UVM Blogs

Say “foot-and-mouth disease” really fast.  (Foot-and-mouth disease.)  Did you blur the “and” into an “in”?  Every comedian wannabe is having a hay day with this one.  As my father-in-law says, you don’t need to […]

After the announcement of the eradication of rinderpest in 2011 there was some buzz that foot-and-mouth disease might be next in the quest to rid the world of devastating animal diseases. In conjunction with the <a […]

Nearly 100 years ago, Johne’s disease was labeled a menace of cattle. Now that it has spread far and wide, farmers are taking notice. Is your farm up to the challenge? What does it take to stop this profit-robber […]

Orwell, VT – On Saturday, March 31st, UVM Extension, the Addison County Decontamination Team, Orwell Fire Department and Orwell Rescue participated in an on-farm milk truck cleaning and disinfection drill. The drill allowed local responders to meet their training goals while simultaneously meeting goals of a biosecurity project led by Julie…[Read more]

Think your insurance carrier covers foot-and-mouth disease? Think again! When is the last time you reviewed your farm insurance coverage really closely? Reading your policy at bedtime may take care of insomnia, but will it ensure your policy meets your needs? I recently sat down with a farm insurance carrier in Vermont, which does not [...]

The AFRI biosecurity project held its first Public Issue Forum in Vergennes on September 14. The goals of the forum were to provide background on the impact a highly contagious animal disease emergency (for instance, foot-and-mouth disease) could have on Vermont communities, present several aspects of response preparation, and foster dialogue…[Read more]

As the US marks the 10 th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks this month, those in animal health circles are also marking the 10 th anniversary of the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom. The disease was first confirmed on February 20 and a stop movement order was put in place on the 23rd. [...]

Those of us working to build preparedness among farmers and farm communities to withstand a highly contagious animal disease disaster like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) often get questions along the lines of these: “Don’t the veterinarians already have a plan in place to deal with such an outbreak?” “Doesn’t the state Agency of Agriculture and…[Read more]

What should you do if you want to know your family is safe after a weather, terror, or other emergency event?  Text first.  Talk second.  The Safe America Foundation has launched a “text first/talk second” campaign coinciding with the anniversary 9/11.  Think about it.  Texting “I M O K” takes less than 2 seconds and uses a [...]

ReadyAG is multi-state collaborative project has utilized the expertise of Cooperative Extension professionals from multiple land grant universities in development of a set of disaster planning and continuity of operations worksheets for each of the major agriculture commodities. There are things—big and little—on a dairy farm that can lead to…[Read more]

I attended the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (that’s NACAA AM/PIC, for short) in Overland Park, KS, in August. Fortunately the temps did not soar into the 100s during our visit. The conference offered many opportunities for participants to get tips on programs or…[Read more]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule on August 11 to establish general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate if an animal disease event takes place. Under the proposed rule, livestock moving interstate would have to be officially…[Read more]

On August 9, 2011  UVM Extension Family & Youth Development Specialist Dr. Ellen Rowe and I appeared on WCAX’s daily program Across the Fence to promote our AFRI Biosecurity project’s upcoming Public Policy Forum on September 14, 2011 at the American Legion in Vergennes, VT from 11:30 am to 2 pm. A big thank you goes out to [...]

Yes. Anyone who has looked at pictures from the UK, Japan, or South Korea during their confrontations with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the past decade has probably asked themselves whether “we” would be better prepared or more effective in our response if FMD were found in the US.  I have been following several developments that [...]

To illustrate the importance of considering alternatives to burial as a carcass management option, Lori Miller of USDA APHIS, has made it easy to visualize some mind boggling statistics.  Policy-makers and those qualified as incident commanders would do well to take these to heart.  I have converted the figures to Vermont equivalents aside from…[Read more]

Taiwan 1997 Taiwan was free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) from 1929 until 1997.  An outbreak in 1997 spread rapidly among swine herds resulting in the destruction of 3.8 million pigs and loss of export markets.  Taiwan now produces 6 million pigs per year, about half as many as it did in the mid-1990s.  Vaccination was used [...]

In May I attended the first of three 2011 Dairy Industry Crisis Drills in which the featured scenario involves foot-and-mouth disease.  These drills were coordinated by Dairy Management Inc. ( DMI), which manages the dairy check off program.  You may be familiar with the “Got Milk?” and “Fuel Up to Play 60” milk promotion campaigns sponsored [...]

On May 13 & 14, 2011, UVM Extension held a Strengthening Community Agrosecurity Planning (S-CAP) workshop in Rutland, VT to address agricultural gaps in Vermont’s local and state emergency operations plans.  The S-CAP program is sponsored by the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) with funding from the Agriculture and Food Research…[Read more]

The worst case:  2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom It hard to argue with 2 thousand cases, 10 thousand culled farms, and over 6 million animals slaughtered being a crisis of horrific proportions. Eight hundred forty-three cases were in the county of Cumbria alone.  The resilience of communities in this area was noted…[Read more]

Laboratory release leads to limited outbreak in England in 2007 Here is the play by play:  The first case was a beef herd in Surrey.  The diagnosis was confirmed August 3.  An immediate nationwide stop movement order on livestock went into effect.  A protection zone extending 3 km (a little less than 2 miles) and a 6.2 [...]

One case found in Northern Ireland Less than two weeks after the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom in 2001, the slaughter of a herd of sheep was ordered in Northern Ireland.  Animals had been traced as dangerous contacts and were confirmed to have FMD.  Northern Ireland came under virtual “house arrest.” Not only [...]

Foot-and-mouth disease hoax in New Zealand In 2005 a letter was sent to New Zealand’s minister of agriculture (similar to our federal Secretary of Agriculture) claiming that foot-and-mouth disease had been released on Waiheke Island, a small island just north of Auckland (on the North Island).  While the possibility of the threat being a hoax was…[Read more]

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced a public meeting of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee (Dairy Committee) to review and approve the final recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on policy issues impacting the dairy industry. The meeting will be held via conference call on March 3, 2011, at 1 p.m. EST. You must [...]

Public participation is the rule for all SACAH meetings. Sign up by email to SACAH.Management@aphis.usda.gov. Comments, suggestions and/or questions for the Committee’s consideration may likewise be submitted.

Committee documentation will be posted on this web site and on FIDO.gov.

The farmers I work with tend to be “hands-on” types and learn best by doing.  There is a lot to be said for experiential learning–but there are some lessons we are better off learning without doing.  When it comes to maintaining our health and safety and that of our livestock, it is better to learn from others’ [...]

Sometimes I am asked why we should worry about foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the US when we have been free of the disease since 1929.  News reports, feature articles, and press releases circulating in recent months provide ample justification. To illustrate, I have reprinted an abridged recent release from the Texas Animal Health Commission…[Read more]

This month marks the 10 th anniversary since the diagnosis of FMD in the United Kingdom in February 2001.  Several 10 th anniversary articles have been published recently.  Here is one that poignantly describes the pain and the resilience of those affected. <a …[Read more]

In a highly contagious disease event, our official response personnel would be behind a very large 8-ball because the disease moves ahead of our ability to detect it.  Everyone needs to recognize that the moment a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed, more would be incubating.  It can take days to weeks for signs to be [...]

South Korea was unable to shake off foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2010.  As the third outbreak of the year continues into 2011, the cull in South Korea has now surpassed the total of the 2002 outbreak (160,000) by 4-fold, reaching over 660,000 animals.  One report stated, “The animal disease has effectively spread across the country despite [...]

The livestock newswires are heating up about the recent release of a site-specific risk assessment and review of that assessment for the National Biosecurity and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to be built in Manhattan, KS. This facility is intended to house research with foreign animal disease agents, currently conducted in aging facilities on Plum…[Read more]

On 9/11/2001 how many airlines switched to contingency plan “grounded”?  Airlines deal with contingencies every day.  Weather and other factors lead to delays or cancellations of flights on an unpredictable but expected basis.  Usually these factors impact flights over a limited portion of the country.  A notable exception was the nationwide…[Read more]

Charles Perrow , Professor Emeritus of Sociology of Yale University, wrote “Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies.” He defines normal accidents as “the interaction of multiple failures that are not in a direct operational sequence” (p. 23).  A good example is Three Mile Island.  A failure in one component that was not detectable by…[Read more]

Two recent commentaries on the BP oil spill have indicated a major shift is needed in how the US responds to major disasters.  On September 9, I caught the end of an NPR interview with Thad Allen, retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral.  He said, “You have to generate unity of effort.” He went on to say, “We [...]

“Every day, the lives of Americans are touched by the hard work and dedication of our Nation’s farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers.  The food they produce through their tireless efforts fuels our Nation, nourishes our bodies, and sustains millions at home and around the globe.”  With these words Barack Obama began his proclamation of the week [...]

Are you Ready? Do you have a family emergency plan? Would you be OK for 72 hours? Face it: No one wants to deal with an emergency or disaster.  But when seconds count and lives are on the line, knowing the right thing to do can make a difference in your life or the life of a loved one, [...]

For 2 days at the end of August, almost 200 state veterinarians and livestock industry representatives met in Denver to share suggestions for and concerns about the USDA’s traceability framework , announced in February of this year. The National Institute for Animal Agriculture and US Animal Health Association jointly sponsored this forum on…[Read more]

  Today I visited Butterwick Farm, owned by John and Lisa Roberts, in West Cornwall, Vt, with Cheryl Dorschner, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Communications Professional.  It turns out that the biosecurity project I am leading has been selected by the College to be featured in an upcoming publication.  Cheryl wanted to…[Read more]

This was a new holiday to me when I arrived in Vermont. I tried scheduling a project requiring assistance from Agency of Agriculture personnel one August 16 when I learned that this date was a state holiday. Interestingly enough, it turns out the battle was actually fought across the state line in New York. But [...]

Find out by watching Across the Fence just after the noon  news Tuesday July 13 on WCAX,  Channel 3.  Tim Bouton, Senior Planner with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, and I discuss why we need to practice and how to exercise emergency plans.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – Albert Einstein The UVM Extension reporting system, recently renamed the Logic Model Planning and Reporting System (lumpers?), is affectionately known as Albert—a reference to the above quote by Albert Einstein.  Today is the deadline for reporting…[Read more]

A month ago (8 June) at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA, more than 80 attendees representing production agriculture, law enforcement, media, and state and federal governments participated in a table-top exercise based on a simulated foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.  Some tabletop exercises merely involve sitting around a table; this one…[Read more]