Improving Milk Quality on Pennsylvania Dairy Farms Through Individual Farm Assessments to Increase Profitability

View the project report

Commodities

• Animals: bovine
• Animal Products: dairy

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health
• Education and Training: extension, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns
• Sustainable Communities: partnerships

 Mastitis, or an infection of the mammary gland, is one of the costliest diseases in the dairy industry. An elevated Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is indicative of mastitis. The Penn State Extension Dairy Team has worked for many years to help producers lower SCC. While there is a large body of literature describing practices that can be used to lower SCC, there is little information regarding what practices are being implemented on farms and why some farms still have a high SCC even though the state average has decreased (Norman et al. 2000; Norman et al. 2021). Two partner farms: Wingert Farm and Heron Run Farm have worked with Extension in the past and will continue working with the team to lower their SCC throughout this project. Working with Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, we plan to enroll additional farms with chronically high SCC to conduct individual farm visits. These visits will include observation of milking procedures, a financial analysis focusing on the cost of mastitis, and the use of Vadia units to assess vacuum level. A report will be delivered to farmers detailing how SCC can be lowered.  A 6-month follow-up visit will be conducted to determine the implementation rate of suggested procedures. To disseminate the findings from the on-farm analyses, 3 milk quality workshops will be hosted across the state. Information will also be presented at the American Dairy Science Association annual meeting, and an article will be written for Penn State Extension’s Dairy Digest newsletter

1. This project seeks to assess common milk quality problems and misconceptions on dairy farms through key informants interviews. 
2. This project aims to guide dairy farmers throughout PA through making goals related to milk quality. These goals may include decreasing somatic cell count or other milk quality parameters. 
3. A goal of this project is to assist dairy farmers in meeting their milk quality goals through individual farm assessments and a follow-up report. 
4. Throughout this project , educators will conduct follow-up evaluation visits to determine rate of implementation of specific practice recommendations from initial farm assessment and how closely farmers are meeting their milk quality goals.  
5. Throughout this project, educators will gather and utilize data regarding the implementation of suggested practices from initial farm assessment to provide workshops for other producers in the dairy community. 
6. During the completion of this project, educators will present findings at the national American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) annual meeting, host milk quality workshops and write an article detailing findings.