If you have completed introductory and intermediate courses in Ag Health and Safety, you are invited to be a member of the Ag Health Academy.  The purpose of the Academy is to foster network connections and provide attendees with up-to-date and timely best practices for keeping their farming and rural communities safe and healthy.

Members in the Ag Health Academy will commit to attending and participating in at least 10 of 12 monthly meetings over a year to learn practical information and emerging issue updates relevant to health and safety on the farm. These virtual (“Zoom”) classes will host experts to provide updates on best practices on topics relevant to ag health and safety in the Midwest region.

Each 90-minute meeting will include at most 60 minutes of discussions by experts in the topic area, followed by 30 minutes of discussion with participants, presenters, and hosts. Hosts will lead participants and experts through discussions focusing on practical aspects of the topic presented and allow time for participants to follow up with presenters and colleagues to work thought concerns regarding a topic. Resources will be shared on members-only pages following monthly meetings, including recordings of the presentations and discussions.

In 2025, live sessions are scheduled for the third Wednesday every month at 1 pm (Eastern), 12 pm (Central), 11 am (Mountain), and 10 am (Pacific).  Those who are admitted will receive emails with zoom login instructions.

Application Process

There are two pathways for eligibility to the Academy:

• Complete one of the 40-hour Ag Health and Safety Core Courses
  • These can be from institutions involved in the Leaders in Agricultural Safety and Health, including Iowa, Alabama, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont
  • Provide information on the date and location of the course you completed
• Complete both the Ag Health 101 course (8-hour audio class) and all 11 units of the Intermediate Ag Health course (online computer-based modules ranging from 1 – 2 hours)
  • Provide details from your certificate of completion for the 8-hr Ag Health 101 (or each of the 10 completion certificates for the units if you did not submit for official CE credit)
  • Provide completion dates and certificate of completion for each of the 12 Intermediate Ag Health modules

Once you have gathered these resources, click the button below to complete your application process:

We will review your information and send you an invitation to monthly sessions, along with a zoom link. Make sure you register with the email you check frequently, as this will be your main portal of communication. If this changes, send us a note and we will work to update your file.

Topics scheduled for the upcoming year include the following, which have been suggested by alumni of the 40-hour Ag Safety and Health Core Course:

• Children’s Safety on the Farm
• Driving on Rural Roads: Updates on Interventions
• Emergency Response Programs: Novel Programs to Motivate Farmers
• Equipment Safety
• First Aid on the Farm: Preparation
• Health and Safety Concerns for Agricultural Tourism Farms
• Managing Safety on the Farm
• Mental Health: Farmer Risk Factors and Resources
• Personal Fall Arrest Systems and Extrication Methods
• Pesticide Hazards: Updates
• Sleep and Fatigue: Impacts on Health and Safety on the Farm
• Updates on Ergonomics
• Zoonoses