‘Dairy farmers’ perception of barriers associated with the uptake of educational programs: A qualitative focus group study in Ontario, Canada.’
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 109 No. 2, 2026. This article explores Ontario dairy farmers’ perceptions of educational programs and the factors that influenced their participation. To do this, they worked with 20 dairy producers in southern Ontario to discuss their experiences, motivations and barriers related to educational programs and participation. Three main themes are identified: strategies for effective outreach and engagement; perceived value of education as a driver for progress and participation in educational programs; motivators, barriers and preferences. Effective outreach is categorized into traditional and digital communication.
The authors provide background indicating that educational programs have been shown to enhance on-farm management practices and decision-making. However, despite the availability and success of various educational resources, many dairy producers remain hesitant or unable to engage fully with them due to a lack of interest or urgency to make a change in their management strategies. To optimize the effect of such programs, it is vital to identify and address the barriers associated with the uptake of educational programs. Educational programs may be delivered in several formats, virtually or in person, and may be structured as either synchronous or asynchronous learning experiences. Virtual and asynchronous education formats may be considered more accessible, as they can engage participants from a wider geographic area and accommodate those who require flexible scheduling. In contrast, in-person and synchronous learning formats offer several advantages, including real-time interaction with peers and instructors and the opportunity for immediate feedback. Educational programs have been shown to yield positive outcomes, but they have also been criticized for lacking relevant content.
The authors developed a guide with questions designed to prompt discussion on three main topics: past experiences with education programs, motivators for participation in educational programs and barriers to participation in educational programs. Of the 20 participants, the median age of participants was 37.5 years old. The median number of lactating cows per herd was 94.
The main finding of the study is that farmers value education; however, a perceived need must be felt to overcome several intrinsic and external barriers to participation. Multigenerational management emerged as a recurring theme throughout the discussions. Several producers manage their farms with parents or children, which impacts the effectiveness of certain outreach strategies. Although all demographics favour personal invitations from program hosts, such invitations are not always shared with all involved personnel or family members, often depending on the recipient’s perception of the program’s importance. Although face-to-face learning is preferred due to its interactive benefits, several advantages of virtual learning, such as convenience and flexibility, are discussed. The advantages of education through peer learning and from trusted advisers should be considered when developing educational programs. Additionally, educational program developers should identify opportunities to individualize content with question periods or adaptive learning to engage producers. The results from this study will support the development and refinement of educational programs to enhance their participation. Increased uptake will support knowledge transfer and translation endeavors to facilitate the adoption of best management practices on dairy farms, thereby promoting industry progressions and sustainability.
‘Using time-temperature recorder data on dairy farms to identify short-term factors associated with increased free fatty acids in bulk tank milk.’
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 109 No. 2, 2026. This article investigates whether specific time-temperature recorder (TTR) alarms could be associated with short-term increases in bulk tank milk free fatty acids (FFA). The authors used data from TTR units on 177 farms in Ontario. A subset of 751 alarms from 120 farms was used. For each alarm, the baseline FFA concentration (average FFA across seven pickups before the alarm, if no alarm present) was compared with the alarm-associated FFA. This was an observational cross-sectional study. The farms were not selected based on FFA level or TTR alarms, and dairy farms that participated were those that volunteered. Farm visits to collect the TTR data occurred between July 10, 2019, and June 30, 2021.
The authors provide some background information indicating that elevated concentrations of FFA in milk (equal to or greater than 1.20 millimole per 100 grams of fat) may negatively affect milk foaming ability, cheese coagulation, sensory characteristics and shelf life. FFA result from milkfat breakdown, referred to as lipolysis. When the protective milkfat globule membrane that encompasses triacylglycerol molecules is damaged (referred to as induced lipolysis), endogenous and bacterial lipolytic enzymes target triacylglycerol molecules and break them down into FFA (referred to as spontaneous and bacterial lipolysis, respectively).
Research has shown that FFA levels have several causes, with both permanent and changeable factors. Permanent factors that can increase FFA include nonconventional (i.e., organic and grass-fed) herds, nonparlor (i.e., automated milking system and tiestall) milking systems and a smaller herd size (herd size has been documented to influence FFA levels due to smaller milk volumes and therefore a greater influence of individual cows on the bulk tank FFA concentration). Changeable factors affecting FFA levels include the lactating cow ration, which is most often influenced by the time of year or incentive days. In another research study, there was an increased probability of elevated FFA in months with three incentive days compared to months with less than three incentive days. Other milk component factors (i.e., low milk protein and high bacterial counts) can also increase FFA.
The results of this study suggest that some TTR alarms, specifically alarms indicating milk being too cold, could help to explain short-term increases in FFA in bulk tank milk. This suggests that aberrations in bulk tank temperature may increase FFA levels. The authors previously reported that 7% of bulk tank samples in Ontario had elevated FFA, so greater proportions of both baseline and alarm-associated pickup with elevated FFA values suggest that episodes of poor bulk tank temperature control may contribute to elevated FFA. The highest FFA averages were observed for alarms that might be associated with induced lipolysis (physical disruption of the milkfat globule membrane). These alarms were associated with agitation and cooling. Similar results were reported where FFA was greater when milk was exposed to induced lipolysis factors than when milk was exposed to endogenous lipoprotein lipase enzymes (spontaneous lipolysis). This makes biological sense because the milkfat globule membrane must be disturbed before the lipoprotein lipase enzymes or bacterial enzymes can access the triacylglycerol molecules to form FFA. The ‘too much agitation’ alarm can indicate milkfat globule membrane damage due to excessive stirring of the milk, which can result from slow cooling or high blend temperature TTR alarms. A milk too cold alarm can indicate milk freezing, which ruptures the milkfat globule membrane because milkfat globules expand during the freezing stage. A too little agitation alarm could also suggest that some milk is at risk of freezing because it has not been stirred.
The study concluded that the occurrence of bulk tank milk grader TTR alarms, specifically milk too cold alarms, may help to explain some of the short-term increases in FFA levels. A pickup associated with a milk too cold alarm had the highest average FFA of samples associated with TTR alarms, possibly due to the irreversible damage that milk freezing does to the milkfat globule membrane. The results demonstrated an associated increase in bulk tank milk FFA by 0.36 millimole per 100 grams of fat if a milk too cold TTR alarm occurred. The absence of precooling was also associated with increased FFA. These findings support and encourage the dairy industry to consider implementing and using TTR units and precooling mechanisms to support milk quality.
This column brings you information regarding some of the research being done around the world and published in the Journal of Dairy Science. The objective is to bring to light areas of research that may have an immediate practical application on a dairy farm, as well as research that, even though it may not have a practical impact now, could be interesting for its future potential application. The idea is to give a brief overview of select research studies but not go into detail on each topic. Those interested in further in-depth reading can use the citations to find each study.
