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Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project Tip Sheets AvailableMarcia Miquelon, Wisconsin Outreach Specialist
Since 1996, the University of Wisconsin Department of Biological Systems Engineering has been home to the “Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits” project. The project’s goal is to find and share tools and techniques that are efficient, profitable, and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries to dairy farmers, berry growers and small-scale, fresh-market vegetable growers in the Upper Midwest. Workers in these types of industries are at high risk for stress and strain injuries, due to the prevalence of hand labor, stoop labor, and repetitive movements in their work. They are most likely to adopt safer tools and methods that also increase their profits through increased efficiency, labor time savings, and better product quality. For example, the project promotes the use of mesh bags for washing leafy greens such as salad mix and spinach. Without the bags, most small-scale growers would need to lift greens from the wash water one handful at a time, holding the weight of their arms and the wet vegetables many times over as the greens drain. A mesh bag, which is available for under $5.00, enables the grower to wash and drain many handfuls of greens at a time, a method that is approximately 50% faster. With this kind of labor savings, the low-cost tool will rapidly pay for itself and improve profits. Meanwhile, the worker’s risk of repetitive motion strain to the hands, wrists, and arms is reduced. Short tip sheets about mesh bags, along with fifteen other topics, are available for free from the “Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits” project. The quickest way to obtain these materials is to visit the project web site at www.bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/. If you are interested in obtaining multiple copies for distribution to dairy, berry or vegetable farmers, call the project at (608) 265-9451 (Vegetable, Berry) or (608) 262-7408 (Dairy). The project is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Tip sheet topics include:
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The information given in this publication is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.
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