Drawing the Line in the New England Milkshed: Regional Zoning for Dairy Industry Preparedness

If you are a New England milkshed dairy producer or dairy industry ally, join us on March 27, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. New England dairy producers who attend the entire workshop are eligible for a stipend.

University of Vermont (UVM) researchers are engaging the dairy community in thinking through how a protection zone could be established and maintained during a foreign animal disease outbreak. The goal would be to protect the “New England milkshed,” which is defined by all sources of milk processed or manufactured into dairy products within New England. A significant portion of milk for processing is imported from farms in New York state, also considered part of the New England milkshed.

This regionalization project is headed by Dr. Julie Smith, veterinarian and research professor in the UVM Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. Smith is collaborating with dairy farmers, dairy cooperative personnel, veterinarians, and federal and state regulatory officials, to define the boundaries for the milkshed that could reduce the risks of disease spread from livestock and dairy product movements.