Download: A Texas Dairy Farmer’s Guide to Crisis Communication
There is no downloadable guide on this page, only a plain approach you can write out yourself. When something goes wrong on a dairy, the first hour often shapes the story, so it helps to decide in advance who says what.
What counts as a crisis for a dairy?
A crisis is anything that could hurt people, animals, your reputation or your business, and that people will ask about. It might be a barn fire, a disease scare, a worker injury, a milk recall, a flood or a viral video. Each looks different, but the communication questions are similar.
A good plan is short. If it is longer than a few pages, nobody reads it at three in the morning. Write it while things are calm, and review it with family, managers and your veterinarian.
Think about the audience too. Neighbors, customers, regulators, your lender and your own workers may all hear about the event, and each needs a slightly different message.
Who speaks for the farm?
Choose one spokesperson and a backup. Everyone else should know to send questions to that person. This prevents conflicting stories and keeps stressed employees from saying something they regret.
Write down phone numbers: your veterinarian, your insurance agent, your attorney, your milk buyer, and the relevant state office. For animal disease events, that includes the Texas Animal Health Commission. For disasters, Ready.gov has planning basics, and the National Weather Service posts the warnings you will want to share. Your county AgriLife Extension office can also connect you with local disaster recovery help.
- Primary and backup spokesperson
- Veterinarian, insurer, attorney and buyer contacts
- State and federal agency contacts
- Employee and family notification plan
- Where the plan is stored, in print and online
What do you say first?
Start with safety, then facts, then what you are doing. Say what you know, say what you do not know yet and say when you will update. Do not guess, and do not speculate about causes. A short, true statement is better than a long, shaky one.
If people or animals are hurt, express concern for them first. Never assign blame early. Your insurer and attorney can advise on what to say when legal issues are involved, and a licensed professional should review anything sensitive.
It helps to prepare three or four short holding statements in advance, with blanks for specifics. Your attorney can look them over, and in a hurry you will be glad they exist.
How do you talk to the public and the press?
Reporters and neighbors both want answers, and they usually want them fast. Be polite and clear, give them a contact, and keep promises about follow-up. If you cannot talk, say so and say when you can.
Social media moves faster than anyone. Post one accurate statement on your own account and point people to it. The planning ideas in this dairy herd guide and this farm safety resource help you think through the operational side before the communications side.
How does it feel, and who looks after you?
Crises are stressful, and farm families carry a lot. If you or someone on your farm feels overwhelmed, hopeless or unsafe, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available at any hour. More information is at the 988 Lifeline site. Talking to someone is a sign of good judgment.
Check on employees and neighbors too. Farm Aid also offers resources for farm families in difficult times.
Keeping records during an event
Write down what happens as it happens: times, names, calls made, decisions and who made them. Notes taken in the moment are far more reliable than memory a week later, and your insurer or attorney may ask for them.
Take photographs if it is safe to do so. Save messages and emails. Do not delete anything, even if it seems embarrassing, because deleting can look worse than the original problem.
After things settle, hold a short review with the crew. What worked, what did not and what should the plan say next time? Update the document while the memory is fresh.
Practice, then practice again
Run a short drill once a year. Pick a scenario, gather the group and see who knows what. It takes an hour and it will show you gaps. Update the plan afterward.
A little reading before the drill helps: farm.FM has a dairy section and a farm news page that show how stories are told, and a farm.FM story about farm crises is a fair prompt for discussion.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Animal Health Commission: animal disease rules
- Ready.gov: FEMA disaster preparedness
- National Weather Service: forecasts and warnings
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- Farm Aid: help for family farmers
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
Ask locally: Your attorney, your insurance agent and your herd veterinarian should each see your communication plan before you finalize it.