Tag: animal care

NMPF Farmer Leadership Meets with USDA on Important Animal Health Issues

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Karen Jordan, DVM Chair of the NMPF Animal Health and Wellbeing Committee and NMPF staff met with USDA APHIS Administrator Kevin Shae and other USDA animal health leadership June 13 to discuss important animal-health issues for U.S. dairy farmers.

Dr. Jordan spoke about the importance of industry-government collaboration on preparedness for foreign animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease. She commented on the need for USDA to modernize the FMD Vaccine Bank. “While there is always the promise for better vaccines in the future, now is the time to build a best-in-class FMD Vaccine Bank with the new funding provided by the 2018 Farm Bill,” she said. Jordan also stressed the need to maintain and enhance the Secure Milk Supply and the FMD Bulk Tank Milk Test.

Stakeholders also discussed domestic cattle diseases during the meeting. USDA is revising and updating its Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Program Standards to meet the reality of the disease today. Jordan complimented USDA for its monthly teleconferences with the dairy and beef sectors and identified improving TB diagnostics as a priority for advancing TB eradication. The caudal fold test has outlived its usefulness for Test and Remove Protocol for dairy herds affected by TB.

Finally, Jordan expressed the importance of trade to U.S. dairy farmers. “More than 15 percent of U.S. milk is exported around the world, and APHIS leadership is necessary to maintain and enhance market access for U.S. dairy farmers,” she said. The important work that USDA APHIS does with Codex Alimentarius, the World Organization for Animal Health, and animal health certification for export certificates is vital for this, she said.

FARM Program Announces New Educational Resources

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program announced two new manuals and other materials as part of its FARM Workforce Development program area.

The FARM Safety Reference Manual provides straightforward, relevant and useful information on workplace safety and health meant to help dairy owners and employees develop and implement a robust and practical safety program. The FARM Safety Reference Manual is a collaboration between the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, the Idaho Milk Processors Association, and National Milk Producers Federation.

The FARM Human Resources (HR) Reference Manual helps dairy farm owners, managers and other relevant staff develop an on-farm HR program. An effective HR program supports a positive and safe work environment that helps attract and retain a professional, high-quality, and engaged workforce. A downloaded, customizable set of HR templates and a sample Employee Handbook accompany the FARM HR Manual.  The manuals can be found here. Spanish-language versions of the manuals and templates will be available soon.

The National Dairy FARM Program launched its newest component last year, gathering expert and stakeholder input from the entire dairy value chain, including farmers, cooperative staff, academics, and other subject matter experts. This input ensures the Workforce Development materials are technically robust and relevant to today’s dairy industry.

FARM Workforce Development demonstrates that the U.S. dairy industry is proactive and passionate about providing safe and thriving work environments.

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of all U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers in Washington. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

Created by NMPF in partnership with Dairy Management Inc, the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) works with all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors, to demonstrate to dairy customers and consumers that the dairy industry is taking the very best care of cows and the environment, producing safe, wholesome milk and adhering to the highest standards of workforce development.

FARM V4 Public Comment Period Summarized

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The FARM Animal Care Program welcomed public comments from all dairy industry stakeholders from the middle of February through the end of March. FARM received over 370 comments providing feedback on the draft standards that the FARM Technical Writing Group and National Milk Producers Federation Animal Health and Well-Being Committee have prepped for the fourth iteration of FARM Animal Care.

Of the total comments, 41.7% were received from cooperatives and processors, 25.5% came in directly from producers, and 15.6% were provided from veterinarians. Other industry stakeholders represented the remaining 17.2%.

The primary areas of the comments focused on: veterinarian involvement, pain management for disbudding procedures, antibiotic stewardship, and animal care training.

The Technical Writing Group and the NMPF Animal Health and Well-Being Committees is meeting to review comments and determine position statements related to the public submissions. Once those are summarized, staff will integrate that feedback into the draft standards that will then be presented to the National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors for approval in June.

Version 4.0 of FARM Animal Care Program implementation will begin January 1.

FARM Program Statement: Martin Farms, Inc.

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

From Emily Yeiser Stepp, Senior Director, FARM Animal Care Program:

ARLINGTON, VA – “The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has established a rigorous framework of best practices to ensure the proper treatment of dairy animals. The program – created by veterinarians, animal welfare experts and farmers – takes seriously all allegations of mistreatment of dairy cattle.

“We were initially notified by Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association Inc. that one of their member farms, Martin Farms, had allegations of animal mistreatment made against them. The cooperative requires participation in and full compliance with the FARM Program by every farmer-member. In response, we immediately activated FARM’s willful mistreatment protocol and initiated a third-party audit of its animal-care practices on March 9. The video that prompted the initial allegations was made available to us on March 13. The video shows instances of willful mistreatment, and the FARM Program placed the farm on probation. Martin Farms must take immediate corrective actions to be reinstated into good standing with the program.

“As a program created to establish and improve best practices across the dairy industry, we are deeply disturbed by the mistreatment shown in the video and are committed to ensuring that animal care remains the highest priority by all dairy farmers.”

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF’s activities, visit our website at www.nmpf.org.

Interview with Emily Yeiser Stepp on the National FARM Program

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

Now in its 10th year, the National Dairy FARM Program – Farmers Assuring Responsible Management – helps dairy producers document their successful management practices to reassure processors and the consuming public how responsibly milk is produced. Joel Hastings of DairyBusiness.com interviews Emily Yeiser Stepp, Senior Director of this program, that is a partnership between NMPF and DMI.