Tag: biosecurity

Preparing for the unexpected

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By The National Dairy FARM Biosecurity Program

Predicting the future is impossible. Preparing for the unexpected is possible. That was one of the topics discussed at the World Dairy Expo, where a panel explored the potential impact of emerging diseases on the dairy industry. As harvest wraps up and plans for 2026 get underway, consider creating continuity in your business plan if your dairy is unable to move raw milk or cattle for a few days – or longer.

Secure milk supply plan for continuity of business

Limiting animal and animal product movement is one strategy to control the spread of diseases. The Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan aims to support business continuity while not spreading disease. It was created because the dairy industry recognized how a “stop movement” of raw milk for a contagious animal disease would affect their business. The SMS Plan is a tool to use when cattle are affected by movement controls but not infected with foot and mouth disease (FMD) or a similar contagious animal disease. More information on FMD and the SMS Plan is available at www.securemilk.org.

The SMS Plan was created by the dairy industry and decision makers for the dairy industry and consumers. A group of dairy farmers, processors, milk haulers, veterinarians, disease and biosecurity experts at universities, and state and federal animal health officials came together to write the first SMS Plan. It was last updated in 2017, and both the dairy industry and disease response plans have changed. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) recognized the need and assembled a stakeholder group in 2025 to propose updates. The SMS Plan development and updates were funded by USDA.

Benefits of SMS Plan updates

The SMS Plan updates include how to safely move raw milk and colostrum for animal feed and include new information on frozen semen and embryos. It’s expanding beyond FMD to include “similar contagious diseases” like highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This unexpected contagious disease spread to dairy cattle in 17 states, affecting animal health and business continuity. Updated resources for biosecurity are underway. Simplified movement guidance permit criteria are included. This broader set of preparedness tools helps the dairy industry, and ultimately, consumers of American dairy products.

Gathering feedback

NMPF and the stakeholder group seek your input on the proposed changes to the SMS Plan. Join a webinar, watch a recording of the changes, and submit comments by Dec. 20 at www.nationaldairyfarm.com.

The SMS Plan aims to help producers:

  • Develop contingency plans for interrupted movement.
  • Limit exposure to their herd through enhanced biosecurity.
  • Learn how to find early signs of disease.
  • Request an outbreak movement permit from state officials for raw milk (if required) and healthy animals going to harvest or another premises.
  • Continue to supply safe and wholesome milk to consumers.

 

Additional information:

What is foot and mouth disease (FMD)?

Sometimes called “hoof” and mouth disease, FMD is a very contagious foreign animal disease. It’s found in two-thirds of the countries of the world. The last U.S. case was in California in 1929. Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia had cases this summer after being FMD-free for over 50 years.

FMD causes blisters on the feet and in the mouth of two-toed (cloven-hooved) animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, deer, bison, and other wildlife. Cattle with FMD will be lame, drool, and do not want to move or eat or be milked because of the painful foot, mouth, and teat sores. It does not affect people or food safety. Meat and milk are safe to eat and drink. An outbreak will have a significant mental health impact on individual farmers due to closed export markets, disease control measures, animal suffering, and financial uncertainty. Learn more about FMD at www.fmdinfo.org.

 

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Oct. 27, 2025.

FARM Program Strengthens Farmer Input

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft
  • Updated governance structure to enhance farmer input
  • Developed training and resource materials to support farmers
  • Released the Animal Care Version 2028 Stakeholder Survey

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has spent the year so far reinforcing farmer voices through improved governance, engaging across dairy to shape FARM’s future.

FARM kicked off the year by welcoming Meggan Hain, DVM, as Chief Veterinary Officer. The new position leads NMPF’s efforts to advance animal welfare standards, support dairy producers and promote science-based best practices industrywide. Hain adds robust veterinary perspective to the team.

FARM held a two-day in-person training in May to teach evaluators how to help farmers develop an enhanced biosecurity plan, with the lessons of the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak still fresh.

This training was supported by a cooperative agreement with USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Plan (NADPRP). The agreement supports expanding the resources available through the FARM Biosecurity program, such as additions to the current online biosecurity training module, which helps teaches the basics of developing an enhanced biosecurity plan, and a second in-person training in Washington this October.

FARM Environmental Stewardship also released new training and resources to aid in implementing FARM ES Version 3. FARM ES created the Version 3 User Guide and Prep Guide to prepare farmers for on-farm evaluations.

FARM in March opened nominations for its Animal Care, Environmental Stewardship and Workforce Development Task Forces, receiving more than 60 total nominations across the three. After review from the FARM Farmer Advisory Council and NMPF Executive Committee, NMPF’s Board of Directors voted in the proposed slate on June 9, with 13 newly seated members. FARM proposed revisions to existing governance to better represent farmer voices during NMPF’s June Board of Directors meeting. The Board voted to restructure current Animal Care reviews, as NMPF’s Animal Health & Wellbeing Committee sets priorities for the FARM Animal Care Task Force and FARM Farmer Advisory Council ahead of the initial review.

FARM has taken the same nomination approach for its FARM Farmer Advisory Council, trying to create a collective, diverse group of farmer representatives. The council provides knowledge and input on farming practices and touts the FARM Program to its fellow producers and assures that farmer insights inform FARM workstreams. Nominations are open via the online form through Sept. 15.

NMPF’s Jonker shares latest on New World screwworm

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF Chief Science Officer Jamie Jonker explains for listeners of Dairy Radio Now what the New World screwworm is, why dairy producers should be on the lookout for this pest, and what to do if screwworm is suspected in the herd. NMPF’s producer fact sheet on New World screwworm can be found here.

FARM Program Boosts Biosecurity

Posted on by Jessi-Ryah Cordova

Good biosecurity plans are more vital than ever to keep foreign animal diseases out of the nation’s livestock. NMPF Director of Regulatory Affairs Miquela Hanselman shared updates on the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program’s Biosecurity program area. FARM held its first live training April 30-May 1 to educate cooperative field staff and state officials on best management practices for on-farm biosecurity. “With this training, we’re just trying to get more people trained to be able to put those plans together for farmers so that we’re ready should an outbreak ever occur,” Hanselman said.

FARM Biosecurity helps protect dairy’s future

Posted on by Alan Bjerga
By Miquela Hanselman
Director of Regulatory Affairs, National Milk Producers Federation

Biosecurity may be more top-of-mind than ever in dairy herds in light of how industry practices are changing in reaction to the presence of the H5N1 virus in dairy cows. The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Biosecurity Program has resources that can support dairy farmers as they face evolving animal care challenges.

The FARM Program launched its Biosecurity Program in 2021 via a cooperative agreement with the USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response program. FARM Biosecurity builds on the existing FARM Animal Care Program and Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan, providing resources focused on protecting cattle and employee health.

The program includes both everyday biosecurity practices as well as enhanced biosecurity resources. The FARM Everyday Biosecurity Program focuses on preventing disease introduction and spread by building on the good husbandry practices dairy farmers have long included in animal care. Everyday biosecurity practices protect against common diseases like contagious mastitis, respiratory infections, and scours.

Enhanced biosecurity brings the practices developed under the SMS Plan into the FARM program. Though FARM Enhanced Biosecurity was developed to help ensure continuity of business during a foot and mouth disease outbreak, the concepts can help protect against other known disease threats, such as the current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in dairy cattle.

Take steps now

We are still learning about how HPAI virus spreads among cattle, with more information expected as testing ramps up and federal agencies begin isolating data patterns. Below are some every day and enhanced biosecurity focus areas that help against the spread of many known diseases in cattle. These measures may also help prevent HPAI virus exposure to cattle and the people who care for them. Great first steps are identifying a line of separation, limiting animal movement as much as possible, using premovement testing, and having logs of visitors, deliveries, and animal movements.

Protecting the dairy from exposure:

  • Minimize access of wild birds to cattle and their environment.
  • Manage movements of cattle and their transport.
  • Limit livestock contact to essential people.

Preventing cattle or calf exposure:

  • Avoid feeding raw colostrum or milk to calves, cattle, and other mammals.
  • Follow good milking practices.
  • Separate new or returning animals and isolate sick animals.
  • Sanitize milking equipment after use with new, returning, or sick cattle.

Precautions for animal caretakers:

  • Avoid consuming unpasteurized (raw) milk and cheeses from suspect or confirmed HPAI cattle.
  • Wear protective gear covering the eyes, nose, mouth, and hands when contacting infected animals, carcasses, milk, or manure.

The enhanced biosecurity prep guide and online training include key biosecurity concepts that can be used during the H5N1 outbreak.

Good biosecurity takes time and practice to be effective, but as current challenges show, more attention to it will be critical to our industry today and tomorrow. Building everyday practices into your routine and having an enhanced biosecurity plan can protect your animals, employees, and business from disease threats.

Visit nationaldairyfarm.com to learn more about biosecurity and access resources, and visit nmpf.org/hpai for the latest updates on HPAI in cattle.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on June 3, 2024.

NMPF Awarded USDA Grant to Advance On-farm Biosecurity

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation today was awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to develop and improve biosecurity on U.S. dairy farms.  

As one of two livestock industry organizations chosen along with 16 state animal health authorities and 14 land-grant universities, NMPF will use the $488,603 grant to implement and coordinate the Secure Milk Supply (SMS) plan and develop a biosecurity program area through the National Dairy FARM Program (FARM). The FARM Animal Care program places an emphasis on biosecurity as a key element of dairy herd health and the grant funding will allow for further prioritization.  

“The dairy industry has partnered with USDA for more than a decade on the Secure Milk Supply Plan. With this new funding, we are eager to continue and expand our work on biosecurity through integration with FARM,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We applaud USDA’s work to enhance the prevention, preparedness, detection, and response to animal diseases that threaten the viability of U.S. dairy farms.” 

The grant is funded by the 2018 Farm Bill as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the U.S. and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions through advance planning and preparedness. APHIS will distribute funding through the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) as well as the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).  

USDA has funded the NADPRP projects with the goal of individually and collectively addressing critical livestock biosecurity, large-scale depopulation and carcass disposal concerns in all major livestock industries across all U.S. regions. NMPF will apply the grant funding to advance biosecurity on dairy farms by partnering with stakeholders and experts including the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University, dairy farmers, veterinarians, dairy cooperatives and processors, and state and federal animal health officials.