Center for Dairy Excellence Offers Vet Grants for Biosecurity

By Blake Jackson

The Center for Dairy Excellence is offering a new grant program to support large animal veterinarians in Pennsylvania, focusing on enhancing dairy farm biosecurity.

The Biosecurity Plan Veterinary Review Program aims to reimburse veterinarians for their time spent reviewing and improving biosecurity plans and National FARM protocols with dairy farm clients.

This initiative is particularly timely, given the recent spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The program provides grants of up to $3,000 per veterinarian, allowing them to work with up to 10 farms.

Veterinarians will be compensated $150 per hour for up to two hours per farm. The total funding available is $30,000, and grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2025.

"The spread of HPAI in dairy across the country has elevated the need for dairy producers to have well-developed biosecurity plans and protocols in place. Yet, many dairy farms do not have the capacity to develop those plans on their own," said Melissa Anderson, Programs and Operations Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. "This grant is intended to leverage that veterinarian client patient relationship to ensure more farm families are prepared and protected against any risks related to biosecurity."

To qualify, participating dairy farms must be located in Pennsylvania and have a signed Veterinarian Client Patient Agreement with the applying veterinarian.

Veterinarians must also obtain a signed affirmation from the farmer confirming the service was provided and satisfactory. While veterinarians do not need to be based in Pennsylvania, the farms they assist must be.

The Center for Dairy Excellence can provide biosecurity resource kits and planning templates to assist veterinarians and dairy farms in completing and reviewing their biosecurity plans. Veterinarians must submit their grant applications by April 30, 2025.

The services must be provided between April 1 and June 15, after receiving an acceptance letter from the Center. All reimbursement forms are due by June 30, 2025.

This program aims to strengthen dairy farm biosecurity in Pennsylvania, ensuring farms are better prepared to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Veterinarians interested in participating can find more information and submit their applications on the Center for Dairy Excellence website.

Photo Credit: center-for-dairy-excellence