Kentucky’s first Mobile Agriculture Safety and Health (MASH) Barn is officially on the road, following its recent debut in Daviess County. The mobile unit is designed to bring health screenings and wellness resources directly to farmers.
The unit was introduced during the inaugural Family and Farm Ag Day at Panther Creek Park, where state leaders and local advocates gathered to celebrate its launch. The event was hosted by Daviess County Fiscal Court in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Owensboro Health, and several other community partners.
“This is big ag country out here,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell. “You’ve got specialty crops, big row crop farmers, cattle, poultry. There’s a lot going on in Owensboro and Daviess County. And with events like this, we’re bringing attention to the work these folks do every day, while also supporting their health and safety.”
The MASH Barn is a mobile unit designed to provide farmers with convenient access to health screenings and wellness resources. It was developed as part of the Raising Hope initiative, a program focused on farm safety, mental health, and suicide prevention in rural communities.
“We’re here today to dedicate this trailer to farmers’ health,” said Dale Dobson, Director of the Division of Farm Safety and Rural Health for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. “We teach you how to be safe, how to be healthy, and how to be rescued. In just the last couple of years, we’ve had multiple farmers survive grain bin accidents because we’ve taught responders how to get them out.”
Dobson, a longtime advocate for farm safety, helped create the Raising Hope initiative alongside Dr. Cheryl Witt, an Assistant Dean and Extension Specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.
Witt said the idea for the MASH Barn stemmed from the need to meet farmers where they are — in both location and mindset.
“Farmers are more likely to attend a grain safety demo than talk about their mental health,” Witt said. “But when we put those things together — physical health, mental health, and safety — we see that everything is connected. We wanted a place where farmers felt comfortable, so we built a barn, not a clinic. It’s a place they’ll walk into without hesitation.”
The mobile unit is retrofitted from a camper and includes space for screenings such as blood pressure checks, carotid artery scans, and other wellness evaluations. While the unit itself does not provide treatment, it works in partnership with regional healthcare systems like Owensboro Health to connect farmers to necessary care.
The project has received strong support from the Kentucky legislature, with Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Ag Policy Brandon Reed playing a pivotal role in securing state funding. As a former state representative and vice chair of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Reed helped earmark over $1 million in recurring funds for the Raising Hope initiative.
“It’s been changing lives for years, and now it’s saving lives,” Reed said. “What we’re doing in Kentucky is becoming a national model. We’re proud of that.”
Shell echoed that sentiment, adding that the initiative’s momentum continues to grow.
“We’re really trying to up our game in rural health,” Shell said. “This isn’t just about farm safety. It’s about making sure our farmers are able to keep doing what they love for as long as possible.”
