Antibiotic Stewardship
Did you know that 65% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are used on farm animals?
Cattle alone account for nearly half of that number. Antibiotics are often given to animals to prevent illness, not just treat it. This overuse is causing bacteria to become resistant, making infections harder to treat and potentially deadly. To address this, the New York State Department of Health created the Stop Antibiotic Resistance Roadmap (STARR), which recommends reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics on farms to help fight this growing crisis.
Beef
CADE worked with public school food buyers in partnership with the CCE Tompkins County Farm-to-School Project to create a beef procurement standard that incentivizes farmers to use fewer antibiotics and improve animal care.Food buyers from four school districts in New York’s Southern Tier (Dryden, Groton, Ithaca, and Trumansburg) took the lead by requiring beef vendors to follow these new guidelines to reduce antibiotic use on farms.
With the success of this pilot program, CADE is turning to K-12 schools across New York State. Aligned with NYS health policies, schools can help protect their communities from antibiotic-resistant bacteria by downloading and adhering to CADE's Guide on Beef Procurement Specifications to combat antibiotic resistance.
Dairy
Since the 1960s, it has been a common practice on dairy farms to use “blanket” dry cow therapy – administering antimicrobial drugs that prevent and treat costly mammary infections to all cows as they enter a dry off period. Today, great improvements in animal care, milking techniques, and animal-specific record keeping have reduced both infection rates during lactation and the need for blanket treatment at dry off.
Developed by CADE, in collaboration with Cornell University’s Quality Milk Production Service (QMPS), the New York Farm Viability Institute, and Dairy Health, the Selective Dry Cow Therapy (SDCT) Guide covers antibiotic treatment protocols for farms of all sizes, and contains resources and educational materials for dairy producers, veterinarians, extension agents, and educators.