Cattail Dairy Farms, Mauston, Wisconsin has successfully completed the requirements for Food Armor® certification for 2017. The dairy was the first farm to be Food Armor® certified in Wisconsin back in 2015 and was recertified again in 2016 and 2017. Cattail Dairy Farms is owned and operated by Joan Holig and her children Abbie Jo and Andrew Erickson, Heidi and Craig Finucan, and Cory and Cassie Holig. Currently Cattail Dairy milks 300 Holsteins and Jerseys.
“Participating in Food Armor® has decreased drug use, improved outcomes, and forged a much closer working relationship with our veterinarian Dr. Jill Janssen from River Valley Veterinary Clinic (Plain, Wisconsin),” says Cattail Dairy Farms. Additionally, their Rural Mutual Insurance agent from Mauston, Clint Baurichter, acknowledged the markedly reduced risk of drug residues because of the farm’s participation in the certification program and subsequently awarded Cattail Dairy Farms a significant discount on their annual premium.
Food Armor® is a first-of-its-kind program designed to be individually tailored to each dairy producer by creating and empowering the dairy’s VCPR Team, comprised of the owner, caretakers and local attending veterinarian. The team works together to address the farm’s drug list, protocols, SOP’s, and recording system. Oversight of treatment events are regularly scheduled through a customized system created by the farm team.
To learn more about the program contact your own herd veterinarian or Food Armor® Program Manager Dr. Katie Mrdutt at kmrdutt@foodarmor.org.
