Upcoming Events

Stay tuned for future species-specific webinars on swine and small ruminants this Fall!

On-farm visits for developing customized biosecurity plans have now ended, but stay tuned for their return in 2023! If you are interested, please contact:

Alda Pires at apires@ucdavis.edu if you are based in California
Ragan Adams at ragan.Adams@colostate.edu if you are based in Colorado
Craig McConnel at cmcconnel@wsu.edu if you are based in Washington

About Us

Why did we develop the FARM PPE Project?

Understanding disease risk factors and prevention measures is crucial to the livelihood and well-being of farmers raising livestock and poultry species, and to the health of their animals, no matter the size of the operation. This can be facilitated by developing effective and financially sustainable veterinary-client-patient relationships (VCPR), and providing education on practices that decrease the likelihood of infectious disease. These steps will support the implementation of adequate disease prevention measures and appropriate therapeutic interventions when required.

Project goals

The goal of the Farm Animal Risk Mitigation Prepare Prevent Evaluate (FARM PPE) Project is to develop and improve biosecurity measures on livestock and poultry operations of various scales, including alternative agricultural systems (i.e., small-scale, diversified, and backyard farms), through an outreach program to farmers and ranchers as well as other professionals with whom they work. More specifically, this will be done by:

Creating and providing tools and resources on biosecurity and infectious disease for veterinarians and extension educators. These individuals are on the ground, local partners for producers.
Organizing a comprehensive online workshop series of eight webinars targeted at farmers/producers, veterinarians/extension educators, and 4-H/FFA students across three western states (California, Washington, and Colorado), which will assist participants to create a personalized biosecurity plan for their operation.

Long-term outcomes and broader impacts

This project adds to current state and national efforts and resources to protect animal health, prevent the introduction of foreign animal diseases (FAD), as well as limit the transmission of local pathogens. The partnership between extension educators and veterinarians with producers can improve animal health and sustainability of alternative agriculture systems.