ABSTRACT

Agricultural Extension professionals play a critical role in outreach and translation of research to practice. Extension has not only been an audience for Agricultural Safety and Health Center work, but also an essential partner in promoting evidence-based farm health and safety in communities. This commentary stems from a collaborative effort among Center leaders across the nation who developed a set of surveys to explore the ways COVID-19 has affected Extension professionals. Preliminary data gathered from across the nation suggest that while many Extension professionals feel prepared to address challenges from the pandemic and are well supported by their State and Center’s resources, over half also reported moderate to great difficulty in balancing personal and professional needs and, to a lesser extent, balancing remote work and family needs. Because Extension professionals act as connectors between Agricultural Safety and Health Centers and farmers and their families, they serve in a role similar to first-responders. COVID-19 has exacerbated the potential for anxiety, stress, and other mental health concerns among this group. With COVID-19 numbers rising at an especially fast rate among agricultural workers, it is important to attend to the wellbeing of the professionals who work with them.

摘要

农业推广专家在推广和将研究成果转化为实践中发挥着关键作用。推广不仅是农业安全与健康中心工作的听众，而且还是促进社区中基于证据的农场健康与安全的重要合作伙伴。这篇评论源于全国各地中心领导之间的共同努力，他们进行了一系列调查以探讨COVID-19对推广专家的影响。从全国各地收集的初步数据表明，尽管许多推广专业人士已准备好应对大流行的挑战，并且得到州和中心的资源的大力支持，但超过一半的人还报告说，在平衡个人和专业需求方面存在中度到很大的困难，程度较小，平衡了远程工作和家庭需求。由于推广专家充当着农业安全与卫生中心与农民及其家人之间的纽带，因此他们的职责类似于急救人员。COVID-19加剧了该人群中焦虑，压力和其他心理健康问题的可能性。随着COVID-19人数在农业工人中的增长速度特别快，因此，与他们一起工作的专业人员的福祉至关重要。