Oct 9 - Recently, claims of animal mistreatment at a dairy farm operated by a Land O'Lakes member were publicized in the media.
Although Land O'Lakes does not own cows (our milk supply comes from members who are independent owners and operators of dairy farms), we take providing high-quality animal care very seriously, and Land O'Lakes immediately began an investigation.
Immediately, Land O’Lakes personnel surveyed the farm, which was followed by a thorough audit conducted by four independent veterinarians of the farm's herd and animal housing facility.
The written assessment from the independent veterinarians reported that the cows on the farm are in good health and that no evidence of animal mistreatment was found. The veterinarians did cite some areas for improvement, including remodeling the space where cows are housed, use of more bedding for the animals, and improving ventilation, hygiene and animal disposal practices.
Land O'Lakes is working with the member to make these improvements, and will continue to monitor the farm and take any additional action that is deemed necessary.
Land O'Lakes Members Adopting FARM Animal Care Program
To ensure that the highest standards of animal care are maintained throughout the dairy industry, Land O'Lakes has been actively involved in developing national animal care guidelines over the past two to three years. The most comprehensive initiative is the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (or FARM) program, a national animal care initiative launched in October by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and Dairy Management lnc. (DMI).
Land O'Lakes is supportive of the FARM guidelines and is working to implement them throughout the Land O’Lakes system. The FARM program provides consistent principles that promote the well-being of animals on the farm, and will include third-party verification to independently confirm that dairy producers are using the best practices in animal care.
According to NMPF and DMI, at the heart of the program is NMPF'S revised ''Caring for Dairy Animals'' manual, which details best management practices for a variety of animal care issues, including animal health, facilities and housing, animal nutrition, equipment and milking procedures, 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. NMPF is working with dairy animal care experts to assure that the document reflects current practices, animal health concerns, innovations and advances in technology.