The Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence will host two educational conference calls in August as part of its ongoing “Mastering the Dairy Business” learning series.
The first call, set for Tuesday, Aug. 24, will feature Paul Craig, from Penn State Cooperative Extension, who will offer tips for harvesting and storing this year’s forage crop to maximize quality. Rick Grant, president of the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, N.Y., will discuss reducing production costs through feed efficiency and cow comfort on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Both calls will be held from noon-1:30 p.m.
“The past year has forced all dairy farm families to think more strategically about how they manage their feed supply and their cows to make the greatest profit from their operation,” says John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence. “The center is hosting the conference calls to give producers the opportunity to hear the latest research on techniques used in harvesting and storing crops and in feeding and caring for cows.”
Craig has worked with Penn State Cooperative Extension for the past 31 years and is currently the regional forage agronomist housed at the Dauphin County Extension Office. Since 2004, Craig has conducted on-farm bunker silo management investigations on 195 bunkers at 85 different farms across Pennsylvania, evaluating bunker silo density levels and feed-out practices to minimize shrink.
At the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, which is a privately funded educational and research institute focused on dairy, equine and agronomy, Grant leads a team of researchers focused on forage quality, dairy cattle nutrition, behavior and management.
There is no charge to participate in the calls, but pre-registration is required. Each conference call is limited to 60 producers. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, call the center at 717-346-0849 with name, phone number, e-mail address and the date of the call on which you plan to participate. Once registered, participants will receive the call-in number and code.
Source: Center for Dairy Excellence