The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program invite local dairy producers to learn how to share your dairy story with the non-farm public. The training sessions, called the Dairy Farmers Speakers Bureau will be held on April 21 and April 23.
By participating in the speakers bureau, farmers can make a difference in helping their non-farm neighbors better understand how dairy farmers take care of their animals and land, provide the safest products possible, and play a vital role in the local community.
The speakers bureau is funded through the dairy checkoff program and is a joint effort of Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Center for Dairy Excellence. The program is available to farmers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey. The workshops will provide the communication tools needed to tell your dairy story to local community groups, such as the Lions Club, the Rotary or the Chamber of Commerce. The speakers bureau will also provide the services of a “scheduler,” who will identify local community groups, book speaking engagements, and handle follow-up evaluations.
Spring training sessions are schedule as follows: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, in the Keystone Room at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pa., and Thursday, April 23, 2009, at the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office, Mercer, Pa. Both training workshops will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude by 2:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided and the workshops are free to dairy farmers. Additional training sessions will be held in Pennsylvania in Fall 2009 and in the Maryland/Delaware area later in the spring.
If you would like to participate in one of the spring training workshops, please contact Jayne Sebright at 717-259-6496 or via e-mail at jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org to register.