Penn State Extension ag safety expert receives international award

Linda Fetzer, Extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named the 2019 recipient of the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health’s Practitioner Achievement Award.

The award recognizes an outreach or education program or activity that demonstrates significant impacts and outcomes in injury prevention or safety and health practice. Fetzer received the award during the society’s annual meeting, held June 27 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Fetzer has served farmers and their families for more than 20 years. She is actively involved in many Penn State Extension programs as well as the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health’s Worker Protection Standard Program, which provides client assistance related to federal Environmental Protection Agency standards for producers.

Her involvement in nationally funded projects, including serving as manager of the Safety in Agriculture for Youth National Clearinghouse, made her the perfect recipient for this award, according to Michael Pate, Nationwide Insurance Associate Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health at Penn State, who nominated Fetzer.

“Linda continues to go above and beyond her assigned role to assist other extension programs in support of agricultural safety and health,” he said.

Abbie Spackman, the AgrAbility Pennsylvania project assistant, agreed.

“Linda is an extremely valuable mentor and supporter,” she said. “I am thankful for her guidance and knowledge. She works diligently on the AgrAbility project along with many other successful grant projects in Ag Safety and Health. She wears many ‘hats’ and does so successfully.”

Fetzer credits her success to the mentorship, collaboration and support from members of the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health organization, her colleagues at Penn State, and family members who have inspired and helped her along the way.

“The annual ISASH conference is such a productive event where I can reconnect with friends, learn about programs from across the world, and gain new programming ideas,” Fetzer said. “I am very grateful and honored to work with such enthusiastic people who are dedicated to reducing injuries and fatalities in agriculture.”