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.
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.
Sources
Braund, Wendy E., Alexander, Miriam. Agricultural Injuries: Improving Occupational Safety. 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
Agri-Pulse: Agriculture News, Farm Policy, and Rural Policy
Web site
Offers updates of farm and rural policy developments via a weekly blog, weekly audio files, and a listing of current and archived news items.
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. Offers reports and peer-reviewed journal articles.
All Hazards: Resources to Help Rural Communities Prepare for Disasters and Other Hazards
Web site
Provides resources to help citizens of rural agricultural communities prepare for and recover from a number of natural and man-made threats.
Cooperative Extension System Offices
Web site
Lists contact information for all USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices in the U.S., which 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.
Find Your Local National Safety Council Chapter
Web site
A directory of the National Safety Council's network of state chapters. These local offices conduct safety, health and environmental efforts at the community level, providing training, conferences, workshops, consultation, newsletters, updates and safety support materials.
MedlinePlus: Farm Health and Safety
Web site
Links to news, organizations and resources on farm safety.
Michigan AgrAbility Project
Web site
Helps people with disabilities employed in agriculture continue to farm and live independently. Project partners include Michigan State University Extension, Easter Seals-Michigan, Michigan Farm Bureau, and Michigan Rehab Services.
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.
Presentations from The AFRI - Small and Medium Sized Farms & Rural Development FY 2012 Projector Director Meeting, Washington, DC
Web site
Contains numerous presentations on rural development labor issues, small farm production, agriculture and the environment, rural communities public services, and rural development entrepreneurship.
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.
Rural Roadway Safety Video Project
Web site
Works to improve rural roadway safety such as changes in Driver’s Education to include safety issues related to operation of farm machinery on public roads. Includes the It's Preventable educational campaign as well as an educational video on rural roadway safety to raise awareness of motor vehicle and farm equipment drivers on rural roads, which will be used by Iowa Driver’s License instructors, driving instruction for the older driver, and Iowa Public Service officers.
Safety & Health Fact Sheets
Web site
A list of fact sheets on critical safety and health topics including agricultural safety, school bus safety, and on the road safety.
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, environmental health, and toxic releases.
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.
WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)
Database
An interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data.
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
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #1: Overview of Findings
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Describes health insurance coverage among farmers and ranchers. Based on a survey of non-corporate farm and ranch operators in seven states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 09 / 2007
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #2: How Farmers and Ranchers Get Health Insurance and What They Spend for Health Care
Author(s): Carol Pryor, Jeffrey Prottas, Bill Lottero, Mark Rukavina, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Examines health insurance costs and health care spending of farmers and ranchers. Based on a 2007 survey of farm and ranch operators in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 12 / 2007
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #3: Who Experiences Financial Hardship Because of Health Care Costs?
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Examines which farmers and ranchers are at greatest risk of experiencing financial hardship due to health care costs. Based on a survey of non-corporate farm and ranch operators in seven states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 08 / 2008
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #4: The Costs of Dental Care and the Impact of Dental Insurance Coverage
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Presents data on the costs of dental care, the prevalence of dental debt, and the impact of having dental insurance on the costs of dental care, access to care, and the likelihood that
people will experience financial hardship because of health care costs. Based on a survey of non-corporate farm and ranch operators in seven states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 04 / 2009
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #5: Who is Uninsured?
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Examines the characteristics of uninsured family farmers and ranchers and the impact of lack of insurance on their financial situation and ability to access care. Based on a survey of non-corporate farm and ranch operators in seven states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 06 / 2009
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators, Issue Brief #6: Who Has Medical Debt and What Are the Consequences?
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Examines the characteristics of farmers and ranchers who had medical debt and the impact of the debt on their financial situation and ability to access care. Based on a survey of non-corporate farm and ranch operators in seven states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 10 / 2009
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Missouri Farm and Ranch Operators, Executive Summary: Health Care in the Heartland
Author(s): Bill Lottero, Carol Pryor, Mark Rukavina, Jeffrey Prottas, Sidney Watson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Presents the results of a survey involving 257
Missouri farmers and ranchers to gather data about their health insurance and the burden that health care expenses are placing on farm and ranch families.
Date: 2008
2011 Fact Sheet: Childhood Agricultural Injuries
Sponsoring organization: National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
Discusses at risk population, childhood agricultural injuries, minority operated farms, and statistics and data.
Date: 07 / 2011
2011 I-CASH Annual Report: Helping Farmers Stay Alive and Well
Sponsoring organization: Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
Presents information on partner and affiliate programs, finances, and presentations. Mentions several programs that rural farmers were involved in.
Date: 2011
AgrAbility: Cultivating Success in Agriculture, Employment, and Rural Life for People with Disabilities and their Families, 1991 to 2011 and Beyond
Sponsoring organization: AgrAbility
Highlights AgrAbility's 20 year history of service and the program's impact in direct services, education, networking, and other areas. Contains a variety of client success stories.
Date: 09 / 2011
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
Final Report: Key Environmental Health Competencies for Rural Primary Care Providers
Author(s): Cynthia Armstrong Persily, Johnna S. Beane, Mary Glenn Rice
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Provides a set of basic environmental health competencies that are needed by all rural primary care providers to direct health care and education policy.
Date: 03 / 2010
Guide to Traffic Control of Rural Roads in an Agricultural Emergency
Author(s): Jerry L. Graham, Jessica M. Hutton, Shinian Cao, Michael Fagel, William Wright
Sponsoring organization: National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Explores recommended practices and procedures associated with traffic control on local and state roads during agricultural emergencies.
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
Iowa Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety Resource Plan, 2011
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Public Health
Presents the Iowa DPH strategic plan, including a rural health care resource plan. Discusses rural facts, access to health services, agricultural health and safety, and rural health workforce and information technology implications.
Date: 2011
Pollution Sources and Mortality Rates Across Rural-Urban Areas in the United States (Final Report)
Author(s): Michael Hendryx, Evan Fedorko, Joel Halverson
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Addresses potential pollution sources and corresponding health outcomes, with particular attention to hazards in rural settings.
Date: 02 / 2010
Profile of Hired Farmworkers, a 2008 Update
Author(s): William Kandel
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Describes the hired farmworker labor market which is unique because it includes a large population of relatively disadvantaged, often unauthorized workers, and sometimes mobile workforce. Discusses poverty rates and housing issues for these workers.
Date: 07 / 2008
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
Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2010 Edition
Author(s): Robert A. Hoppe, David E. Banker
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Reports that small family farms, with annual sales less than $250,000, made up 88 percent of U.S. farms in 2007.
Date: 07 / 2010
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.
AgrAbility Harvest
Published semi-annually. Presents information on disability in agriculture. Highlights the activities of AgrAbility, a USDA supported program that provides assistance to rural farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities.
Amber Waves
Published quarterly and covers food, farming, natural resources, and rural America.
Farm Families Alive & Well
Published four times per year. Joint newsletter with The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. Addresses agricultural health and safety issues.
Organizations
AgrAbility
National organization
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consists of the National AgrAbility Project and State/Regional Projects, serving 24 states. Helps farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, amputations, arthritis, back impairments, and behavioral health issues.
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 Rescue
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides planting and harvesting assistance to farm families in that have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster. Qualifying farmers may be eligible to have their agricultural land planted or harvested free of charge. Areas served are North Dakota, South Dakota, western Minnesota, and eastern Montana.
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.
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.
Health Outreach Partners (HOP)
National organization
A national non-profit health organization providing training, consultation, and information services to community-based organizations striving to improve the quality of life of hard-to-reach populations.
High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS)
Academic/Research
Works to improve the occupational health, safety, and well-being of the residents of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
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.
International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH)
National organization
Dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals. Provides national and international leadership in preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses to the agricultural community.
Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH)
State government
Establishes and coordinates prevention and education programs to enhance the health and safety of Iowa's agricultural community. Offers Agricultural Medicine Training for rural health professionals.
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 Agricultural Library (NAL)
Federal government
One of the world's largest and most accessible agricultural information collections. Part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Contains a section on Living in Rural America.
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 Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
National organization
Works to enhance the health and safety of all children exposed to hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environments.
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 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), it 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.
Article Searches & Bibliographies
RAC Documents Search: Agricultural Health and Safety
An annotated list of all documents in the RAC database on the topic of agricultural health and safety.
PubMed Database Search: agricultural, safety, rural health and agricultural workers' diseases
Searches PubMed’s collection of journal article citations with abstracts for items related to this topic and published in the United States within the last five years. Some citations are linked to the full-text of articles accessed through PubMed Central, through your library’s electronic and print holdings, or through the journal’s publisher (the latter may require a subscription or a pay-per-view charge). Check with your local library for details about full text links or call your Regional Medical Library at 800.338.7657.
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