New Standards: Land O’Lakes members adopting FARM animal care program
1/20/2010 12:00 AM

The following article is featured in the winter 2009/2010 issue of growingtogether™ Magazine. To view this issue, click here.

New Standards: Land O’Lakes members adopting FARM animal care program

Animal care standards are changing for the better with a new program called Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM).

Land O’Lakes staff and members have been actively involved in developing national animal well-being guidelines over the past two to three years – and the FARM program is the most comprehensive effort yet. It was formally launched in the fall 2009 by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and Dairy Management lnc. (DMI) at the 2009 World Dairy Expo.

“Land O’Lakes is supportive of the FARM guidelines and is working to implement them throughout the Land O’Lakes system,” said Alan Pierson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods, Industrial.“The FARM program provides consistent principles that promote the well-being of animals on the farm, and will include third-party verification to independently confirm that dairy producers are using the best practices in animal care. Members will receive more information about implementing FARM guidelines throughout 2010.”

The heart of the program is NMPF’S revised “Caring for Dairy Animals’’ manual, which details best management practices for a variety of animal care issues, including animal health, facilities and housing, animal nutrition, equipment and milking procedures, and transportation and handling. The content of the manual is consistent with the principles and guidelines of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, which was introduced in 2008. NMPF is working with dairy animal care experts to assure that the document continues to reflflects current practices, animal health concerns, innovations and advances in technology.

Deb Reinhart, a Land O’Lakes member and owner and operator of Gold Star Farms in New Holstein, Wis., served on the committee that developed the original National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative. “Dairy farmers are committed to providing high-quality care for their animals,” Reinhart said. “The FARM initiative will help us, as producers, control our own destiny by preserving the market access we currently enjoy. Even though we have a strong tradition of providing good care for our animals, this initiative validates that we are meeting our ethical obligation and the expectations of our customers and consumers.”

This voluntary, nationwide initiative was created with input from all sectors of the dairy industry, including producers, veterinarians and other animal care experts. “The dairy industry has an excellent track record of responsible management practices. This program simply offers producers an avenue to demonstrate and validate their commitment to doing what’s right,” said Jamie Jonker, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at NMPF.

Jonker emphasized that dairy producers should consider participating in the program to combat misinformation flooding the public about on-farm dairy animal care. “We have a great story to tell about animal care on our farms, and we need to speak with a unified voice on animal care in the dairy industry so that consumers have confidence that our animals are well cared for and that our products are safe. The FARM program can help achieve this goal,” Jonker said.