The healthcare field is rapidly evolving. AgriSafe Network is keeping pace by using the skills and knowledge of healthcare professionals who have the desire to serve our nation’s farmers and ranchers. This 30-minute presentation discusses the role, responsibilities, and expectations of a Total Farmer Health Coach. Our training program will provide the tools and skills you need to motivate our ag community members to live a positive, healthy lifestyle.

Intended Audience: Clinical & Public health professionals with demonstrated experience in health education.

Summary: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and associated coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has profoundly affected humans on a global scale in a noticeably short time. Individuals working in agriculture are essential workers and are at increased risk of adverse health and economic consequences from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This presentation will highlight protective measures ag employers can take to reduce transmission of infectious diseases, including the new COVID-19 variants. Interim guidance from the CDC and U.S. Department of Labor, “Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan,” will be reviewed throughout the presentation. This presentation will also promote mitigation strategies, including COVID-19 vaccines, current evidence-based resources addressing vaccine confidence, and workplace infection control.

Intended Audience: Farm/Ranch owners and operators, health and safety professionals, and anyone who serves as safety personnel in an agricultural setting.

Objectives: After the program, participants will be able to…

• Gain an understanding of infectious disease control measures to reduce exposure risks, including the new COVID-19 variants, among agricultural workers and employers.
• Create an infectious disease assessment and control plan using the recommendations from the CDC and the U.S Department of Labor Agricultural Employer Checklist.
• Recognize the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in the prevention of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infectious disease in the ag workplace.

This material was produced under grant number SH-99084-SH0 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Summary: As COVID-19 vaccination requirements continue changing across the country, access to vaccines and testing remains vital for the health of our agricultural communities. Many local Health Departments have mobile units that can provide free, on-farm services. The National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH) will share an overview of strategies and resources on how to proactively ensure the well-being of your workforce. Presenters will show you how to find free mobile health services in your area and share available resources and tips on how to find health education materials that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for farmworkers.

Intended Audience: Agriculture producers, safety and health professionals, health care providers, other people working in agriculture.

Objectives: At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to…

• Recognize common health-related issues faced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers
• Identify and contact community health centers in their area by using NCFH’s Migrant Health Center Map and the federal HRSA Find a Health Center tool
• Locate culturally and linguistically appropriate health education materials for farmworkers

Summary: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration report that approximately 20.1 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder related to their use of alcohol or illicit drugs. However, little is known about the prevalence of substance use in the ranching and farming community due to stigma and the lack of research in this population. This webinar will focus on the prevalence of substance use in rural areas through the results of health screening efforts in agricultural work settings.

Objectives: At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to…
1. Explain an overview of this research project focusing on alcohol use prevalence in agricultural communities.
2. Illustrate the importance of rural mental health and substance use awareness through novel screenings.
3. Design awareness strategies for rural communities regarding the importance of seeking treatment.

Intended Audience: Health care providers, health and safety professionals, Ag producers, and rural community members

Continuing Education is available for this webinar! The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety offers 0.1 CEU or 1.0 contact hours of participation. This course is eligible for 1.0 CPH Recertification Credits and is sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, an approved provider of CPH Recertification Credits by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. The following groups of professionals have been able to use these CEUs in the past; Industrial Hygiene (CIH), Certified Public Health Professional (CPH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Nursing (RN, LPN), Social Work (LSW), Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), Audiology (ABA), and others. Please contact your accrediting agency regarding any questions about receiving credits.

This Hazard Communication Standard training program is intended for female workers and managers in the agricultural industry. This includes dairy farms and small farms that hire at-risk populations. The major focus of the program is on the identification of and the safe usage of chemicals and pesticides, along with respiratory protection.

At the conclusion of the training, participants will be able to: 

1. Describe the purpose of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)
2. Explain the basic requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard
3. Differentiate between physical and health hazards of agricultural chemicals
4. Recall the requirements of a written hazard communication program
5. List the components of a hazard communication training program
6. Interpret the information contained in Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
7. Describe the requirements and purpose of hazard warning labels.

Intended Audience:

Supervisor or Managers: This training is intended primarily for health and safety professionals including but not limited to owner/operators, safety officers or specialists, managers, supervisors, safety coordinators, health safety and environmental interns and any person or persons who serve as safety personnel in an agricultural setting.

Producers: This training is intended primarily for agricultural producers including but not limited to farmers, ranchers, and any person or persons involved in some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, horticulture, or other livestock.

This material was produced under grant number SH-05068-SH8 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 

This Train the Training course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Participants will learn about the Hazard Mapping curriculum and will be given access to all teacher and student materials after completing the webinar.

At the conclusion of the program, participants/educators will be able to: 

1. To examine the hazards in agricultural production
2. To identify and locate hazards so that those hazards can be targeted for elimination
3. To embrace a participatory process that involves as many students as possible
4. To respect the vast array of skill, experience and know-how that students have about their farm jobs and their dangers
5. To collectively and creatively pool our knowledge and prioritize what problems to eliminate. 

A Hazard Map is a visual representation of the workplace where there are hazards that could cause injuries or illness. The Hazard Mapping method draws on what students know from their farming experience.

Other available Train the Trainer modules include:

AgriSafe offers Invest in Your Health Trainer Exchange where educators can be certified to train on six AgriSafe modules (targeted for ages 14-23). AgriSafe provides the course instruction and training materials. Under our open share platform, once certified, educators would be free to use the training materials in their classroom setting. Our end goal is to build the capacity of local agricultural educators, rural health professionals and rural leaders to train young workers.  

Currently, AgriSafe offers six training modules:   

1. Say What? Protecting your Hearing
2. Cover Up! Head to Toe Personal Protective Equipment
3. Stay Cool! Prevention of Heat Related Illness
4. Stop Zoonosis it its Tracks- Prevention of Zoonosis
5. Where Y’at-Using Mapping to Define Hazards in Agriculture
6. Cultivating a Healthy Mind: Mental Wellness for Youth

Utilizing an open share curriculum model, AgriSafe is expanding access to ag safety and health curriculum to a wide variety of health and safety instructors including parents, teachers and employers.  This curriculum built with a classroom audience in mind, has been utilized in a variety of ways to train youth and new employees in agriculture alike..

Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Thirty-six percent of the 3.4 million producers counted in the census are women. Education will focus on all women including farmworker women and their employers on reporting violent incidents to authorities, making employees aware of their legal rights, safe work practices, medical referrals, treatment, and options including counseling if needed.

Intended Audience: This training is intended primarily for health and safety professionals including but not limited to owner/operators, safety officers or specialists, managers, supervisors, safety coordinators,  health safety and environmental interns and any person or persons who serve as safety personnel in an agricultural setting. 

Objectives Upon completion of this webinar, participants will understand the following concepts:

1. The scope and nature of workplace violence occurring in agriculture today.

2. Employers' responsibilities in addressing workplace violence and implementing preventive measures.

3. Effective strategies and interventions that can make the workplace safer and more responsive to employee-victims.

This material was produced under grant number SH-05172-SH9 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 

Summary: Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult to express. Adding mental illness and mental crisis to a teen or young adult’s typical growth and development makes struggling with emotions, relationships, academic success, and safety more challenging. According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States. This module opens an introductory discussion of mental health among teens and young adults with guidance from an adult educator. Focus is placed on decreasing stigma, improving mental health literacy, and positive coping skills for teens and young adults. The module showcases a high school agricultural student’s understanding of the agricultural mental health crisis, helping to frame mental health distress to academic and future career success. 

 Objectives: After the module, teens and young adults will be able to....

1. Understand the relationship of mental health to physical health and academic or career success 
2. Recognize basic signs or symptoms that present when young adults experience mental stress 
3. Identify healthy and unhealthy coping behaviors when faced with mental distress 
4. Communicate their concerns when suspecting they or someone they know is experiencing a mental health crisis 

Intended Audience: This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults.

Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Summary: Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Now that there are approved, authorized, and recommended COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, accurate vaccine information is critical. COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic. Safety is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated.

Dr. Lisa Morici will talk about how the vaccines have been developed, the safety and efficacy information from clinical trials and real-world data, and why vaccination works to help stop the spread of COVID-19. She will provide updates on the vaccines, including the 3 dose recommendation for immunocompromised individuals, updates on booster doses, and status on vaccines for children. Please join us in this important webinar so together we can reduce the spread of misinformation and help agricultural communities access the COVID-19 vaccine.

Intended Audience: Agriculture producers, safety and health professionals, health care providers, other people working in agriculture.