Bassett Healthcare Network’s New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) has announced Mrs. Tonya Van Slyke of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) is the recipient of its seventh annual Hero Award.
Van Slyke, who has worked as a safety trainer for NYCAMH in the past, is a longtime, passionate advocate for improving health and safety on New York dairy farms. She is well known in the dairy industry for her efforts to support farm families and workers by raising awareness of the importance of safety training, calling attention to emerging issues, and supporting efforts to improve workforce management. She has been a central catalyst in efforts to bring NYCAMH, Cornell University, and industry leaders together to reduce injuries and improve worker wellbeing in the dairy industry.
Van Slyke formerly worked at NYCAMH as a safety educator and then transitioned to the Cornell Agricultural Safety and Health Program, where she continued her efforts to promote farm safety and health for New York farm owners, farm families, and farm workers. After taking over her current role as Executive Vice President of Industry Relations at the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA), she continued to promote farm safety and farm safety programs to NEDPA members through articles, emails, and newsletters. Van Slyke also offers counseling and guidance to dairy farms when injuries and emergencies occur, directing NEDPA members to support services throughout the state. She has also led efforts to develop safety training and supervisor management courses for dairy farms in partnership with Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development and NYCAMH.
Additionally, in 2013, OSHA launched a Local Emphasis Program for New York dairy farms. Van Slyke was the organizer and primary catalyst behind the creation of the New York OSHA Dairy Workgroup. This group brought the combined experience, expertise, and strengths of NEDPA, PRO-Dairy, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, New York Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and NYCAMH.
NYCAMH, a program of Bassett Healthcare Network, is enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury.
