This year’s Husker Harvest Days included free health information and screenings to visitors, a key component to the show each year. Nursing students from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing assisted with health screenings, including over 1,330 blood pressure checks and 451 skin cancer checks. With a new location on site, the larger building allowed for increased screenings and discussions around health to help bring wellness to the forefront for farmers and their families.

“There are many oncology deserts in our state where you have to drive many miles to receive care,” said Laura Schabloske, Interim Executive Director of the Nebraska Cancer Coalition. “That’s why this exhibit at Husker Harvest Days is so important. We are bringing awareness and education to farmers and ranchers.”

In addition to blood pressure and skin cancer checks, 289 PSA lab draws were made to check for prostate cancer, and over 430 conversations were had about colorectal cancer screening. There was also an added focus to help end tobacco use, with over 2,000 conversations about tobacco cessation.

The health screening exhibit included multiple health organizations for on-site discussions, including the Nebraska Cancer Coalition (NC2), University of Nebraska Medical Center and UN-Kearney, American Cancer Society, Mary Lanning Healthcare, CHI Health Grand Island, Genentech, Nebraska Cancer Specialists and Exact Science. NC2 also displayed a 12-foot tall, inflatable lung to increase attention to the need of screening and prevention. The world’s only inflatable pair of lungs shows the inner workings of the organ, and visitors at Husker Harvest Days were able to walk through it to learn more about maintaining lung health.

“Our farmers and ranchers are incredibly important to this state,” said Schabloske. “They need to take time for their own self-care. Just like they make sure the crops are nourished and animals are fed, they need to nourish their own health care through screenings.”

To learn more about NC2 and upcoming events, visit NEcancer.org. Save the date for Husker Harvest Days 2024, September 10-12 in Grand Island, Neb. For more information and to keep up to date on next year’s event, visit huskerharvestdays.com.