News and guidance on avian influenza is scattered across government and state agency websites, and rampant misinformation is spread across the internet.
In response, Cornell has launched a comprehensive resource that offers a one-stop clearinghouse for the most current and trustworthy information on bird flu. The new Avian Flu Resource Center provides reliable and accessible information for members of the public, farmers, wildlife professionals, state and public health agency partners, and veterinarians.
“We’ve tried to make it easy for people to go right to whatever their main interest may be, whether it’s human health, wildlife health, dairy, poultry, cats or dogs, they can readily access what they want,” says Alex Travis, director of Cornell Public Health and chairman of the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
“We’ve got world-class experts in all of those areas working day and night to keep people and their animals safe,” he says.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza first appeared in North America in November 2021 and was identified in New York state in 2022 in a sample submitted for testing to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center. It has since spread — often by wild birds — to dairy cattle, poultry, domestic cats, many species of wildlife and 68 people to date, although there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission. Infected raw cow milk has been a source of infection mainly to people and cats.
The resource center provides an avian influenza fact sheet; links to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USDA avian flu websites; and pages for those interested in taking a deep dive into current information on human health, wildlife, livestock and more.
Delaware farmers save on crop insurance
The Delaware Department of Agriculture has officially launched the Delaware Agricultural Production Insurance Assistance Program in coordination with USDA’s Risk Management Agency.
This new program reduces premiums for 2025 crop insurance plans for producers who had an eligible plan in 2024. The reduction is equal to 30% of the 2024 total premium, with a maximum of $10 per covered acre for multi-peril crop insurance, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) or livestock insurance premium.
Crop insurance is a critical component of the farm safety net, protecting farmers from weather, environmental and economic conditions that can result in low crop yields and insufficient income, making it difficult to remain in farming.
“This type of crop insurance program is unique in that it was a bipartisan effort that originated in Delaware to help protect Delaware producers and our agriculture industry,” Secretary of Agriculture Don Clifton says. “This program is based upon a farmer’s choices in their risk management strategy and helping them select the right insurance plan for protecting their revenue.”
Delaware farmers who signed up for a crop insurance policy in 2024 will automatically receive a reduced premium for 2025 plans. Delaware farmers obtained 2,440 crop insurance policies in 2024, insuring 309,873 acres. Producers received nearly $9.14 million in indemnities.
The department encourages producers to contact their crop insurance agent for more information and to discuss how this will reduce their payments. Producers who did not have an eligible plan in 2024 should sign up for 2025 coverage now to receive this benefit on their 2026 premium.
Catastrophic risk protection policies are not eligible for this program, but the department anticipates that producers will use the cost savings to enhance their coverage options and increase the financial security of their farms.
The Delaware Agricultural Production Insurance Assistance Program was signed into law in 2024.
Fill out Pennsylvania dairy survey
The Center for Dairy Excellence and Penn State Cooperative Extension are collaborating to launch the 2025 Dairy Producer Survey to study how the latest changes in the dairy industry affect Pennsylvania dairy farmers.
Dairy producers are encouraged to complete the survey by April 30. The data collected through the survey will be used to shape future grant opportunities, programs and overall resources that support the state’s dairy businesses.
The 2025 Dairy Producer Survey includes questions about the following areas of business for Pennsylvania dairy farmers:
- demographics
- marketing and replacements
- employees and protocols
- facilities and operation
- future plans
- investments
- risk management
- biosecurity protocols
- climate-smart initiatives
All survey responses will be anonymous, and the survey is expected to take about 15 minutes to complete. Visit centerfordairyexcellence.org to take the survey by April 30. Producers can complete the survey digitally, or print a copy and mail it back to the Center for Dairy Excellence.
Contact Valerie Mason-Faith at vmason@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-550-8720 with questions about the survey.