Dairy farmers received valuable training on protecting their herds from disease outbreaks through a recent educational session hosted by the National Dairy FARM Program. The workshop, titled “Where to Start: Building an Enhanced Biosecurity Plan,” took place on March 18 at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The training was led by FARM Biosecurity specialist Miquela Hanselman, working alongside Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle, who owns Preventalytics. Together, they taught dairy producers methods for recognizing potential threats unique to their livestock operations.
The FARM Biosecurity initiative provides dairy farmers with a structured approach to creating stronger disease prevention protocols through three key phases:
The initial phase focuses on managing movement-related dangers, including livestock transfers, delivery of supplies, and staff activities on the farm.
Phase two involves conducting a comprehensive evaluation that examines animal health surveillance, livestock movement tracking, vehicle and equipment protocols, staff procedures, and establishing clear boundary lines. These separation barriers help define entry points and regulate movement throughout farm facilities, with each component linking to the overall biosecurity strategy.
The final phase requires developing a customized daily biosecurity protocol tailored to each specific operation, while collecting critical information including Premises identification numbers and emergency contact details for the facility.
Beyond the training session, the FARM Program engaged with the wider dairy industry community during the expo week, distributing complimentary educational materials and discussing with consumers the important work performed daily on dairy operations across the country.
The FARM Program continues to lead efforts in promoting responsible farming practices on dairy operations, supporting the U.S. dairy sector’s commitment to ongoing improvement through community outreach and educational initiatives.
