Farmers know a lot about the microscopic elements affecting the health of their dairy herds and crops. As researchers at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wisconsin, we are taking a fresh look at agricultural microbiomes (the clusters of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live together) in different farm environments.

Responding appropriately to agricultural emergencies requires a specialized skill set. Evidence suggests the more exposure emergency responders have to agricultural situations, the more comfortable they will become when dealing with safety issues in those environments.

Issue 16 of Progressive Dairyman (Oct. 10, 2017) highlighted the Rural Firefighters Delivering Agricultural Safety and Health (RFDASH) project from the National Farm Medicine Center.

Issue 16 of Progressive Dairyman (Oct. 10, 2017) highlighted the Rural Firefighters Delivering Agricultural Safety and Health (RFDASH) project from the National Farm Medicine Center.

People who work in agriculture are eight times more likely to be fatally injured when compared to other professions. It remains the most dangerous occupation in the U.S. Moreover, farms normally include homes and non-working bystanders (often children) who are also at risk.