National Dairy FARM Program Continuing Education
The FARM Animal Care Program helps to demonstrate dairy farmers’ commitment to providing excellent care of their dairy cattle and producing safe, wholesome milk. Supported by Dairy Management, Inc. and managed by the National Milk Producers Federation, FARM details animal care guidelines using the latest research and best management practices. On-farm evaluations conducted by trained evaluators help identify strengths and outline improvements for dairy farms while third party verification ensures integrity of the program.


FARM Animal Care standards outline the need for annual continuing education for family and non-family employees with responsibilities in the following areas:

• Stockmanship/Handling

• Calf Care

• Fitness to Transport

• Non-Ambulatory Animals

• Euthanasia

Engaging positive animal behavior
June 11 2025
On farm tours, watching cows use brushes is something that often catches visitors’ attention and delights them
Transporting calves should be top of mind
June 10 2025
A popular topic of discussion in recent years has been whether to raise calves on the farm or send them off-site into the care of experienced calf rearers
Cleanliness cannot be overstated for calves
June 10 2025
There are many critical factors to raise healthy and well-grown calves., Maggie Gilles, Cleanliness cannot be overstated for calves
Bump colostrum quality with ease
June 10 2025
The fresh cow heads into the parlor to be milked, and fills the bucket, with low to moderate quality colostrum — now what?, Bup colostrum quality with ease, Reagan Bluel
Should I feed waste milk or milk replacer?
June 10 2025
Many dairy farms go back and forth on whether to feed waste milk (WM) or milk replacer (MR) to their calves
Colostrum benefits go beyond one meal
June 10 2025
Newer research and anecdotal evidence shows that the value of colostrum extends past that single meal
Pair calves early to garner benefits
June 10 2025
While pair-housing calves has many benefits, it also brings some disease risks. Researchers suggest pairing early in life to capture all the upsides of pair housing
Calf health: don’t miss underlying issues
June 10 2025
Keeping calves healthy to create the best replacement possible is always a priority, but with current tight inventories and replacement heifer values continually skyrocketing, the return on investment...
Diagonal lying is the symptom not the culprit
June 10 2025
We know all too well that cows prefer to spend more than half of their day resting in a lying position
Enriching the lives of dairy cattle
Jan. 15 2025
The author is an assistant professor and extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Pair or group housing calves is one example of providing enrichment that can boost dairy animals’
Ease the weaning transition
Sept. 25 2024
There are three critical periods for dairy calves. The first is around calving and includes the cow, the environment, and the colostrum feeding and management
Tip the scale of calf health in your favor
Sept. 25 2024
Managing livestock is complex. A dairy farmer is constantly trying to move the seesaw of health and disease in favor of animal health
Make scour events a rare occurrence
Sept. 25 2024
The author is an associate editor for Hoard’s Dairyman. Preventing calf disease like scours starts before calving and becomes more crucial in the first days of life
Calf care standards continue to climb
Aug. 22 2024
I was recently asked what significant changes I have seen in calf nutrition and growth over my nearly 35-year career at the University of Illinois
Take a look at transition milk
June 15 2024
DAIRY producers are aware of the importance of feeding quality colostrum within the first two hours of birth (and surely within six hours). Colostrum provides immunity as antibodies
Make calves a part of herd health
May 15 2024
My predecessor started the concept of herd health checks in our area over 50 years ago. Cows and heifers were checked for their reproductive status on a schedule
Building strong immunity in calves
Nov. 15 2023
Calves enter a world filled with bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These organisms can make them sick or even lead to death
Colostrum: A proven solution
Oct. 15 2023
A silver bullet is a simple and seemingly magical solution to a complicated problem. Many would maintain that they exist only in fiction, but colostrum is a real life example
Should we start feeding transition milk again?
Sept. 25 2023
At the 2006 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) conference in Minneapolis, a speaker presented some unique findings from their human milk studies
Understanding the colostrum production slump
Sept. 25 2023
Feeding high-quality colostrum is recognized as a critical factor to raising healthy calves. In addition to supplying important immunological components, colostrum is rich in nutrients, hormones, and and...
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