Veterinarians
Upcoming Events for Veterinarians
What is FARM?
Open to all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors, the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program works with dairy farmers, cooperatives, processors and industry partners to show 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 best management practices in workforce development.
Created by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in partnership with Dairy Management Inc., FARM helps ensure the success of the entire industry by demonstrating that U.S. dairy farmers are committed to producing the best milk with integrity.
How does FARM work?
Through our five program areas – Animal Care, Antibiotic Stewardship, Biosecurity, Environmental Stewardship, and Workforce Development – FARM works with dairy farmers, cooperatives, processors and industry partners to show customers and consumers that the dairy industry holds itself to the highest standards.
We encourage all farmers to take advantage of program area resources, which help to execute the dairy community’s commitment to continuous improvement.
FARM Animal Care Program
The FARM Animal Care Program demonstrates that dairy farmers are committed to taking excellent care of their animals and producing safe, wholesome milk by:
- Detailing science-based animal care guidelines that evolve with the latest dairy research
- Providing on-farm evaluations by trained evaluators who work with farmers to identify strengths and, if necessary, outline improvements
- Ensuring the integrity of the program with third party verification by qualified dairy experts who evaluate a representative percentage of farms each year to demonstrate that FARM is working as intended
Two other FARM Program areas fall under the Animal Care Program umbrella — Antibiotic Stewardship and Biosecurity.
FARM Antibiotic Stewardship
The FARM Antibiotic Stewardship program area provides ongoing education for the dairy community on the responsible use of antibiotics to keep cows healthy and our milk supply safe. FARM Antibiotic Stewardship best practices are aligned with and integrated within FARM Animal Care. It also helps to inform about federal regulatory antibiotic use requirements.
FARM’s Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Reference Manual is the primary educational tool for dairy farms throughout the country on the judicious and responsible use of antibiotics, including avoidance of drug residues in milk and meat. Updated every other year, the manual and accompanying pocket guide are convenient resources detailing which antibiotics and other drugs are approved for treatment of dairy animals and overall judicious antibiotic use best practices.
FARM Biosecurity
FARM Biosecurity focuses on providing dairy farmers with the tools to keep their cattle and dairy businesses safe from the unseen threat of disease. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FARM Biosecurity provides the resources needed for farmers to build their own “everyday” or “enhanced” biosecurity plans.
FARM Biosecurity—Everyday is a national platform, focused on preventing the introduction of, detecting the presence of, or containing the spread of infectious and non-infectious diseases. It provides farms with biosecurity plan templates and educational materials on the best management practices to prevent disease introduction and spread.
FARM Biosecurity—Enhanced aligns with the Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan Continuity of Business. This voluntary plan was designed to support the movement of milk from farm to processing plant should a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak occur in the United States. Both FARM Biosecurity Everyday and Enhanced are completely voluntary.
Learn more about all five FARM Program areas
Where do veterinarians fit into the FARM Program?
Veterinarians are an essential part of the on-farm support management team serving as trusted advisors for:
- Animal Care
- Herd Health Plans
- Cattle Disease Prevention
- Antibiotic Stewardship
- Continuing Education
FARM Animal Care standards with direct veterinarian involvement include:
- Establish and maintaining a Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) with annual renewed documentation
- Herd health plan protocol development and annual review for areas including:
- Disease common for the farm and local area
- Fitness for transport
- Euthanasia protocol
- Vaccinations (if a part of farm practices)
- Pre-weaned calf management including:
- Identifying and implementing appropriate pain control for disbudding
- Colostrum management
- Lameness prevention and treatment
- Development and maintenance of permanent treatment records
- Facilitation or assistance for annual employee continuing education or training in:
- Stockmanship
- Fitness for transport
- Non-ambulatory animals
- Pre-weaned calves
- Euthanasia
Note: FARM and FARM Participants (cooperatives and processors) offer a variety of templates and fillable protocols however, provided resources are not required to meet standards. Dairy farms should work alongside of their veterinarian to create documentation that accurately captures specific farm practices.
Resources
English
Additional Resources
American Association of Bovine Practitioners
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners is an international association of veterinarians serving society as leaders in cattle health, welfare, and productivity. FARM works collaboratively with AABP to ensure, where relevant, alignment on best management practice and expectations. Additionally, through AABP, FARM ensures the veterinarian voice is heard in resource development and program implementation.