For the 80th year in a row, the United States is celebrating National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW) during the third week of September – this year it takes place September 15-21, 2024. NFSHW is a time to increase awareness of the high injury and fatality risk in agriculture and to improve agricultural health outcomes through outreach and education. Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury shows that in 2022 the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries had the highest rate of fatal work injuries compared to other occupations, at 23.5 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers – the majority due to incidents with transportation or equipment (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Preventative education is key to reduce the workplaces rates of injuries and fatalities, which is aptly mirrored in the 2024 NFSHW theme chosen by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident.”
Heavier rains, extreme heat, horrific wind gusts. It’s likely you’ve seen some of this over the summer. But how do you gather the intelligence to do a better job of managing these weather events? Agri-Pulse is pleased to host a webinar on September 5 at 1 p.m. Eastern time, focused on how new climate insights can help manage your business.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will host the 32nd Annual Morris Hansen Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. EDT at USDA’s Jefferson Auditorium in the South Building located at 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. A reception will follow from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. EDT at USDA’s Whitten Building, across Independence Avenue. The lecture is free and open to the public but registration is required.
Register now for the National Agri-Marketing Association 2024 Fall Conference! Learn from industry experts and business leaders who will share fresh perspectives and insights on the state of ag today. #NAMAFALL24 is also the perfect place to catch up with familiar faces and make new connections before the year is out. With an exciting agenda that includes an opening day networking reception, engaging speakers and dynamic breakout sessions, there’s plenty to look forward to!
Ann Vaughan, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau of Resilience, Environment, and Food Security at the U.S. Agency for International Development, recently visited the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln to speak with DWFI and other agricultural leaders about the intersections of their work and USAID’s mission to support global stability and prosperity by advancing global food security. USAID provided funding for DWFI’s Feed the Future Lab for Irrigation and Mechanization Systems (ILIMS).
Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-2) spoke this week with farmers, industry stakeholders, and students at an Indiana farm event to discuss the urgent need for greater investment in agricultural research and development to improve global food security and in turn, help ensure U.S. national security. In a fireside chat, Rep. Yakym spoke to what’s already been done to improve food systems and nutrition, what long-term solutions are still needed, and what’s happening on Capitol Hill to address global food security and national security. He was joined by Kip Tom, Former Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, Kassi Tom Rowland, Farm Journal Foundation Farmer Ambassador, and Kelsey Barnes, Farm Journal Foundation Director of Government Affairs.
Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization that provides free planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling and livestock feeding assistance to farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster, will have more visibility at this year’s Farm Progress Show, Aug. 27-29 in Boone, Iowa.
The National Cotton Council (NCC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), are pleased to jointly announce the launch of the 4-Bale Module Averaging Pilot Program. This voluntary program, part of the USDA’s Cotton and Tobacco Program, aims to enhance cotton bale fungibility through modern techniques, increasing efficiencies in warehouse bale selection and improving overall quality. The initiative stems from the collaborative efforts of the NCC’s Cotton Flow Committee and the Quality Task Force, which identified cotton bale fungibility as a key area of mutual interest. The pilot program includes specific criteria for averaging bales and reporting data back to customers. Participation is flexible, allowing customers to submit modules in multiples of four up to a total of 48 bales.
The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a joint research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Tifton, Georgia.
Missouri agricultural leaders, FFA and 4-H members, elected officials and partners came together at the Missouri State Fair to capstone the 2024 Drive to Feed Kids. With food insecurity affecting one in seven Missouri children, Missouri agriculture has banded together to take action to help change this reality through the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids. In 2024, the effort to stand in the gap for those facing hunger in our state raised 711,000 meals. Over the past eight years, this collaborative partnership has raised resources to provide over thirteen million meals for children and families across the state.
