WILLMAR — Farmers heading into planting season are being advised to take extra health precautions in light of COVID-19.
A majority of Minnesota farmers are at an age that puts them at higher risk for getting the coronavirus, said Lizabeth Stahl, an educator with University of Minnesota Extension.
She said if farmers become ill, it may be difficult to find trained replacement labor.
“Staying healthy during this time is particularly critical as the optimal planting window is only so wide and it can be extremely weather dependent,” Stahl said.
For personal safety and to maintain a labor force free of COVID-19 , Stahl said farmers and all who are in the agricultural supply chain should follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines of washing hands, limiting travel and social distancing.
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She also said it’s important that farmers do not work through an infection because of the “serious risks this disease poses and the risk of transmitting the virus to others.”
Further information can be found at:
- 2020 Planting Decisions in the Face of COVID-19, by the University of Illinois: https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2020/03/2020-planting-decisions-in-the-face-of-covid-19.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- UMASH COVID-19 resources: umash.umn.edu/covid-19-resources
- U of MN Extension Resources for Helping your Family Plan for COVID-19: https://extension.umn.edu/news/helping-your-family-plan-covid-19-novel-coronavirus
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/
- EPA COVID-19 Disinfectant List: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
- Coping with Farm and Rural Stress: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/about/mnfarmerstress
