Protecting Animals and People - Understanding Zoonotic Disease

Nov 03, 2021

It is a well-known fact that most people do not know where their food comes from or how it is raised or grown. In fact, while there are over two million farms in the U.S., farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of the U.S. population. This means that most people do not have experience with or a connection to a farm or an understanding of what it takes to produce food. This is where our county fairs, animal exhibitions, and agri-tourism operations help educate people on what farming really is and connect them to agriculture. However, providing people with access to animals does come with some risks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zoonotic diseases are diseases caused by germs that spread between people and animals. These diseases are quite common but with proper prevention and hygiene, the risk of transmission is low. Michigan State University Extension has partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to create multiple resources designed to help prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases. Anyone who works with events or locations that have a people (public) and animal interface will benefit from the developed resources and will be able to utilize them at their operations or exhibitions.

These resources will be highlighted on an informational Zoom webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 from 1 to 2 p.m. The Zoom platform does not require any additional software or equipment and while there is no cost to participate, attendees must register in order to receive access to the necessary connection link. This educational event will feature speakers from MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, it will include information on planning materials and signage that can be used to prevent zoonotic disease outbreaks, social media materials that promote healthy interaction with animals, and educational materials to educate youth in strategies that can be used to bring awareness around the issue of the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Source : msu.edu

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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