We recognize the immense challenges ahead, from the widespread damage to crops and infrastructure caused by Hurricane Helene, to the imminent threats posed by Hurricane Milton. These storms disrupt critical supply chains, damage homes, and threaten the safety of those whose work supports our nation’s food systems and natural resources. The personal toll on your families and communities is heavy, and we are committed to standing with you during this time of need. We are working closely with the Florida Extension Disaster Education Network (FL EDEN) and National EDEN to provide resources and support to communities most impacted. Learn more about your state’s EDEN contact.

At SCCAHS, the safety and health of our agricultural workforce are paramount. We will continue to offer support and resources, conduct research, and forge partnerships to ensure that recovery efforts prioritize safe working conditions as you rebuild and restore the vital services you provide.

To those affected and those still preparing for the impacts of Hurricane Milton, know that you are not alone. We are here to support your resilience, and together, we will overcome these challenges to create a safer, stronger future. We have linked a variety of resources below but please reach out if you have specific needs and we will do our best to connect you with the right resources.

Stay resilient. Stay safe.

The post Statement of Support: Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton Recovery Efforts first appeared on Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.

Kicking off the agenda was Mark Holmes, Director & Professor at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina. Holmes delved into the intricate web of challenges and opportunities in rural healthcare, setting the stage for a series of insightful discussions.

John Diaz, Associate Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida, highlighted the critical issue of rural healthcare access for agricultural workers, particularly migrant farmworkers. His presentation underscored the importance of bridging the gap between healthcare services and those working in agriculture, a vital yet often overlooked demographic.

Lauri Baker, Associate Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication and Co-Founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement, also from the University of Florida, emphasized the role of agricultural communication and social science research in addressing rural healthcare disparities. By leveraging effective communication strategies, Baker emphasized the potential to enhance health outcomes and empower rural communities.

David Buys, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, explored the synergies between Cooperative Extension and public health. Buys advocated for a collaborative approach that integrates these sectors to foster holistic solutions to rural healthcare challenges.

Hollie Cost, Vice President for University Outreach & Public Service at Auburn University, delved into the concept of reinventing rural reality as she share about Auburn University’s Rural Health Initiative. Cost’s presentation highlighted the transformative power of community engagement in cultivating health and vitality in rural areas and how her team is bring health solutions to rural Alabama with the help of the OnMed Care Station.

A policy communication panel discussion moderated by Lisa Lundy, Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida, provided a platform for experts to exchange ideas and insights on policy implications for rural healthcare initiatives. The panel, featuring distinguished speakers including Katie Vanlandingham, Michael Dukes, and Ricky Telg, offered valuable perspectives on navigating the intersection of policy, health, and agriculture. Telg and Lundy also delivered a policy communication training where participants received a certification badge.

The State of the Science meeting also featured a poster session showcasing innovative research from early investigators from a variety of disciplines, including agricultural sciences, engineering, and public health.

Recognizing the outstanding contributions, awards were presented to the top posters.

Second runner up research poster – Systematic Analysis for Design of Instructional Videos for Self-Management of Low Back Pain in Horticulture | Kim Dunleavy, Jason Beneciuk, Janeen Blythe, Kelly Gurka, Boyi Hu, and Heidi Raduovich

First runner up research poster – Exploring Perception of Socioeconomic Status (SES) among Haitian Farmworker Youths: A Qualitative Examination of Determinants and Implications | Beatrice Fenelon Pierre, Tracy Irani, Jennifer Doty, Kate Fogarty, Sebastien Galindo, and LaToya O’Neal

Outstanding research poster – Bite Back: Navigating Social and Behavioral Frontiers in Tick-Bite Disease Prevention | Cheng-Xian Yang and Lauri M. Baker

The State of the Science meeting hosted by the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety served as a catalyst for meaningful discussions and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing rural healthcare. By harnessing the collective expertise of professionals and researchers, the event offered promising insights and solutions to address the healthcare needs of rural communities. As we look towards the future, it is imperative to continue fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation to create positive change in rural health and well-being.

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“In my eyes, food security and national security are one and the same.”  

Florida grower Dustin Grooms shared those words during a recent congressional hearing in Newberry, Florida, on the Farm Bill, a piece of federal legislation that touches almost every American in some way. 

Farm Bill dates back to the 1930s 

Congress is set to re-authorize the Farm Bill this year, a process that happens every five years since it was first adopted in 1933 as part of the New Deal. The Farm Bill establishes national agriculture, conservation and nutrition policy and spending priorities. 

The current Farm Bill has an expiration of September 30, 2023, but the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees are slowly moving toward reauthorization. With the national debt default discussions demanding most of the attention, it is a challenging time to be debating the 2023 Farm Bill.   

Florida growers push for strong specialty crop investment 

As part of that process, the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees have a tradition of holding field hearings in farm states to hear the challenges facing growers and ranchers, and how a reauthorized Farm Bill can help address those challenges. At April’s Newberry, Florida, field hearing, U.S. House Committee on Agriculture members heard emotional testimonies from Dustin and other growers as to how input costs, trade policy and workforce instability are challenging their very existence. They also shared how funding research is critical to that future. 

During the session, members of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association which is united to advocate for a common set of priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill, shared stories specific to the specialty crop industry. A broad coalition of specialty crop organizations, known as the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), representing U.S. growers and shippers, has been working to forge mutual objectives for the Farm Bill, to assure a common platform across regions, commodities and other interests. The alliance spent more than a year meeting and developing recommendations. A few of those highlighted by Florida growers at the field hearing included:   

• Improvements to general crop insurance. 
• Creation of a potential risk management/safety net program exclusively for specialty crops.  
• Investment in a standalone mechanization and automation research and development program. 
• Creation of a reimbursement-based cost-share program focused on deploying new technologies. 
• Stronger and enforceable Buy American requirements. 
• Development of a domestic market promotion strategy.
• Increasing or maintaining funding for research priorities, including the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), IR-4 Project, Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. 

These are but a few of the 109 specific recommendations from the alliance. The full text of recommendations can be found at farmbillalliance.com.  

Dustin said it best, and it certainly bears repeating – securing a safe, abundant and reliable food supply is a national security issue. And with the implementation of these and other policies, we will help protect the future of agriculture in Florida and across the U.S. 

Guest blogger disclaimer: SCCAHS provides the blog as a forum for the discussion of issues related to agricultural health and safety and recruits outside contributors in the form of guest bloggers. These bloggers appear under this disclaimer and must meet SCCAHS’s mission and vision. The opinions expressed by guest bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of SCCAHS, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences or the University of Florida. SCCAHS is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest bloggers. 

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With the goal of reducing the incidence and severity of  chronic and acute health and safety problems in these occupational groups, the University of Florida’s Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, or SCCAHS, has been awarded $7 million in renewed funding from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SCCAHS has developed a solid portfolio of innovative research and outreach projects since its establishment in 2016, and the new grant will extend this work for another five-years.

Dr. J. Glenn Morris, Jr., director of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute and a professor of infectious diseases, is the project director of SCCAHS. Communications and outreach will be overseen by Tracy Irani, professor and chair of the department of family, youth, and community sciences in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

SCCAHS is a collaborative effort between UF/IFAS, the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, and the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute.

“We’re investigating some really complex challenges that are at the intersection of health and agriculture, so it is important we bring together experts from multiple perspectives,” Morris said.

“Agricultural workers are exposed to a variety of hazards, including extreme heat and ergonomic risks, and we are working to improve the health and safety of our workforce,” Irani said. “While our researchers are exploring new solutions and interventions to health and safety challenges, our outreach team is working to ensure these interventions get into the hands of the agricultural workers and stakeholders that need them For example, during the pandemic, we provided educational resources in Spanish and Haitian Creole to Extension professionals and sponsored free Mental Health First Aid trainings and supplies to agricultural workers and Extension county faculty affected by recent hurricanes and flooding, and we look forward to providing similar support in the future.”

The renewal funding for SCCAHS will also support new research on the kidney health of agricultural workers in Florida.

Using artificial intelligence tools to analyze electronic health records, the researchers hope to understand what factors may put agricultural workers in the U.S. at risk of developing chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, or CKDu, a condition currently only found among agricultural workers in Asia and Latin America.  CKDu is a form of kidney disease that is unrelated to common risk factors that typically contribute to chronic kidney disease among the general public, such as diabetes and high blood pressure

“If our research shows that agricultural workers in Florida are developing CKDu, our next step would be to put in place prevention strategies to minimize the risk of such outcomes,” Morris said.

A companion project will aim to understand how the disease develops and identify new biomarkers that will allow for earlier detection of CKDu. The disease tends to be diagnosed late, when the affected person’s kidneys fail. Earlier detection could lead to earlier intervention and better health outcomes, such as avoiding dialysis.

SCCAHS is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Agricultural Health and Safety Initiative. One of 11 agricultural health and safety centers across the country, SCCAHS explores and addresses the occupational safety and health needs of people working in agriculture, fishing, and forestry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The University of Florida is the lead institution of this Center, partnering with the University of South Florida (USF), Florida State University (FSU), Florida A&M University (FAMU), Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of the Virgin Islands.

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Cindy Prins, PHD, MPH, CIC, CPH

Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs
College of Public Health and Health Professions
University of Florida

The post What’s Next? Understanding the current status of COVID-19 and future projections first appeared on Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.

These most recent findings provide insights into how Extension professionals can be better prepared to address future public health crises.

To better understand additional needs of Extension professionals during the pandemic, the center conducted a follow-up survey from March 16 to April 23, 2021. They found that 56.5% of Extension professionals had received a COVID-19 vaccine and 21.7% planned to receive it soon. 

“We wanted to find out what people were saying about vaccinations so that we can address concerns that people have about getting the vaccine,” said Glenn Israel, professor in the UF/IFAS department of agricultural education and communication, who was part of the SCCAHS research team that collected data for the survey series. 

Extension professionals who had already received the vaccine attributed their decision to age, health history and opinions of friends and family members. However, concern over possible side effects was frequently mentioned. 

SCCAHS developed the survey series to understand vaccine acceptance among Extension professionals. The survey series included 404 responses from county professionals,  state specialists, administrators and other Extension professionals in Florida.

SCCAHS has created a vaccine communication toolkit to help agricultural organizations communicate about the COVID-19 vaccine. The toolkit, available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese, is available on the center’s website.

This is not the first time that the center has provided programs based on survey results. An earlier survey conducted between May 18 and June 16, 2020, found about 90% of responding Extension professionals were observing stress or emotional symptoms in their clientele. 

The center responded by sponsoring a series of free Mental Health First Aid training programs for Extension professionals and agricultural employers in the Southeast. The programs were created to help Extension professionals address their communities’ mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and in future emergencies. 

“Extension’s response to our Mental Health First Aid trainings was astounding,” said Angie Lindsey, assistant professor in the UF/IFAS department of family, youth and community sciences. “Every available spot in all four training sessions was filled.” 

Located at the University of Florida, the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) explores health and safety issues of agricultural communities and professionals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

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 Small Grants are for $50K each for one year. 

Proposed projects should include activities designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to understand the local environmental and public health issues, and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level.

 Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreements are for $160K each for two years. 

Proposed projects should include activities to develop solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issue(s) at the local level through collaborations and partnerships with other stakeholders.

Areas of Emphasis:

• COVID-19 Impacts on Underserved Communities (Both)
• Climate/Disaster Resiliency (Both)
• Ports Initiative Projects (Small Grants)
• Projects from Small Nonprofits (10 or fewer staff, Small Grants)
• New Applicants and Grantees (Both)

 Eligible entities include: Nonprofits, U.S. territories, Tribal governments (federally recognized and state-recognized), and Native American organizations.

 For more information:

[button color=”#FFFFFF” background=”#ff8f00″ size=”large” src=”https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-availability-6-million-annual-environmental-justice-grants” target=”_blank”]Release on both EJ RFAs[/button]

[button color=”#FFFFFF” background=”#ff8f00″ size=”large” src=”https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ej-small-grants-program-fy-2021-request-applications” target=”_blank”]EJ SG RFA[/button]

[button color=”#FFFFFF” background=”#ff8f00″ size=”large” src=”https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ej-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-program-fy-2021-request” target=”_blank”] EJ CPS RFA[/button]

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UF/IFAS Extension experts are communicating with agricultural workers to connect them with COVID-19 free testing, safety information and training – a role they have been serving throughout the pandemic. 

 UF/IFAS Extension agents are partnering with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), county health agencies and farmworker coalitions throughout the state.  

 Extension agents statewide have led the grass-roots efforts by: 

• conducting scheduled mask distributions,  
• providing training for growers on social distancing, frequent handwashing and sanitizing of surfaces and how to avoid close-contact situations, 
• And translating posters with COVID-19 safety instructions into Spanish and Haitian Creole to reach more community members. 

 Gene McAvoy, associate director of stakeholder relations at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee, appreciates the testing program led by FDACS and helps lead a program to teach farm-labor supervisors to keep ag workers safer during COVID-19.  

“In March as the impact of COVID-19 began to unfold and CDC guidance was released, I quickly realized we had an need for training and educating farmers, labor contractors and farmworkers in Florida on CDC recommendations and best practices to protect workers and manage the spread and impact of the disease,” McAvoy said.  

McAvoy approached the Farm Labor Supervisor Program team at SWFREC and proposed they develop a COVID–19 training program for Farm Labor Supervisors at no charge to meet the acute need in the ag community.   

“We quickly mobilized and offered the first remote training session in mid-August and have conducted several since that time in anticipation of workers returning to Florida for the fall season,” he said.  

Knowing that SWFREC already had an established network made it easy to reach out to ag employers. 

UF/IFAS, in partnership with the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS)  has provided resources and educational materials to agricultural employers and contractors and has disseminated information on the availability, dates and times of testing in their communities. Extension agents have also worked with FDACS, local health departments and emergency management teams in getting the word out and advising on strategies for effectively reaching out to the ag community, McAvoy said.  

Looking out for the health of agricultural workers through COVID testing also makes economic sense, said Kim Morgan, who leads the UF/IFAS effort at SWFREC to disseminate information about safe COVID-19 measures to farm-labor supervisors. 

“Farmworkers play a key role in the food production system, and are listed as critical or essential employees during the pandemic, which means they may have to work despite the added risks to their health during this global pandemic,” said Morgan, an associate professor of food and resource economics at SWFREC. “Widespread COVID-19 infections could cause disruptions in the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain as a result of the loss of health and, even more devastating, the loss of lives of the humans we depend upon during the production and harvesting seasons. So it is our goal to protect them.” 

As labor costs represent 30% to 50% of annual operating expenses, growers are faced with incurring added costs to hire more workers while keeping sick or quarantined employees on the payroll to meet CDC guidelines, Morgan said. Further complicating the issue is the negative impact on revenues resulting from delays to the market should fewer healthy workers be available, as prices received by Florida growers drop significantly in the face of rising quantities supplied by domestic and global competitors to Eastern U.S. markets. 

 Craig Frey, director of UF/IFAS Extension Hendry County, said he and his staff have corresponded with more than 1,550 people across South Florida and provide them with information and access to training at SWFREC.  

 “Participants come from across the region,” said Frey, who also serves as the multi-county commercial horticulture Extension agent for Hendry, Glades, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. 

 Testing dates in Hendry, Miami Dade and St. Lucie counties have already been set and announced through a variety of communication channels including social channels, emails, signage and 

Extension websites. Additionally, agents are reaching out to Spanish and Creole radio stations to get the word out.  

 In September, UF/IFAS faculty and staff along with farm consultants started – and continue to conduct – Zoom meetings in which they convey science-based information to farm labor supervisors. The goal is to keep ag workers as safe as possible during COVID-19.  

 FDACS’ testing program, working with UF/IFAS Extension, may help what may be a very vulnerable population: Hispanic agriculture workers. They comprise the majority of ag workers in Florida, said Jonael Bosques, director of UF/IFAS Extension Hardee County. 

 “Farm managers and agriculture operators could benefit from testing their employees through this program in many ways,” Bosques said “It could help them manage COVID-19 outbreaks on time, by identifying infected individuals and protecting those with pre-existing conditions.” 

 “This free screening service may also reduce future outbreaks in our local communities, where individuals and their families reside,” Bosques said. The CDC estimates that 40% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, but still contagious. “Testing farm employees and establishing mitigation protocols such as dividing crews in teams, using social distancing and face coverings in buildings and common areas can save lives and reduce community spread in these counties.”  

 Training and outreach efforts by UF/IFAS Extension faculty and agents will continue to engage across agricultural areas throughout south Florida. 

This story was originally published by IFAS Blogs.

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The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) conducted research to identify the needs of Extension professionals in the Southeast region as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Research findings indicated that extension professionals in the Southeast are well-informed regarding COVID-19 and receive trusted information from healthcare providers and Extension administrators, making these Extension professionals well-prepared to share information with clientele. 

Extension professionals serve key roles in their communities and, as such, have observed the impact of the pandemic on their clientele, with many exhibiting symptoms of stress or emotional distress. 

Even though Extension professionals report some difficulty balancing personal and professional needs and balancing working remotely and family needs, they also report feeling prepared and supported in the workplace.

This survey was completed by 831 Extension professionals in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and the Virgin Islands. These extension professionals included county agents, state specialists, multi-county agents, RSAs, SSAs, regional specialists, administrators, support staff, and miscellaneous others. 

Learn more by downloading the latest SCCAHS issue guide:

The information in this issue guide was adapted from the key findings of survey research conducted by:

Dr. Sebastian Galindo – Research associate professor of program development and evaluation in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida

Dr. Glenn Israel – Professor of program development and evaluation in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida

Dr. David Diehl – Associate professor of family, youth and community sciences

Cassandra Ward – Evaluation Coordinator, Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

July Nelson – Graduate student in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida

Haaris Saqib – Graduate student in the Master’s in Sustainable Development ProgramTamiko Gaines – Graduate student in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida

The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Agricultural Health and Safety Initiative. SCCAHS explores and addresses the occupational safety and health needs of people working in agriculture, fishing, and forestry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

The post Issue Guide: The Needs of Extension in the Southeast Region During the COVID-19 Pandemic first appeared on Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.

Federal agencies fund research centers on a variety of topics, and an evaluation component is normally required. The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) is working to define the vital role evaluation serves for federally-funded centers, including the SCCAHS which is a center that houses six multidisciplinary research projects, 10 pilot projects and serves a multi-state region. 

The role of an evaluation program is usually to emphasize accountability, especially in the case of federal agencies that need to demonstrate that the activities facilitated by their programs are meeting stakeholder interests and that their programs are achieving desired impacts.

“The purpose of this project was to describe the important role that an evaluation program can have in a complex center that has many moving parts,” said Sebastian Galindo, research associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida and director of the Evaluation Core at SCCAHS.

A developmental evaluation framework was used to respond to the complex environment surrounding agricultural health and safety in the Southeast. This approach aimed to (1) engage external stakeholders in guiding the center’s research and outreach trajectories; (2) support center research teams in a co-creation process to develop logic models and tailored indicators; and (3) provide timely feedback within the center to address communications gaps identified by the evaluation program.

This study outlines the approach taken by the SCCAHS’s evaluation program to synthesize the different projects within the center by connecting project-level goals to the overarching center goals, facilitating collaborations and encouraging communication with internal and external stakeholders, and incorporating stakeholder needs and insights into center projects.

“We wanted to communicate the importance of evaluation, and give others a new perspective of evaluation,” Galindo said. “A good evaluation program can play a key function in any program.”

Learn more by downloading the latest SCCAHS issue guide:

The information in this issue guide was adapted from the following journal article:

Mitchell, R.C., Israel, G.D., Diehl, D.C., & Galindo- Gonzalez, S. (2020). From plan to action: Adapting evaluation to serve the developmental needs of a newly-funded multidisciplinary research center. Evaluation and Program Planning, 78, 101729. PMID: 31698318 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101729

The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Agricultural Health and Safety Initiative. SCCAHS explores and addresses the occupational safety and health needs of people working in agriculture, fishing, and forestry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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