Sarah Michalek
MMPA Farm Sustainability Manager
Farmers are the original environmental stewards. And to help tell that story for dairy farmers to our customers and consumers, MMPA utilizes the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) Program.
FARM ES is a farm-level environmental assessment and customer assurance program that provides a comprehensive estimate of greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms.
MMPA implements this program on a selection of farms using a stratified random sampling protocol recommended by FARM. This approach largely satisfies reporting requirements of customers as it aligns with international standards for representative sampling. The data generated by FARM ES is used in aggregate to report greenhouse gas emissions to dairy buyers and to demonstrate progress.
For farmers the FARM ES program provides tools and resources to measure and improve their footprint, including what-if scenarios to assess the impacts of potential practice or technology adoption. FARM ES continues to showcase the great conservation work dairy farmers have done for generations while equipping farms to make decisions that align with their individual sustainability and economic goals.
Rachel Rogers
MMPA Sustainability Coordinator
The National Milk Producers Federation’s FARM Workforce Development (WFD) Program helps dairy farms strengthen employee safety, workforce management and human resource practices. As expectations around employee well-being continue to grow, the FARM WFD
evaluation provides a practical framework for identifying opportunities to reduce risk.
The evaluation offers farm managers tools and resources to enhance employee training and implement HR and safety best practices. It is designed for farms of all sizes, including those with non-family employees and family-operated farms.
Many farms already have strong workforce and safety programs in place, and this evaluation highlights those efforts while helping identify areas for improvement. To prepare, producers should gather documents such as employee onboarding materials, safety plans, training records and other HR resources. During the evaluation, a trained evaluator reviews documentation, observes workplace safety practices and discusses policies with farm management.
Most importantly, FARM WFD evaluations provide assurance across the dairy supply chain that farmers are committed to safe, productive work environments while meeting industry standards and demonstrating continuous improvement.
Deb Gingrich
MMPA Member Services
With fewer people today having a direct connection to agriculture, misunderstandings about dairy farming can spread quickly. To help tell dairy’s story and demonstrate our commitment to responsible practices, the National Milk Producers Federation and Dairy Management Inc.
launched the FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program in 2009.
Built by the dairy industry for the dairy industry, the FARM Program uses science-based standards developed by dairy farmers, veterinarians, animal scientists, cooperatives and processors. Rather than allowing regulations or customer requirements to dictate on-farm practices, dairy farmers created a unified program grounded in research and continuous improvement.
The FARM Animal Care Program includes evaluations by trained professionals to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement on participating farms. Third-party verification helps ensure consistency across the program.
By working together under one industry-led program, dairy farmers, cooperatives and processors demonstrate a shared commitment to animal care and responsible management. This approach helps maintain customer confidence while reducing the burden of multiple audits and differing standards, creating a credible framework that supports continuous improvement and demonstrates dairy’s commitment to doing what is right for cows, consumers and the industry.
This article was originally published in the July/August 2026 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »