With the arrival of spring, most homeowners start thinking about ‘spring cleaning’. It’s a good idea for farmers, too. Spring in the mind of the dairy farmer means warm temperatures, sun, and fields that need to be planted. This is the time when all dairy farmers need to have a plan and be mindful of their surroundings. The mad rush to get the tractors started and into high gear can leave even the best farm in a vulnerable position if they are not correctly prepared.

The farm as a whole supports the business and families involved, but individual areas on the farm require their own plans and protocols. Set up plans and protocols to help ensure all aspects on the farm can function properly when the owner or farm manager’s time is consumed by preparing fields and cropping. It is also important to remember that while working long hours and having daunting tasks on a long list, we cannot overlook even the simplest things because farms tend to draw unwanted attention.

Think whole farm clean up! During the winter months things tend to get piled up around the farm, old acid wash barrels, tires, plastic, buckets…the list could go on forever. Over time, areas on the farm where you might dispose of trash and junk grow in size. If a large storm comes through with heavy rain and wind, these areas could create even more problems. Trash and debris provide housing for unwanted critters, creating opportunities for disease transmission. Trash that finds it’s way into areas where cows are housed, give rise to cow health issues like hardware disease. Additionally, trash could become tangled in equipment creating fire hazards. Trash and debris are just a part of the larger picture on the farm that can lead to unwanted attention.

Manure is another area on the farm that tends to be overlooked. How often do you completely clean out your manure pits or tanks? If liquids are pumped out every year without removing the solids, pits and tanks will become less efficient because the holding capacity is lessened.

The area on the farm requiring the most attention is the health and wellbeing of your animals. Animal areas on the farm draw more attention and could result in a visit from regulatory officials or cause your farm to become headline news as a result of mass media exposure. Cows are the paycheck of the farm, treating them with the upmost respect is critical. Plans and protocols on how animals should be handled and moved, treatment during sickness, freshening, milking, disposal of dead animals, and making sure animals always have fresh feed need to be in place on every farm. It is important to remember calves and heifers are the future of your farm—they are the next milk cow. Treat them like you would treat your own children. If your children get sick you take them to the doctor and get them medicine when needed. Treat the babies on the farm the same way.

Everything you do on the farm is being watched and scrutinized by the public. As a dairy farmer (or a producer of any type of livestock) in this age of constant digital and social media with a never-ending news cycle, you need to protect yourself, family, and business from individuals or groups who know very little about farming practices. They can create a world of bad publicity.

Be a proactive, not reactive! Help showcase what you do and educate the public. Don’t let your farm be the next one slammed on the news or YouTube. It only takes one farmer caught in a negative media cycle to make the public think all farmers are bad, so make your business stand out in a positive way. Be proactive. Prevent problems before they happen.

Work with your local extension agent to set up plans, protocols, or farm visits. An extra set of eyes from can help you avoid future issues. Contact your local extension agent  to work within areas on your farm that you think might pose a problem.

Source: Virginia Tech Extension