Update on the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program

Chuck Ahlem, Michael Payne, Deanne Meyer

The California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP) is a voluntary, producer-directed education and certification program. The CDQAP offers three different modules: Environmental Stewardship, Food Safety and Animal Health and Welfare. Progress made in the last twelve months in each of these areas is outlined below.

Environmental Stewardship Module

In the wake of the floods of 1998, the CDQAP steering committee directed that the environmental stewardship module receive the highest attention. In this module producers would attend a UC short course, develop a pollution prevention plan and have his or her facility certified as meeting all regulations by a third party evaluator. The following progress has been made in the last twelve months.

· UCD has continued to offer it's Environmental Stewardship Short-course throughout the state. To date more then 800 producers have finished all six hours of training with an additional 600 producers having taken at least two hours of training.

· On Sept. 9 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined 14 other state, federal, academic and industry organizations by signing the CDQAP's Environmental Stewardship Partnership Agreement. By becoming a "Partner" EPA endorses and assists in this education and certification program.

· Also on Sept. 9 the EPA announced a $443,740 grant to the CDQAP to be used to continue the Short-courses and for non-regulatory environmental dairy evaluations.

· The members of the partnership agreement cooperatively developed a "Checklist" consolidating all federal, state and local environmental regulations. This is the first time such a unified resource has been available to the state's producers.

· A pilot project used 12 commercial dairies to evaluate the effectiveness of the Checklist in identifying potential environmental problems.

· A number of other preparations for the non-regulatory evaluations have been completed or are nearing completion:

1. Finalization of procedures by which a dairy facility becomes certified.

2. Training of 25 people who can assist producers in implementing a stewardship program (creamery and service organization field staff, consultants, etc.)

3. Training of seven third party evaluators.

· A computer program was developed to allow for quick, easy calculation for necessary pond capacity.

· Work has begun on a "Research Priority List" which will allow researchers to concentrate on the environmental issues most critical to dairy farmers.

· Non-regulatory evaluations should begin this summer.

Food Safety Module

Over the last two years two botulism outbreaks and one pesticide poisoning left almost eight hundred cattle dead and threatened condemnation of millions of dollars worth of dairy product. This last year, with a framework for the environmental module laid, the committee focused renewed attention on food safety.

· The CDQAP participated in the CDFA's Food Safety Task Force. This Task Force is developing a "action plan" designed to stem distribution of contaminated milk or animals with foreign diseases. The goal of the Task Force is to minimize losses to a producer, a creamery or even the state's dairy industry as a whole.

· The Task Force organized a study (funded by the California Dairy Research Foundation) to determine if indeed botulism toxin is excreted in cow milk.

· A grant obtained from the USDA allowed for work on a "Food Safety Short Course" to begin. Course materials include slide sets and videos developed here in California.

· Management of every California slaughterhouse killing cull dairy cows was surveyed. The goal of the survey was to determine what information would allow producers to maximize cull cow price and steer clear of regulatory problems.

· A group of dairy veterinarians has agreed to assist in the Food Safety Short Course delivery and is assisting in the development of course materials.

· A new workgroup of dairy extension advisors, dairy specialists and others has been formed that will assist in the Food Safety Short Course delivery.

· The groundwork has been laid for the creation of a "Food Safety Partnership Agreement". Patterned after the Environmental Stewardship Partnership Agreement, it will allow for state and federal recognition of a dairy certified in food safety.

· The Food Safety Short Course curriculum will be completed and ready for delivery before the end of the year.

Animal Health and Welfare Module

Initial discussions have begun on the Animal Health and Welfare Module. Tentatively this module will address issues including Johne's, Biosecurity, Prevention of Foreign Animal Disease, Downer Cows, etc.