Planting the seed: the 2009 Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Forum (MRASH)

Abstract

The annual Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Forum (MRASH) is produced by the combined efforts and resources of Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH), the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, and The Heartland Center for Occupational Health. There is a regional focus for the conference on agricultural health issues for the 11 states of the upper Midwest, thus the new name for conference (MRASH). The purpose of this conference is to "plant the seeds" for stimulating and strengthening collaborative efforts among researchers, practitioner, agricultural producers, and medical professionals. This is accomplished by sharing cutting edge research, reviewing intervention theory and methodologies, reviewing activities of regional academic, public health, and nonprofit farm health and safety organization. The 2009 conference included plenary and topical breakout sessions. The plenary sessions included topics that have a relevance to the theory and practice of health interventions in populations. The breakout sessions were quite varied, with topics of community prevention programs (including Certified Safe Farm for large farms), AgrAbility programs, exposures from noise, pesticides, needle sticks, and all-terrain vehicle operation. The largest breakout session was on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Should there be further questions of authors or the organizing committee, contact information is available at the following Web site address: http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/ICASH/programs/MRASH/2009/index.htm.