Susan Kelley, senior loan officer from the Middlebury office, attended an Agricultural Preparedness Stakeholder Meeting at the American Legion in Vergennes on December 17th. Dr. Julie Smith of UVM and Dr. Steve Van Wie, veterinary emergency preparedness consultant, provided an update of the research and extension activities designed to enhance Vermont’s ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to a bio-disaster.
The project “Cost and Challenges Associated with Developing and Implementing a Community-Wide Biosecurity Plan” has been selected for funding by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This project will work directly with four dairy producers to prepare a cost-benefit analysis of a bio-security plan. Stakeholders will help identify incentives to encourage the implementation of recommend procedures on farms.
The program will stress the importance of contact monitoring on the farm and the risk of disease exposure from outside contacts. “Model” biosecurity operating guidelines and protocols will be developed as an “all hazard” plan.
See also this earlier post on bio-security.
