May'19 Board Book

“When the third-party veterinarians came to the audits, by the time they left they said, ‘These cows aren’t abused,’” Larson says. “I said, ‘Well, we don’t feel that way either, but you’re here for a reason.’ Obviously the video showed some things that were abusive and over done.”

Today, a number of practices help ensure everyone follows protocols. Each employee goes through the Dairy 365 training process, developed by Merck. They watch animal handling videos, then complete a test and certification process before they can work on the dairy. Employees go through three days of training on the specific job they are assigned to. Trainers are certified as well. Surveillance cameras installed in all areas of the dairy serve as a watchful eye to make sure everyone follows protocols. They’ve also made improvements to the parlor to improve the function of the stall gates. And there are no sticks or prods anywhere near the parlor that could be used to encourage cows to move faster.

Being FARM certified, Larson says he gets regular visits from the SMI field representative to make sure record-keeping and training is up to date.

Even with all of the training and certifications, Larson doesn’t feel like anyone is immune to the sort of attack he and other south Florida producers went through. Increasing the level of surveillance, with more training and creating a rapport with employees, Larson says “we just can’t do enough of that.” Even through all of the anguish Larson went through, he says they’ll be better for it. “Our relationships with our customers are stronger. Our family continues to thank the consumers of South Florida for supporting us and continuing to choose local milk for their families,” he says. “I think that we’re going to be better as an industry. It’s just unfortunate that an attack like this from any type of activist group had to happen. But at the same time, it’s going to make us better in the long run.”

Not all activist events can be avoided, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Find several resources below:

Avoid Becoming A Victim Of An Undercover Activist Video http://bit.ly/2WsX9BG

A Contingency Plan Can Guide You Through A Crisis http://bit.ly/2PVawrR

Nine Steps For Managing A Crisis http://bit.ly/2YfryDV

Article Link http://bit.ly/2LsNmdP