Tag: FARM program

FARM Presents Survey Results at Town Hall

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

FARM Program stakeholders identified care for  sick animals, calves, and non-ambulatory cattle as dairy’s  greatest priority to maintain focus on for Version 5 of FARM’s Animal Care Program as determined by an industry wide survey distributed through the fall with results presented at a virtual town hall Dec. 14.

The survey was intended to collect feedback from farmers, veterinarians, cooperatives, processors, and others within the dairy supply chain as planning commences for Version 5 of FARM Animal Care which will launch July 1, 2024. The survey questions were developed following a series of  focus groups hosted last August by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program. FARM received 682 complete responses, and staff were able to identify potential refinement opportunities for the next program cycle in addition to the top animal care priorities from stakeholders.

The survey also showed general support for making minor modifications and adding clarity to the FARM Animal Care Program while avoiding large overhauls. Most survey respondents, including farmers, showed they would willingly support small changes to better address animal care vulnerabilities. Respondents also were in consensus that standards that aren’t direct measures of good animal welfare practices should be updated to prioritize an outcomes-based approach.

For more information, visit the Version 5 development page.

Two Farms Receive Pizza Party for Employees

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The Galen family at Milkwood Farm (Lynn Dairy) in Neillsville, WI and Emily Pankratz with Holtz Ridge Grass Farms (Saputo) in Rudolph, WI were selected out of 84 entries as the winners of the FARM Program Employee Appreciation Pizza Party as part of FARM’s participation in World Dairy Expo.

Dairy farmers and managers were encouraged to enter for the chance to treat their employees when they visited the FARM booth during World Dairy Expo, Sept. 28-Oct. 2. During the trade show, FARM Program staff shared resources with visitors including the 2021 Year in Review, the Calf Care Quality Assurance (CCQA) Manual, and the Drug Residue Pocket Guide. They also answered farmer and stakeholder questions about current Version 4.0 expectations and the beginning stages of Version 5.0 planning.

FARM Program staff also attended the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference October 7-9, during which veterinarians had an opportunity to ask questions, gather resources, and have conversations at FARM’s booth. FARM also participated in a joint session with the Beef Quality Assurance Program at the conference to provide program updates about current standards and future revisions, FARM Biosecurity, and CCQA.

FARM Surveys Provide Opportunity for Input

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program released its Animal Care Version 5.0 Stakeholder Survey on Sept. 22. This survey gives dairy farmers, industry stakeholders, and partners an opportunity to provide early input on topics, issues, and potential changes they would like considered for Version 5.0.

FARM will use the input from this survey and work with the FARM Farmer Advisory Council, Animal Care Task Force, NMPF Animal Health and Wellbeing Committee, and the NMPF Board of Directors to review Version 4.0 of the program and design updates and improvements for Version 5.0, which would come into effect July 1.

Survey information will be used to inform decisions, although no decisions will be made solely from the responses, which are anonymous. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is open to any farmers and other stakeholders wishing to lend their expertise to the FARM Animal Care Program update. Click here to access and complete the survey. For more information and to follow Version 5.0 progress, visit the development page on the FARM website.

The FARM Program has also provided support to Kansas State University to develop an antibiotic stewardship use survey for dairy farmers to provide a better understanding of dairy producer perceptions of antibiotic stewardship and their willingness to contribute to a dairy antibiotic use database. The survey is also anonymous, and input received will serve as a valuable resource for university researchers who are collaborating with FARM and participating in discussions on national policies related to dairy antibiotic use.

FARM to Host Lunch Panel at World Dairy Expo

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Dairy FARM Program will host a luncheon at World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI on Sept. 30 that will feature a panel discussion from industry stakeholders involved in the newest FARM initiatives, FARM Biosecurity and the Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA). Space is limited and registration for this in-person only event is required.

Panelists for the luncheon include:

  • Josh White, Executive Director, Producer Education, NCBA
  • Kris Scheider, Wisconsin, Foremost Farms Dairy Farmer
  • Jennifer Van Os, PhD, Animal Welfare Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, UW – Madison
  • Justin Potts, Senior Manager, Dairy 2025, Land O’ Lakes.

Visit FARM in the Exhibit Hall at booth EH 4508 where farmers can register to win a pizza party for their employees. NMPF and FARM will sponsor two World Dairy Expo Seminars – Dairy Cow Productivity: More Important to the Profitability of Your Dairy Operation than You Think presented by Peter Vitaliano, Ph.D., Vice President, Economic Policy and Market Research at NMPF and Practical Employee Management Strategies presented by Dr. Robert Hagevoort, Associate Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist, New Mexico State University.

FARM Evaluator Works as a Partner

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program evaluators provide a critical link between a dairy farmer and the consumer, working to ensure best practices. But they’re also a resource for farmers, said Janae Klingler, Manager of Animal Care and Sustainability for the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, in the latest Dairy Defined podcast.

“We are a trusted advisor to our farms,” Klingler said. “Yes, we are here to make sure that our farms are meeting the program standards, but even a bigger part of our job is making sure that our farms get to that point of meeting those program standards and helping them figure out who can help them get there.”

The full podcast is here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file below. Please attribute information to NMPF.

Summer Series for State and Regional Checkoff Staff to Begin in July

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The FARM Program will host a series of monthly webinars for state and regional checkoff staff that will run July 7-Oct. 6. The webinars will offer attendees an opportunity to learn about the program and each specific program area. The FARM Virtual Evaluator Conference will also take place this month on July 20-21.

FARM Publishes Biosecurity Page, Plans New FARM Excellence Awards

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The FARM Biosecurity webpage is now live and will offer resources, information for farmers and a timeline of deliverables for the newest FARM program area.

Funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response program, FARM Biosecurity will integrate select on-farm elements (like the enhanced biosecurity plan) of the Secure Milk Supply program into the FARM Program and will develop an everyday biosecurity plan and resources for dairy farmers.

FARM also is launching a new awards program to recognize farms and FARM evaluators who demonstrate excellence in their FARM Program. Award categories include Animal Care & Antibiotic Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship, Workforce Development, and FARM Evaluators. Nominations are open from July 1-Sept. 1. Farms or evaluators can be nominated by fellow dairy farmers, members of their communities, extension, cooperative or processor staff, veterinarians, themselves or others. Winners in each category will receive tickets for two individuals to attend the Dairy Joint Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nov. 15-17.

Visit the FARM Excellence Awards page for more details.

FARM, NMPF Recognize Dairy Leadership on Earth Day

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The FARM Program and NMPF collaborated across the dairy community to recognize Earth Day on April 22, using it as an opportunity to highlight their efforts and goals across the sector in conversations about climate, the environment and sustainability throughout the month. In a  joint communications toolkit for members, messaging and social media was provided to amplify the spotlight on:

  • The FARM Environmental Stewardship program area
  • How farmers are prioritizing on-farm sustainability
  • Recent House and Senate Agriculture Committee testimony about the industry’s proactive sustainability work and how congress can support these efforts
  • NMPF’s role in the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance

Nicole Ayache, senior director of sustainability initiatives for NMPF, discussed how the FARM Program has led achievements for the entire sector as dairy strives to achieve ambitious sustainability and emissions goals on the April 12 Dairy Defined podcast and in an article for Hoard’s Dairyman, published on April 19.  The Earth Day theme was continued in a FARM Quick Convos on Net Zero, a Farmer Focus, and another Dairy Defined podcast featuring Krista Hardin, president and CEO of USDEC.

The FARM Program and NMPF jointly promoted U.S. dairy as part of a sustainable, equitable and secure food system to UN Food Systems Summit audiences.

FARM Program Partners with Cargill, Others for Safety and Calf Care

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The FARM Program partnered with Cargill to launch the Actionable Safety Review on April 1.

The safety review is a new online tool that enables dairy farmers to identify and review opportunities to improve safety on the farm. Farmers filling it out are prompted to consider their own operations and make note of their approach to specific safety topics. The tool offers recommendations and resources for farmers to follow-up on those topics. Dairy farmers who complete the safety review will receive a copy of their responses to serve as a list of farm-specific action items designed to keep employees, farmers, and families safe on the dairy.

May’s focus will be on the Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program. CCQA is the first, collaborative educational tool that provides guidelines for calf raisers. The CCQA program is jointly led by the FARM program and NCBA’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, funded by the beef checkoff. Support was also provided by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and the beef checkoff-funded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program.

A reference manual sets the foundation for the CCQA program, which has been developed with the understanding of the diversity of calf-raising enterprises and is science- and outcomes-based while maintaining facility type and size neutrality. While the practices identified in the manual are not the only practices that can meet the desired outcomes, the program provides a framework that will serve as great resource for anyone working in the calf-raising industry.

In addition to the manual, the CCQA program will roll out producer-focused training modules that will certify producers in the principles of excellent calf care highlighted throughout the manual later in 2021.