Farm Biosecurity Education Goes Virtual with Discovery Learning Series

We are witnessing in real time the spread of a virulent, infectious diseases among the human population. Livestock and poultry are susceptible to infectious diseases as well, and the impacts can be devastating for anyone raising farm animals. The most effective strategy for protecting farm animal health is to prevent or reduce the chances of introducing a disease into a herd or flock.

A new virtual learning experience is helping youth in agriculture discover biosecurity, the preventative measures that protect farm animals from the spread of infectious diseases. The Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture (HFHA) Project’s Biosecurity Learning Module Series is for students in grades 6 to 12, FFA and 4-H participants, college students studying animal science, and other agriculturally related youth groups.

The goal for the modules is to create a new culture of biosecurity advocates. Focusing on youth can stimulate a “trickle-up” effect that will help influence the adoption of good habits by adult farmers. For more information, read the HFHA press release.

This work is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant program, award number 2015-69004-23273.