Dairy Producers and Their Employees Are Invited to Attend Free Workshop
Dairy producers from Northern Pennsylvania are invited to a free Animal Care Workshop on Tuesday, April 25 at Hoffman Farms in Potter County, Pa. Hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Beef Council, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and Penn State Extension, this workshop is the final event in the series for dairy producers and their employees. More than 220 dairy producers have attended the workshops to date this spring. The April 25 workshop will focus on hands-on skill-building to help dairy producers meet National FARM compliance. A certificate will be provided at the conclusion of the workshop to show dairy producers’ commitment to National FARM and animal care. Attendees will also have the opportunity to become certified through the National Beef Council Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program by the end of the workshop.
Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/animal-care or call 717-346-0849 to sign up. Registration will be closed if the capacity for the farm is reached.
“This workshop is an ideal way to bring your dairy team together to spend a few hours strengthening your skills in animal welfare and cow management,” said Zach Myers, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “We welcome both English and Spanish-speaking employees to the workshop. Lunch will be provided along with an optional tour of the dairy farm, so we hope to see you there.”
The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hoffman Farms (243 Healy Road, Shinglehouse, PA 16748). During the workshop, attendees will rotate through 45-minute stations and gain training in several key animal welfare areas in the National FARM program:
- Calf Care — Learn about proper nutrition and management of replacement heifers to help achieve top quality dairy cows that are profitable and capable of remaining in the herd for several years.
- Biosecurity — Learn what biosecurity means for dairy operations and hear tips for minimizing the likelihood of something detrimental arriving on your operation.
- Dry Cow Management and Obstetrics — Participate in a hands-on demonstration using models provided by Penn State Extension, and learn how to properly assist in the delivery of calves in normal instances as well as abnormal or dystocia deliveries.
- Animal Handling and Stockmanship – Participate in a hands-on demonstration to learn how to more efficiently and patiently sort and move cattle using groups of heifers that are weaned up to six months old.
“Any day spent with cows in view is a good one. One of our team members and I got to spend the day at an on-farm training with other folks in the dairy community. It was a day full of learning, hands-on training, and great discussions about maintaining a safe and wholesome milk supply,” said Jennifer Orr of Harmony Acres who attended a workshop in the series this month. “Dairy farmers are continually evaluating best practices, how we can improve, what changes we can make, and going above and beyond to keep our cows safe and comfortable. Many thanks to the dairy farms who opened their doors [for these workshops] and to the speakers for facilitating the events!”
To register for the free animal care workshop on April 25, call 717-346-0849 or visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/animal-care. Please include the names of employees who will be attending from your operation. For more information about the event, contact Zach Myers at zmyers@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849.
The National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management works to set the highest standards when it comes to animal care, workplace settings, and environmental and antibiotic stewardship. These workshops qualify as National FARM training for dairy producers and employees.