Introduction
With the introduction of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, American farmers couldn’t possibly foresee the dramatic upheaval agriculture would experience in the next several decades; nor the fundamental lifestyle changes – both positive and negative – it would usher in. High yielding varieties, dependent on synthetic fertilizers and oftentimes toxic pesticides, would become the norm, ending a way of life for some farm families, and simultaneously increasing the prosperity of others. And while this new found wealth changed agriculture in a mostly positive manner, it has placed the modern North American farmer in harms way his ancestors could never have imagined. Toxic gases, farm accidents, skin cancer, chemical exposure, drought, floods, insect infestation, long working hours, lack of finances including health insurance, disabling injuries, and isolation all play a part in the life of the modern farmer.
According to statistics from the National Safety Council, agriculture remains one of the most hazardous industries in this country, with more than 700 occupational fatalities and 80,000 work-related disabling injuries occurring in 2007.
While production agriculture employs over 2 million people directly it is largely exempt from federal guidelines designed to improve workplace safety and protect workers. Farm work does not stop when the farmer is injured and often resumes despite injuries or before injuries are fully healed. However, various health and safety programs or services exist to provide the assistance and prevention the American farmer deserves.
Reference: Braund, Wendy E., Alexander, Miriam. Agricultural Injuries: Improving Occupational Safety. Perspectives in Prevention from the American College of Preventive Medicine. January, 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
Agriculture and Public Health Gateway
Web site
Serves as an information resource for public health and agricultural professionals, advocacy and community organizations, policymakers, journalists and educators. Browse subjects to find reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, and relevant organizations.
Cooperative Extension System Offices
Web site
A listing of contact information for all USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices in the U.S. These offices provide practical and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service - State & National Partners
Web site
A directory of colleges and universities that comprise the nation's Land-Grant University System and who partner with the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
Farm Rescue and EMS: A State by State Directory
Web site
State-by-state list of farm rescue or response programs, Cooperative Extension Safety Specialists, and State EMS Training Coordinators.
Foundation Funding Guide: Environmental Health
Web site
Lists state and national foundations with an interest in environmental health.
Foundation Funding Guide: Injury Prevention
Web site
Lists state and national foundations with an interest in injury prevention.
MedlinePlus: Farm Health and Safety
Web site
Links to news, organizations and resources on farm safety.
National Ag Safety Database
Database
Publications, posters, videos and other materials on agricultural health, safety, and injury prevention topics. Browseable by topic, state, Spanish language, and format.
National Pesticide Information Center
Hotline/Toll Free Telephone
Information resource for people who want to make informed decisions about pesticides.
1-800-858-7378
npic@ace.orst.edu
NIOSH Health and Safety Topic: Agriculture
Web site
Links to NIOSH publications, web resources and other information on agricultural health and safety.
OSHA Safety & Health Topics: Agricultural Operations
Web site
Links to publications and resources on agricultural safety topics.
Pesticide Poisoning Diagnostic Tool
Database
Tool to help healthcare providers recognize, manage and report pesticide-related illnesses. Can identify a pesticide or class of pesticides that may be responsible for a pesticide-related illness.
Poison Prevention Week Planner
Web site
Features useful information on how communities can work with local poison centers to implement prevention activities. The planner also gives tips for promoting events with media and through community outreach.
Rural Health Research: Agricultural health and safety
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of agricultural health and safety, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Tox Town
Web site
An introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks people may encounter in everyday life. Users can focus on farm, town, city or U.S.-Mexico border environmental health concerns.
TOXNET
Database
A group of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related areas. Includes factual databases with information on specific chemicals and indexes to the scientific literature on toxicology.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Pesticides
Web site
Provides information about what people can do to minimize the risks associated with exposure to pests and pesticides.
Young Worker Safety and Health
Web site
Provides key resources focused on young worker's safety and health.
Youth in Agriculture
Web site
Describes common agricultural hazards and offers potential safety solutions that both employers and young workers can utilize to prevent accidents and avoid injury on the job.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Economic Impacts of Direct Farm Payments and Business and Industry Loan Guarantees
Author(s): Thomas G. Johnson, Dennis Robinson, Kathleen Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses the economic impacts of direct farm payments and Business & Industry loan guarantees. A RUPRI Farm Bill Policy Brief.
Date: 10 / 2007
Farming in the Urban Shadow: Supporting Agriculture at the Rural-Urban Interface
Author(s): Douglas Jackson-Smith, Jeff Sharp
Sponsoring organization: Rural Sociological Society
Provides an overview of agriculture in urbanizing parts of the United States. Suggests that innovative local, state, and national policies can have an important influence on the future of rural-urban interface agriculture.
Journal citation: Rural Realities Volume 2 Issue 4
Date: 05 / 2008
Health Insurance as a New Indicator of Farm Households’ Well-Being
Author(s): Mary Ahearn
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Discusses health insurance and well-being for farmers. Since farming is a relatively dangerous occupation, health insurance coverage is critical. Includes a 10 minute podcast of an interview with the author.
Date: 04 / 2008
Hired Farmworkers a Major Input For Some U.S. Farm Sectors
Author(s): William Kandel
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Summarizes what is known about farmworkers’ immigration status, housing, and other factors.
Journal citation: Amber Waves
Date: 04 / 2008
Improving Air and Water Quality Can Be Two Sides of the Same Coin
Author(s): Marc Ribaudo, Marca Weinberg
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Discusses water and air quality as they relate to agricultural production practices.
Journal citation: Amber Waves
Date: 09 / 2005
Making Family Farms Safer
Author(s): Thomas D. Rowley
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses the family farm and agriculture in reference to being one of the most hazardous occupations.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 9 Issue 4
Date: 04 / 2003
Rural Healthy People 2010: Injury and Violence Prevention in Rural Areas
Author(s): Graciela Castillo, James Alexander
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Addresses rural health issues associated
with the Healthy People 2010 focus area of injury and violence prevention. Covers both unintentional and intentional injuries.
Date: 04 / 2004
Rural Healthy People 2010: Injury and Violence Prevention in Rural Areas: A Literature Review
Author(s): Graciela Castillo, James Alexander
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Detailed literature review of rural health issues associated with the Healthy People 2010 focus area on injury and violence prevention.
Date: 04 / 2004
Studying Health Outcomes in Farmworker Populations Exposed to Pesticides
Author(s): Linda A. McCauley, W. Kent Anger, Matthew Keifer,
Sponsoring organization: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Examines the issues related to studying health effects associated with chronic low-dose exposure to pesticides particularly in the farmworker population.
Date: 06 / 2006
Journals
AgHealth News
Quarterly newsletter which covers news and events of interest to researchers in the field of agriculture.
Amber Waves
Covers food, farming, natural resources, and rural America.
Farm Families Alive & Well
Newsletter addressing agricultural health and safety issues.
Outreach to Farmers
Focuses on new and innovative ways to address farmworker health outreach, sustainability, cultural competency, and health education and prevention.
Organizations
AgriSafe Network
National organization
Supports and trains health professionals who deliver occupational health services to farm families. National headquarters is located in Spencer, IA.
AgriWellness, Inc.
Nonprofit/Foundation
Assists the seven-state Sowing the Seeds of Hope region that includes: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Provides technical assistance for the Sowing the Seeds of Hope projects.
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs
Federal government
Responsible for evaluating new pesticides and enforcing pesticide requirements. Part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Farm Safety 4 Just Kids (FS4JK)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to promote a safe farm environment to
prevent health hazards, injuries, and
fatalities to children and youth.
Farmworker Health Services, Inc.
National organization
A national non-profit health care organization working with local communities to improve the quality of life of farmworker families.
Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health
Academic/Research
Works to protect and promote the health and safety of farmers, farmworkers, their families and their neighbors. Located at the University of Iowa's School of Public Health.
International Association of Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health (IAAMRH)
National organization
Independent association for agricultural and rural health professionals that works to improve the status of health of rural communities and to protect the health of the agricultural workers.
Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN)
National organization
A network of clinicians across the country who work to eliminate health disparities among migrant and seasonal farmworkers and other vulnerable mobile populations.
National AgrAbility Project
National organization
Assists people with disabilities involved in production agriculture who work both on small and large operations.
National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH)
National organization
Dedicated to improving the health status of farmworker families by providing information services and products to a network of more than 500 migrant health center service sites in the United States as well as other organizations and individuals serving the farmworker population.
National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS)
National organization
Works to prevent illnesses, injuries, and deaths among farmers and ranchers, agricultural and horticultural workers, their families, and their employees. Offers safety education and proactive prevention programs.
National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC)
National organization
Works to represent family farm and rural groups by serving as a national link for grassroots organizations addressing family farm issues.
National Farm Medicine Center (NFMC)
National organization
Conducts research on agricultural health and safety topics. Includes four units: National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety; Midwest Agricultural Research Center; Environmental Microbiology Laboratory; Reproductive Toxicology Laboratory.
National Institute for Farm Safety, Inc. (NIFS)
National organization
Dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Federal government
Responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related disease and injury. Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provides an information service on workplace health and safety issues.
NIOSH Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention
Federal government
Conducts research, education, and prevention projects to address the agricultural health and safety problems. The Centers are distributed throughout the nation to be responsive to the agricultural health and safety issues unique to the different regions.
Progressive Agriculture
National organization
Provides a variety of support for communities selected to participate in the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day™ program.
USDA Farm Service Agency
Federal government
Stabilizing farm income, helping farmers conserve land and water resources, providing credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and helping farm operations recover from the effects of disaster are the missions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
State/regional organization
One of nine agricultural health and safety centers established in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control for the purpose of protecting and improving the health and safety of the nation's farmers, farmworkers, and consumers. Produces a variety of diverse projects ranging from data collection to complicated scientific endeavors, research and outreach.
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