Tag: FARM program

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.