Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Farm Safety And Extension topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
University Extension emphasizes farm safety, youth tractor training and mental‑health supports
Summary
University of Minnesota Extension told the House Ag Finance and Policy Committee it runs statewide farm safety and health programs — including a youth tractor and farm safety curriculum now in statute, 4‑H outreach and partnership with UMASH and North Dakota State — and targets both youth and aging farmers.
University of Minnesota Extension staff told the House Ag Finance and Policy Committee that the extension service delivers farm safety, youth training and mental‑health resources statewide and that those programs rely on partnerships with other land‑grant institutions and state agencies.
“Many of you know our extension educator, Emily Kreckenberg. She is the 1 that leads our farm safety and health programming in extension,” Dean Bev Durgin told the committee, adding that the youth tractor and farm safety training the university now provides was directed by statute passed last year.
Why this matters: Durgin said Extension’s target audiences include youth (4‑H and FFA participants), farmers and agricultural professionals such as co‑op staff and feed‑store employees. Extension emphasized prevention and outreach — youth tractor safety trainings across the state, programs aimed at aging farmers and efforts to connect producers to mental‑health services.
Durgin described Extension’s partnerships: seven joint faculty positions with North Dakota State University that serve northwest Minnesota, collaboration with UMASH (University of Minnesota Agricultural Safety and Health Center) located in the School of Public Health, and coordination with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and county‑level partners. She said Extension reaches about 50,000 youth through 4‑H and uses fair‑based and ambassador programs to connect urban and rural audiences to agricultural practices.
Committee members asked about urban‑rural connections and retaining older youth in 4‑H; Durgin said county‑level ambassador programs, state ambassadorships and expanded leadership roles for older 4‑H members help retain participation and provide public‑speaking and outreach opportunities.
What Extension said it offers: in‑person youth tractor and farm safety trainings around the state; curricula and trainings shared with partner universities; farmer mental‑health resources and referrals; and targeted programs for agricultural professionals who advise farmers. Extension noted it is not funding the farm safety program via GREET but through other extension appropriations.
Ending: Extension staff invited legislators to request more detailed briefings from program leads and offered to bring Emily Kreckenberg or other educators to committee hearings for deeper demonstrations of the training and outreach work. No formal committee action was taken at the hearing.
