Tuesday, June 8, 2010
(703) 243-6111 ext. 356
E-Mail: CGalen@nmpf.org
Key
Components to Animal Well-Being Program Now Available in Spanish
National Dairy FARM Program
Announces Spanish Language Materials Now Available Online
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Key
components of the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible
Management are now available in Spanish. That announcement was made today during
the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Board of Directors meeting in
Alexandria, Virginia where producers and industry leaders from across the
country were provided an update on the on-farm animal well-being program.
Created by NMPF, with support
from Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy FARM Program is a
voluntary, nationwide program designed to bring consistency and uniformity to
animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party
verification.
“Since U.S. dairy
production involves a number of native Spanish speakers who are responsible for
animal care on a day-to-day-basis, the National Dairy FARM Program recognized
the need for animal care materials to be available in Spanish,” said Betsy
Flores, NMPF Director of Regulatory Affairs.
The materials now available
in Spanish are the Animal Care Manual (Manual de
Cuidado Animal)
and Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide (Cuidado Animal Guía de
Referencia Rápida para el Usuario), available online at www.nationaldairyfarm.com.
The National Dairy FARM
Program Animal Care Manual details best management practices for a variety of
issues, including animal health, environment and facilities, animal nutrition,
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.
The companion Animal Care
Quick Reference User Guide is a condensed version of the manual for on-farm use
and implementation. These materials will be supplemented with an animal care
video and other educational resources. An on-farm instructor may be available
from a producer’s cooperative or other source.
To participate in the
National Dairy FARM Program, producers, co-ops, processors, and state and
regional dairy producer organizations can contact NMPF.
For more information on the
National Dairy FARM Program, contact Betsy Flores (BFlores@nmpf.org)
at (703) 243-6111, ext. 372, or log on to www.nationaldairyfarm.com.
The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington,
VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy
producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives
produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than
40,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.