USU Extension - PSEP

Hello. This is one last reminder for the upcoming Respiratory Safety/Fit Testing CEU event happening next week. We have only 3 people registered in Moab and 13 in Kaysville. These events are costly to host, and if interest has decreased, this may be the final respiratory safety/fit testing event that USU PSEP hosts. If you need training on the safe use of a respirator and 6 CEUs, with lunch included, please follow the links to register. The registration fee is $20 and registration is open until 6 pm on March 20th.

If you know anyone with a license who wears a respirator, please pass this email to them as soon as possible! If you have an email list and are willing to share, please do.

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The USU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program is pleased to partner with North Carolina Agromedicine and industry collaborators to offer two Respiratory Safety and Fit Testing events in March 2026. These trainings will be held on March 24 in Moab and March 26 in Kaysville.
The events will focus on respiratory protection related to pesticide use and will include hands-on fit testing. In addition, regulatory agencies have found these programs valuable in supporting compliance efforts. Topics will include regulatory requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate respirators and cartridges, training obligations, medical clearance, fit testing procedures, and the safe and effective use of respirators.
The program will:
Prepare you to be a Respiratory Safety Supervisor or someone who can provide fit testing.
Provide Use, Safety, and Law CEUs for pesticide applicators using respirators.
Provide hands-on fit testing opportunities. Attendees will fit test each other.
Approved for 2 Law, 2 Use, & 2 Safety CEUs
Resources, refreshments, snacks, and lunch provided!
Agenda
8:30 am doors open
9:30 am to 12:30 pm training lectures
12:30 - 1:00 pm lunch break (provided)
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm ppt lectures
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm hands-on fit testing training
Times are approximate.

Please see the Respiratory Safety / Fit Testing flyer for more information and registration links.
Please share this announcement as appropriate.

Registration Pages: Registration opens on February 1st.
March 24th Moab: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976740206169?aff=oddtdtcreator
March 26th Kaysville: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976740677579?aff=oddtdtcreator

2026 USU PSEP Respiratory Safety & Fit Testing Training, Kaysville Respiratory Safety and Fit Testing Training

In Utah, Dicamba is classified as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP), requiring applicators to hold a valid state certification (Private or Commercial) and complete mandatory annual, product-specific training before application.

You can find both dicamba training at the following link. If you spray these products, specific training is required.

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I wanted to share this regulatory change with you all. Please follow the link about pesticide applications near schools.

https://usu-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/a02296072_aggies_usu_edu/IQBkMjWXQ7VYRZ3iiquxbGfRAYHyESRGOdK4nfAfFXFgZL8?e=ONN01V

FYI

The virtual Urban and Small Farms Conference is February 17th – 19th. It looks like some great sessions. Find out more at https://extension.usu.edu/diverseag/. If you have any questions, please contact Ginger Dalde at [email protected] 385.468.4824 or Katie Wagner at [email protected] or 385.468.4826.

As other years, registration will be free but required. You can register from the link on the website or use this direct link: https://2026UrbanandSmallFarmsConf.eventbrite.com.

The general outline is below. Please note that the Wednesday morning session on Cut Flowers will start earlier at 8:30 AM. There is more information about the topics on the website, and more details about the speakers and topics will continue to be posted over the next few weeks.

Tuesday February 17th
9:00 AM – Animals
1:00 PM – Water Quality Considerations & Resources for Small Producers

Wednesday February 18th
8:30 AM – Cut Flowers
1:00 PM – Fruit

Thursday February 19th
9:00 AM – Vegetables
1:00 PM – Agriculture & Food Business Management

2026 Urban & Small Farms Conference Annual conference for small-acreage urban and specialty crop producers located in the State of Utah and the Intermountain West.

The USU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program is pleased to partner with North Carolina Agromedicine and industry collaborators to offer two Respiratory Safety and Fit Testing events in March 2026. These trainings will be held on March 24 in Moab and March 26 in Kaysville.

The events will focus on respiratory protection related to pesticide use and will include hands-on fit testing. In addition, regulatory agencies have found these programs valuable in supporting compliance efforts. Topics will include regulatory requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate respirators and cartridges, training obligations, medical clearance, fit testing procedures, and the safe and effective use of respirators.

Registration Pages: Registration opens on February 1st.

March 24th Moab: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976740206169?aff=oddtdtcreator

March 26th Kaysville: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976740677579?aff=oddtdtcreator

We had a new article about the MI Eagle work and avian influenza come out recently. MI is far away but the effects of this virus are vast and ongoing

munisingbeacon.com

With the recent EPA approval of PFAS in pesticides, I thought you might be interested in the EPA's "Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS."

Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS | US EPA Learn about EPA's current understanding of the health risks of PFAS.

At the beginning of this month, Utah State University’s Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) distributed packets of USU PSEP Wallet Reference Cards to every County Extension office. These are provided as a free resource for applicators and stakeholders. These resources were made possible by the partnership between USU PSEP and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

Packets are limited to one per person, allowing them to reach as many individuals as possible.
Packets are available through June 1, 2026.

If you have any questions, please reach out to:
Michael R. Wierda, Ph.D.
Utah State University
Extension Associate Professor
Pesticide Safety Education Program Director

The first 2025 USU PSEP CEU webinar starts in 1.5 hours, and we have 167 people registered!

It's too late to join today, but you can still participate in any of the remaining 7 FREE CEU webinars at the link below. Preregistration is required!

https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=3261EA8E8F9A047572F5A3FA892F82065748276F54E7EF163B5D6C474734D5AB

Please share this widely.

In 2025, USU PSEP is excited to partner with UDAF, IFA, Utah Farm Bureau Federation, USU Specialists, South Dakota State University, Purdue University, University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, and Michigan State University to bring you the 2025

CEU Webinar Series.
Check-in & Opening Comments: 9:30 AM
Presentations Begin: 10:00 AM
Pre-registration is required

Each webinar will provide:
1 Use CEU, 1 Safety CEU, and 1 Law CEU

That’s up to 3 CEUs per webinar, and you may attend any session regardless of license type. Thanks to the continued support of UDAF, all webinars are FREE again this year!

🎁 Prizes Are Back!
Webinar Prizes: IFA has donated 3 $50 gift cards for each webinar. Simply attending makes you eligible.
Grand Prizes: Utah Farm Bureau Federation (UFBF) is sponsoring $2500 in IFA store credit as grand prizes. To qualify, you must complete all four surveys (pre-knowledge, post-knowledge, satisfaction, and follow-up). You can enter once for every webinar you attend. 1st = $1250. 2nd = $750. 3rd = $500

📝 Survey Timing
Pre-knowledge Survey: Sent with webinar reminder email; closes 10:00 AM the day of the webinar
Post-knowledge & Satisfaction Surveys: Sent with thank-you and CEU certificate emails; close 2 weeks after the webinar
Follow-up Survey: Sent by email 2 weeks after the webinar; closes 4 weeks after the webinar
🏆 Winners will be drawn in January 2026.

📅 Registration
Please follow the link for registration links and agendas for all eight 2025 USU PSEP CEU webinars.

⚠️ Note: Each webinar has its own registration link. Be sure to click the correct one and double-check the date before submitting.

https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=3A882CDFA01EFC62CF8009FCF3A4D0AE53F7D8930982A9238EB38C0D8B1C21A2

Hello all.

I am planning for the 2025 USU PSEP CEU webinars, which will be held again in November. Last year, working with Utah Farm Bureau Federation, we gave away $2500 in smokers. We plan to offer $2500 in prizes for these webinars again this year. I am reaching out to ask for your suggestions on prizes. We felt the smokers were very well received, but we are interested in your opinion on what types of prizes we should offer. To be clear, cash is not an option. However, gift cards are a possibility.

Cheers,

Here is a story from Discover about the eagle work I'm lucky enough to participate in in Michigan.

Bald Eagle Study Video of the Bald Eagle Study from the 7/21 episode of "Discovering".