The university of california, davis will create a free online biosecurity education curriculum for dairy workers

Grant Award Summary

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded University of California, Davis a Cooperative Agreement valued at $513,158 (Award Date: November 1, 2025; Completion Date: October 31, 2027) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to develop a free online biosecurity education curriculum for dairy workers. The project deliverables include the creation of comprehensive educational resources—such as webinars and articles—designed to provide practical, accessible materials for dairy workers, farmers, consultants, veterinarians, and allied industry professionals. These resources will enable dairy farmers to educate front-line workers on biosecurity best practices, thereby strengthening animal disease preparedness and contributing to food safety while protecting farmer livelihoods and rural economic opportunities.

UC Davis is partnering with South Dakota State University (sub-award issued December 4, 2025) to develop targeted training content titled "Building Biosecurity Resilience: Targeted Training for Dairy Workers During Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Outbreak," which directly addresses emerging biosecurity challenges in the dairy sector. This collaborative approach leverages SDSU's expertise in animal health and agricultural extension to enhance the curriculum's relevance and effectiveness in responding to current disease threats.

Resources such as webinars and articles will be provided for dairy workers, farmers, consultants, veterinarians, and allied industry professionals. This project will directly benefit dairy farmers by providing them easy and practical materials and resources to help them educate front-line dairy workers to improve biosecurity. Animal disease preparedness projects like this help ensure a safe food supply and protect the livelihoods and economic opportunities of farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.