WEST ADDISON — An Addison County dairy farm and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have agreed on how to settle a concern by federal authorities about medications given to the farm’s cows.
 Amy Menard, the lawyer for the Wynsum Holsteins farm run by Anthony and Barbara Correia and family, noted that the Correias admitted no wrongdoing and no formal charges were filed.
“Their willingness to reach agreement with the government reflects the Correias’ commitment to animal wellness and to safe farming practices,” said Menard, an attorney with of Neuse, Duprey & Putnam P.C. of Middlebury.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office this week issued a press release stating that the Department of Justice had filed paperwork with the federal court seeking to approved the agreement with the Correias. The issue arose three years ago when the Food and Drug Administration warned the farm that a federal meat inspector had found residue of an antibiotic in the kidney of a heifer that was slaughtered for meat. The FDA did further inspections and alleged record-keeping errors regarding injections given to the farm’s cattle.
The press release further alleged recurring violations of the same nature that the farm failed to correct despite FDA warnings.
Menard pointed out that the medications involved included common antibiotics used in the course of treating routine veterinary conditions in cattle to maintain the animals’ health.
“The government believed the Correia farm should utilize additional record-keeping and operational measures to track the use of these medications, and the Correias agreed to the government’s request,” she said. “The Correias take the health of their animals very seriously because farming is their livelihood, and they continue to work closely with veterinarians to ensure the health of their herd.”