Swine Extension

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Written for submission to The LAND - as the September 11, 2026, Swine & U column Summer’s winding down; a late Labor Day and diminishing warm temperatures remind us that harvest season is approaching quickly. As producers test their harvest equipment and schedule manure hauling, the topic of ag safety becomes an important element of fall farm planning in Minnesota. This year the 82nd National Farm Safety & Health week, September 21-25, initiated by the National Safety Council and first proclaimed by President Franklin Roosevelt, focuses on five specific farm safety concerns. The 2026 National Farm Safety & Health week theme is “Safety Today, Success Tomorrow”. The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) will provide individual topic-specific webinars daily from September 21-25. The daily themes are familiar and timeless. Please check each of them for a complete understanding of the safety hazards and rem...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Written for submission to The LAND - as September 12, 2025 Swine & U column Memorial Day 2025 was going so well, it was a beautiful day of clear air, high clouds, and the distant hum of field work…. until we got that call that the baling tractor was on fire. Thankfully, someone knew where to find a fire extinguisher, and no one was hurt. The tractor driver had unhooked the baler and driven away from it, and, although the new baling tractor needed work under the hood, everyone was okay, and the operation resumed when a different tractor was hooked up. On Memorial Day Tuesday, new fire extinguishers were placed in every tractor and truck. In fact, even I, a small-town-dwelling civilian, have secured a fire extinguisher for MY truck. Field fires are a fear and a certainty when fall farm work begins, and the reasonably inexpensive insurance of a fire extinguisher on board can mean the difference between an incident and a tragedy. NAT...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as January 31, 2025 Swine & U column This winter of 2024-2025 has already provided a wide array of thrills and chills! This week predicts temps in the 30s and two weeks ago it was -20 degrees! Our snowfall has been minimal, but we are always watching skyward. Keeping the driveways clear, the water flowing, the power & heat on, and the pigs safe and fed is a daily challenge during Minnesota’s winters. Our friends at the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety & Health (UMASH) center offer this discussion about the dangers of cold weather outside work. WORKING OUTDOORS Cold temperatures pose serious threats to a person’s health, leading to frostbite, hypothermia, or trench foot, which occurs when the feet have been exposed to water for too long. Symptoms of hypothermia may include lack of coordination, confusion, slurring, drowsiness, or slowed breathing. Signs of frostbite and trench foot include ski...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educatorOriginally printed in The LAND - as September 13, 2024, Swine & U column I’ve recently spent time traveling across ag country including the Midwestern and Northeastern US and agricultural areas in Canada. It’s always interesting to see crop progress in far-flung areas, and to get excited as equipment begins to roll in spots where early planting occurred. With the movement of today’s large imposing farm machinery, the importance of ag safety rises to the top of mind. Each September the Iowa-based National Education Center of Agricultural Safety (NECAS) recognizes a safety week. In 2024 the National Farm Safety & Health Week is September 16 - 20, with the theme “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident” HISTORY The National Farm Safety & Health Week website provides this background about the safety week and current data related to ag health incidents. The 2022 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural...

A message from MN Department of Agriculture (MDA) The MDA offers safety tips for those maintaining equipment and applying and transporting NH3. Many farmers and custom applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) after harvest. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving NH3 have proven how dangerous and deadly the fertilizer can be when not handled properly. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) offers the following tips to farmers, fertilizer dealers and custom applicators on how to safely field apply NH3: Always wear NH3-rated goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses. Be sure to have a clean and accessible emergency water supply of at least 5 gallons available. Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections of transfer lines, treating them as if they always contain NH3. Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect and secure ...

Photo Source:  National Pork Board By: Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - in the July 5, 2024 Swine Edition It was mid-May when my delight with a good rain began to morph into concern quickly followed by worry. Plentiful May rainfall is always a two-edged sword when its schedule impedes crop planting progress. Continued measurable rain quickly begins to affect all aspects of the farm, and UMN Extension is now fielding house, well and farmstead flooding questions. Everyone’s farm and rainfall issues vary; here are a few strategies and resources for farmers and rural householders dealing with an overabundance of rainfall on the place. RECOGNIZE YOUR STRESS Extension Educator Emily Krekelberg sagely suggests that there is no reward for the one who suffers the most. When farmers don’t take proper care, they put themselves and others in danger. Recognize behavioral signs of stress like worry, poor concentration, isolation and negative talki...

By Emily Kreckelberg, UMN Extension Farm Safety and Health EducatorOriginally printed in The LAND - as the October 15, 2023 Swine & U Column In September, we recognized National Farm Safety and Health Week with the theme “No one can take your place.” Emily Krekelberg, farm safety and health educator with University of Minnesota Extension provides year-round farm safety education. In an October issue of The LAND, she shared some safety reminders for farmers and their families. These reminders are good not only during harvest, but all year long. Read about farm safety reminders.

Emergency Action Plans (EAP) are part of Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) and a needed item for both the PQA Site Assessments and the Common Swine Industry Audit. They are a valuable tool to reduce the impact of an emergency on your farm. It allows farms to carefully plan for each possible scenario, whether it be a weather, injury, fire or other related emergency. Having site-specific information and contacts will help to effectively handle an emergency situation. Training for every person or employee involved with your farm is an important part of emergency planning and should be done on a regular basis. To comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, an employer must have a printed copy of an EAP readily accessible to all employees. Check out National Pork Board’s website for a template to assist you in creating your farm’s Emergency Action Plan.

The excessive amount of ice and snow that has fallen this winter has livestock owners concerned about snow load and potential roof collapse. The design roof snow load for residential buildings in MN is set by state statutes and is 42 pounds per square foot (psf) in northern MN and 35 psf in southern MN. However, many agricultural buildings are built using a 20 psf snow load which would be expected to handle six feet of dry, fluffy snow or one foot of wet, heavy snow.

The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) has a new video for those working with pigs and protecting them from getting injured on the job. Farm Worker Sow Behavior Safety Tips video was created in collaboration with Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator, Colin Yoder, UMN Veterinary Public Health resident, and Hayford Manu, UMN researcher. The video incorporates expert and industry advice to address sow behavior and management techniques to handle the animals safely. The video is available in English and Spanish. Two additional videos can be used as training materials for new employees or as a refresher for existing workers. Those videos are Protecting People and Pigs from the Flu and Moving Sows: Be Safe and Smart. These two videos are also available in both English and Spanish. Watch these video resources.

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension Swine Educator Originally printed in The LAND - as January 6, 2023 Swine & U column This winter of 2022-2023 has already provided a wide array of thrills and chills! Keeping the driveways clear, the water flowing, the power & heat on, and the pigs safe and fed is a daily challenge during Minnesota’s winters. Our friends at the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety & Health (UMASH) center offer this discussion about the dangers of cold weather outside work. WORKING OUTDOORS Cold temperatures pose serious threats to a person’s health, leading to frostbite, hypothermia, or trench foot, which occurs when the feet have been exposed to water for too long. Symptoms of hypothermia may include lack of coordination, confusion, slurring, drowsiness, or slowed breathing. Signs of frostbite and trench foot include skin that is numb, swollen, firm, blistered, red, or gray. UMASH SAFETY CHECKLIST Can you complete indoor tasks and leave outdoor tasks for a wa...

I know we just went through a frigid cold spell, but that doesn’t mean we might not see those temperatures again this winter. The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) has a Cold Stress Toolkit for working through the winter. The tool kit offers fact sheets for working in the cold weather and posters about preventing cold stress. Check it out on UMASH’s website . Emily Krekelberg, University of Minnesota Extension farm safety and health educator along with Hannah Lochner, University of Minnesota Extension communications assistant have created the above infographic for dressing to stay warm in the cold.

By Emily Krekelberg, UMN Farm Safety & Health Extension educatorOriginally printed in The LAND as October 28, 2022 Swine & U column Nonfatal injuries, including both lost-time and no lost-time accidents, occur to about a third of the farm population annually. It has been estimated that 80% of farm accidents result from carelessness or failure to deal with hazards safely. Many accidents are avoidable and having a culture of safety can help you avoid them on your farm. When talking about creating a culture of safety on a farm, there are six components to keep in mind: Hiring and training. Setting an example. Giving and getting feedback. Making it a group effort. Measuring and rewarding success. Having a plan “just in case.” Keep in mind that this isn’t just for “big farms” with scores of employees, it’s for any farm with any number of people working on it. Hiring and training employees Try to hire employees who take safety seriously and emphasize how important it is to you throug...

By Emily Krekelberg, Extension farm safety and health educator Nonfatal injuries, including both lost-time and no lost-time accidents, occur to about a third of the farm population annually. It has been estimated that 80% of farm accidents result from carelessness or failure to deal with hazards safely. Many accidents are avoidable, and having a culture of safety can help you avoid them on your farm. Continue reading.

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND as April 1/April 8, 2022 Swine & U column . March is the month in which the American Farm Bureau Federation recognizes National Ag Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) week. ASAP week was created to bring awareness to safety and health issues facing the agriculture industry. The U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers have joined American Farm Bureau Federation to keep farm workers safe and healthy by recognizing common farm hazards with the theme “Prepare. Prevent. Protect.” Part of the 2022 ASAP recognition is a focus on safety around livestock, including livestock handling and transportation. Stressed livestock are more likely to injure themselves, their handlers and are more difficult to work with. Providing stockmanship training for workers handling livestock is key to preventing injuries. Stockmanship is a practice which promotes positive animal handling and is important for both animal and caret...

Farm-related injuries vary from farm to farm. The overall most common hazards include livestock, machinery and slips, trips and falls. First aid kits should be a staple for farm families and workers and be readily available. Be sure your farm has a first aid kit. If your farm does not have one, the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) has a variety of resources on preparing first aid kits. Read more about UMASH’s first aid kit resources.

By Diane DeWitte, Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as October 15/October 22, 2021 Swine & U column October is a busy and favorite time of year for all of us in agriculture. Harvest is happening and there’s a lot to be done in crisp fall weather. Most farm families are working through repeated long days and short nights. The COVID pandemic’s residual requirements and effects on farm family health have left us with additional thoughts about how to deal with emergencies and how to practice all levels of safety at work. With that in mind, it’s a good time to review some of the most important safety issues facing swine producers. The various stages of swine production produce different kinds of safety issues, including health challenges to both pig and caretaker. ZOONOTIC DISEASES A zoonotic disease is one which can pass from animal to human or vice versa. A common example in cattle and small ruminants is ringworm, the skin fungus which spreads easily. Whi...