Dairy Farms and Disasters: Preparedness and Emergency Management

Abstract

Although the number of dairy farms in the United States is shrinking, the risk of tragic disasters is increasing due, in part, to changing climate conditions. The possibility of needing a plan for emergency management on dairy farms is a matter of when these plans will be needed – not if. Because the researcher’s roots run deep in agriculture - having grown up in the heart of America’s Dairyland and working on farms with different sizes and varying management practices - she has learned that being proactive is crucial to effective and efficient herd management. In the days of increasing technology use, more cows per farm, larger amounts of laborers lacking a farm background, and higher disaster risk, this study provides a look into disaster preparedness. The research covers the importance of preparedness and outlines a suggested emergency management plan with supporting case study interviews.