Summer 2014 Newsletter MISSION:
To proactively address ongoing and emerging occupational safety and health issues affecting U.S. agriculture.
Save the Date! ASHCA convenes its Annual Business Meeting in conjunction with an inperson Board meeting at a different location each year. The next meeting will be held at the Monaco Hotel in Washington, D.C., February 2-3, 2015, colocating with the National Council of Agricultural Employers meeting. Stay tuned for details of safety presentations.
ASHCA Leaders to Strategize Future As part of ASHCA’s ongoing strategic planning process, the Board and Advisors will meet in late August to propose action plans that build on a solid foundation. Mike Pankonin of AEM will host the leadership meeting in Milwaukee, WI. The Association of Equipment Manufactures (AEM) is a Charter member of ASHCA and is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development for the off-road equipment manufacturing industry.
ASHCA announces first Safety Grant recipients
Delivering on its promise to encourage and provide financial support for agricultural safety and health interventions at the local and/or regional level, the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America has made the first awards of its Safety Grant Program. “We anticipate these 10 projects will foster new ‘champions’ of worker safety and health,” Leon Graves, committee chair, said. Successful grants were judged on their potential to facilitate timely application of evidencebased safety/health strategies by producers, hired farm workers and their families. Grants for 2014: •
“Equipment for Onsite Safety Training in Livestock Operations,” Gordon Moore, Moore Ag Safety, Goodwell, OK.
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“Development of a Mobile App for Agricultural Hazard Assessment and Mitigation,” Alex Heiphetz, AHG, Inc., State College, PA.
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“Learning How Safety is NOT an Accident on Dairy Farms,” Judy Wright, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Auburn, NY.
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“Agricultural Safety for Farmers and Farmer Cooperatives in Southwest Georgia,” Cornelius Key, Flint River Farmers Cooperative, Newton, GA.
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“Respirator Training Program and Fit Assessment for Agricultural Producers,” Michael Pate, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
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“Arthritis Prevention and Self-management program for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in North Carolina,” Nick Turkas, Arthritis Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Region, Charlotte, NC.
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“Safe Play Zones for Farmworker Children,” Mike Gempler, Washington Growers League, Yakima, WA.
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“Staying a Step Ahead: Heat Illness Prevention Training for the Agricultural Industry,” Amy Wolfe, AgSafe, Modesto, CA.
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“Equipping Farmers with Tools in Farm and Food Safety,” Ben Burkett, Indian Springs Farmers Association, Petal, MS.
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“Electronic Library of Safety & Training Resources,” Robert Aherin, University of Illinois/Grain Handling Safety Coalition, Urbana, IL.
“The applications were thoughtfully prepared and covered a number of topics related to ASHCA’s priorities, considering issues of national significance while acknowledging safety/health concerns of regional or commodity specific importance,” Graves said. Grant recipients will be sharing their project results with ASHCA members and others. For information on the program and Frequently Asked Questions, go to www.ashca.org. Individuals, organizations and businesses can support ASHCA’s Safety Grants program with financial contributions and/or “in-kind” support.
Safety Grants Committee – behind the scenes
A lot of planning and hard work went into the exciting new Safety Grants program. Under the leadership of Leon Graves, committee chair, a formal set of guidelines were developed for internal management, promotional announcements, peer-reviews, followthrough, and overall evaluation. Individuals joining Graves include Board representatives, members at large and administrative staff: Dan Hair, Jan Klodowski, Amy Liebman, Brady Miller, Dennis Murphy, Aaron Yoder, Barb Lee and Kathieen Smith. The group held a very productive meeting in Chicago, resulting in recommendations for 10 grant awards, description of lessons learned from this first year’s process, review of fiscal implications, and suggestions for improvement for the 2015 opportunity. Recipients will be sharing project results via the ASHCA website and other venues. Consider submitting your own grant application.
The next deadline for safety grant submissions is January 7, 2015. Priorities for 2015 funding will be posted on www.ashca.org by early September.
Journal of Agromedicine Safety Summit issue online
Guidance and governance – ASHCA forms Advisory Council
ASHCA’s development since its creation in late 2007 has benefited from the guidance and active participation of experienced and committed leaders. As these individuals transition their relationship with ASHCA over time, it is important to maintain communications and garner their input and perspective on issues germane to ASHCA’s mission and success. Thus, the Board of Directors established an Advisory Council to provide guidance to the Board of Directors and, in particular, the Officers. Council members are encouraged to actively serve on standing committees, task forces, and to represent ASHCA at relevant events. They receive open invitations to join ASHCA strategic planning sessions, committee activities, Board meetings and all program activities. Dan Hair serves as the first Chair of the Advisory Council.
Cultivate Safety: child safety resource
Cultivate Safety (www.cultivatesafety.org) is now the primary childhood agricultural safety resource of ASHCA. Built by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, the Cultivate Safety website features easy-to-use information about child development and best-practice guidelines for keeping kids safe while working and playing on farms. “The Cultivate Safety campaign’s message, “Parent First. Farmer Second” puts things in perspective,” said farmer Josh Meissner, Chili, Wis., who is featured in one of the campaign’s ads. “No matter how important the farm is to our way of life, it’s never worth the life of a child.”
As a testament to the value of the knowledge shared at the 2013 North American Agricultural Safety Summit, a dedicated issue of the Journal of Agromedicine (19-2) has been published with full manuscripts, field notes, commentaries and 78 abstracts that were presented at the Summit event. Abstracts of articles can be viewed for free at the Journal’s website, http://www. tandfonline.com/toc/ wagr20/current. For information on a special annual subscription rate for ASHCA members ($45 online), email Customer. Service@taylorandfrancis. com.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS Brady Miller, Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), has been named to fill the Producers’ Representative position on the ASHCA Board. Miller is regulatory manager for the TCFA and has been a participant in ASHCA since 2009. Aaron Yoder, Ph.D., is representing the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health on the ASHCA Board of Directors, filling the position previously held by Mike Despain. Joel Sherman, director of safety, workers’ compensation and regulatory compliance for Grimmway Farms of Bakersfield, California, joined the Board in April 2014.
ASHCA partners with other organizations to support safety •
ASHCA and CHS Inc., continue to sponsor the Search for Excellence in Farm Health and Safety award at the annual meeting of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. This year’s event is scheduled for, July 20-24, in Mobile, Alabama.
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ASHCA supported the inaugural “Cultivating a Healthy Future” summit, April 7, 2014, in Washington, D.C., hosted by the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (National C-FAR, www.ncfar.org). The summit brought together leaders from the health care and agriculture communities to offer an innovative look at how U.S. food systems impact human health. “The summit launched an important conversation about how federally-funded food and agricultural research, extension and education produces scientific outcomes that translate into human health benefits and help meet 21st century challenges and opportunities,” says Chuck Conner, President of C-FAR and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Other featured speakers included Krysta Harden, deputy secretary, USDA; Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraska; and former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, now with AGree.
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ASHCA is supporting the 2014 meeting of the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH), June 22-26, in Omaha, Nebraska. ISASH is dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals, providing national and international leadership in preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses. ISASH provides opportunities for sharing information about research and intervention programs, improving professional skills and knowledge, networking and other supportive activities.
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ASHCA is among key sponsors of the, “7th International Symposium: Safety and Health in Agricultural and Rural Populations,” October 19-22, 2014, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This symposium will capture the impact of global issues and challenges facing the health and safety of rural peoples and will seek to bridge gaps that occur between the spectra of basic research, applied research, the community and policy. The Symposium is intended to be inclusive of all rural settings, from those in fully industrialized countries to those in emerging or subsistence economies. It is hosted by the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture.
Brady Miller
Aaron Yoder, Ph.D.
Joel Sherman
2014 Officers ASHCA’s Board of Directors confirmed its officers for 2014. William Nelson will continue with his term as Chair. Elected to the Vice-Chair position is Jan Klodowski of AgriServices and elected to Secretary-Treasurer is Frank Gasperini of National Council of Agricultural Employers. For a description of Board members and officers see ASHCA’s website.
eXtension: For All Things Farm Safety Ask an expert, take a free online course, obtain handouts for the fair – eXtension is ASHCA’s primary means of delivering credible, peer-reviewed, userfriendly agricultural safety and health resources (http://extension.org/ farm_safety_and_health). eXtension (pronounced E-extension) is a partnership of 74 landgrant universities. It serves as ASHCA’s primary means of delivering consultative information. Funding for the initiative was provided by CHS Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture. The new Community of Practice, Farm and Ranch eXtension for Safety and Health (acronym is FReSH), includes relevant articles on a variety of safety and health topics, and a calendar of farm safety events.
DFA and Grimmway join ASHCA at Benefactor level
ASHCA welcomes two new voting members: Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Grimmway Farms. DFA is a leading milk marketing cooperative and dairy food processor, serving nearly 13,000 members. David Darr, a plenary speaker at the 2013 Ag Safety Summit, is executive vice president for the Kansas City-based organization. Darr came to DFA in 2001 to work in economic analysis and market research. In addition, Darr has participated in DFA’s strategic planning team and led the development and implementation of the Gold Standard Dairy program that was introduced to DFA members in 2007. In his current role, Darr helps lead DFA’s sustainability efforts and oversees several member- and public-facing Cooperative programs. Representing DFA on ASHCA’s Board of Directors is Leon Graves. Grimmway Farms is the largest grower, producer and shipper of carrots in the world, and also produces potatoes and citrus. Joel Sherman, Grimmway director of safety, workers’ compensation and regulatory compliance, will represent the Bakersfield, California, company on the ASHCA Board. Sherman oversees three departments responsible for the safety and workers’ compensation issues of more than 7,500 employees and contract laborers. ASHCA now has 15 voting organizations, many of which are represented on the Board of Directors. Additionally, all Board members have voting rights regardless of their membership level.
Nationwide gives $1 million to farm safety at Penn State
Nationwide Insurance has given Penn State a $1 million gift to create and endow the Nationwide Insurance Professorship in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The gift was announced April 25. Dennis Murphy has been appointed as the first holder of the professorship. The Nationwide Insurance Professorship is the first endowed professorship of its kind in the college. Funds from the endowment will provide the professorship holder, the Nationwide Insurance Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health, with resources to expand research, teaching or outreach efforts and best safety practices. “We are especially pleased to see this acknowledgment of Dr. Murphy’s extensive list of past achievements and future plans, given that he was instrumental in the establishment of ASHCA” stated Barbara Lee, ASHCA Executive Director.
ASHCA Chair Nelson honored by eXtension
William Nelson was named an eXtension Champion for 2014. The award was presented in Sacramento, California, at the National eXtension Conference/National Extension Directors & Administrators joint meeting, March 26. The eXtension Champion Award is presented by the organization’s Governing Committee to individuals instrumental in the creation and development of the eXtension initiative within Cooperative Extension. “William has long been an advocate and supporter of eXtension. Through his leadership, CHS Foundation has helped establish the Cooperatives Education and Farm & Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Communities of Practice,” said Terry Meisenbach, eXtension Communications & Marketing Leader. More recently, the CHS Foundation awarded $150,000 to help start the new eXtension Women in Agriculture Learning Network.
This newsletter is a publication of the Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, P. O. Box 356 • Marshfield, WI 54449
Contact
Phone: 715-221-7270 Fax: 715-389-4996 E-mail: info@ashca.org
Charter & Benefactor Members