The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

Excellence in animal care is built on continuous improvement. Some days, that can feel like a marathon with no end in sight.

But Carlson Dairy of Pennock, MN, is dedicated to the journey.

“Certainly, we have a long way to go,” Kindra Carlson said. “There are so many things that we're trying to keep pushing ourselves to do better.”

Carlson Dairy LLP is owned and operated by Curtney, Chad and Carl Carlson, member-owners of First District Association. The dairy was recently awarded the 2024 FARM Excellence Award for Animal Care & Antibiotic Stewardship.

To view this and other stories in our Farmer Focus series, check out NMPF’s Sharing Our Story page.

The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.


The National Dairy FARM Program was created by NMPF with support from Dairy Management Inc. in 2009. Program participation is open to all U.S. dairy farmers, cooperatives, and processors. Participants follow rigorous guidelines to ensure the utmost social responsibility on our nation’s dairy farms, while committing to continuous improvement. For more, visit nationaldairyfarm.com.