit: https://www.usda.gov/reconnect.

The workshop will take place in-person on February 27-29, 2024 at The Row located at 407 N. Virgina Street, Reno, NV. Submit any ReConnect questions using the Contact Us Form on the ReConnect website.