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Problem: Children on family agricultural operations have high risk of injury. The association between children's behavioral traits and their risk of injury is not well understood., Method: Data from the Regional Rural Injury Study-II were used to assess behavioral risk factors for injury to children ages six to <20 years. A total of 379 injury events (cases) and 1,562 randomly selected controls were identified. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), calculated using logistic regression, were used to estimate injury risk in reference to behavioral traits., Results: Injury risks were greater for children with high levels of depressive symptoms (OR=1.9, CI=1.0-3.7) and aggression (OR=1.6, CI=0.9-2.7), and low levels of careful/cautious behavior (OR=1.8, CI=1.1-2.9). Children with low levels of self-regulation had reduced risks (OR=0.4, CI=0.2-0.8)., Discussion: Results suggest that children's behaviors affect their risk of agricultural injury. Additional research could elucidate mechanisms and inform interventions., Impact on Industry: The development of multifaceted, sustainable approaches for prevention is necessary for this unique population. These findings suggest a need for interventions that incorporate specific behavior-related risk factors in the context of family farms and ranches.

Many Hmong refugees continue their cultural tradition of farming in the United States. The purpose of this project was to evaluate culturally based storytelling as a method to convey farming safety information to Hmong families. Hmong have an oral tradition; spoken stories are used to teach about heritage, as well as personal and social values, and end with a lesson or moral that can apply to their lives. Stories from "Orphan Boy the Farmer" illustrate hazards, behaviors, consequences, and control strategies related to farm work typical of Hmong farming in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The message of the 3 stories is that the successful farmer works safely and keeps his children safe from injury. Three stories were read, in Hmong, at 6 events in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Data were collected from 118 participants using focus group discussions. Transcripts were translated and analyzed to identify ideas and reactions to the stories expressed by participants. Findings indicate that storytelling was an appealing delivery method for most of the participants of this study. Participants were able to recount story content pertaining to farming safety and relate messages to their experiences dealing with hazards; unanticipated findings uncovered barriers to adopting safe practices. Several aspects of the storytelling performance influence its effectiveness. Development of folktale content and implementation of storytelling performances are described.

Hmong farm children perform different work tasks, have different roles and responsibilities, and are thus exposed to different hazards than most North American farm children. Hmong children perform tasks in four time-related phases: pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest, and product marketing. Standard health and safety educational materials, including the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks, are not widely accepted by Minnesota Hmong farmers. This qualitative work is a precursor to the creation of culturally and contextually appropriate materials and guidelines to address the health and safety needs of Hmong children working on their family's production acreage. Methods used include literature review, focus groups, semistructured interviews, and field observations.

As agriculture becomes an increasingly data-driven sector, it is important to understand the technology use and barriers by the service providers who work closely with producers. This is especially important as these individuals can serve as drivers for technology adoption by farmers and ranchers. Although many surveys have looked at technology adoption by producers, little data on agricultural industry service providers exists. Surveys of Extension Professionals (EP) in Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and several categories of Agricultural Service Providers (ASP) in Wisconsin were administered in 2018 to determine satisfaction with internet service and to learn more about information and technology usage and potential barriers to its adoption within the industry. In addition, follow-up informational telephone interviews were conducted with 13 Wisconsin EP. A paper survey was administered to ASP, which had a response rate of 35% (N=462). A similar online survey was administered to EP having an estimated 23% response rate (N=223). The frequency of transmission of data, information, and recommendations was high but specialized for both groups with more frequent use in crop production versus livestock (including dairy). The most commonly-cited barriers associated with the adoption of digital technologies by ASP were related to attracting and hiring well-qualified IT employees, training for both employees and clients, and data security. While data security was a commonly cited barrier, 16% of ASP worked for companies that did not have written policies on data privacy. ASP and EP consider their clients to be adept at using text messages, images, maps, and smartphones. They do not consider their clients to be skilled in their use of digitally accessed and used financial statements, spreadsheets, or laboratory analysis reports. Additional training should be better focused on these areas for ASP and EP which would allow them to be more effective in educating producers and to better realize the value associated with more thoughtful and widespread digital technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-depth investigation of an unusual, non-enclosed manure storage hydrogen sulfide-induced fatality on a Holstein beef production operation is presented. The case involved several factors that likely played a role in the young farmer’s death. These included zero wind movement, a reported temperature inversion in the area, relatively cool late summer outdoor temperatures on the morning of the incident, higher outdoor temperatures the week prior, and a high by-product steer ration containing ingredients that contributed significant sulfur content to the stored manure. Recommendations are offered for future research to determine the combinations of conditions and inputs that have potential to increase human and animal risk around manure storage structures. Based on this case and others recently documented showing unsafe levels of hydrogen sulfide being released from similar outdoor storages, it is critical that agricultural industry experts and input suppliers continue to analyze risk and consequences associated with new management practices, processes, inputs (including feed ingredients and animal bedding), machines, and other technology developed to support animal agriculture. Production practice and educational guidance are also offered based on this case and published literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]