Contact: Ashley Huibregtse, 608-224-5002, ashley.huibregtse@wisconsin.gov
MADISON – The third annual Grazing Seminars at World Dairy Expo will be on Friday, October 7, 2011. The all-day seminar series; organized by DATCP, UW Extension, and industry partners; will feature a range of topics and be followed by a free reception.
“This annual event brings in speakers from across the country to share information and new ideas for dairy farmers,” said Laura Paine, DATCP’s Grazing Specialist. “The free educational seminars offer basic information for the beginning farmer and new methods and techniques for those involved in the industry for years.”
The agenda for the grazing events includes:
* 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Training the Next Generation of Dairy Farmers. Joe Tomandl III will talk about Wisconsin’s first-in-the-nation Dairy Apprentice Program that helps beginning farmers get off to a good start with classroom education and a formal on-farm apprenticeship.
* 11:15a.m.-12:15 p.m. Outwintering versus Winter Housing – What are the Tradeoffs? How much winter housing do you need? Dr. Rhonda Gildersleeve, UW Extension Grazing Specialist, will explore the tradeoffs between housing, seasonal milking, feed costs, and milk production.
* 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Cross-country Tour de Research: A Roundtable Discussion of Grazing Research at U.S. Universities. Here’s your opportunity to hear what grazing and organic systems research is being done and to provide input and suggestions for future research topics.
* 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Is Grass-fed the Wave of the Future? Market Forecast for Organic and Grass-based Dairy. George Siemon, Organic Valley, and Chad Pawlak, Grass Point Farms, will discuss the role of value-added markets for dairy products and offer a market analysis and forecast.
* 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Free Reception. Opportunity to meet with speakers and sponsors for refreshments and conversation.
Seminars will be held in the Mendota 3 Conference Room in the Exhibition Hall of the World Dairy Expo. The afternoon reception will be held in the Grazing and Organic Pavilion. Industry partners assisting DATCP and UW Extension with planning and sponsorship for the day’s events include: CRV, LIC, Coburn, Geno, Normande, Fleckveih, Crystal Creek, and Organic Valley.
“Each seminar will allow time for participants to ask questions and engage in discussion,” said Rhonda Gildersleeve, UW Extension’s Grazing Specialist. “The reception is also a great opportunity for farmers to talk with seminar speakers and share ideas to be more successful and profitable in the future.”
To find general information on World Dairy Expo, visit http://www.world-dairy-expo.com. For more information about the grazing seminars, contact DATCP’s Laura Paine at 608-224-5120 or laura.paine@wi.gov or visit http://datcp.wi.gov/Farms/Grazing/Grazing_Events/.
