te and Cornell Universities are
17 in Harrisburg and Jan. 18 in
and practical.” “It increased my
knowledge because I’m new to
feeding.” Dairy feeding employ
ees are encouraged to attend this
workshop to learn about import
ant feeding management prac
tices that influence successful
dairy ration programs. Feeding
practices such as dry matter and
pH measurement, visual appra
isal of forages, TMR mixing
strategies, and the ensiling pro
cess are covered. Limited to the
first 25 participants. Jan. 4.
(Mason Dixon Farm, Adams
County).
• Milker Training. 1 Day.
Fee: $35 (lunch included) This
workshop provides training for
dairy milking employees on
proper milking procedures,
mastitis detection, producing
high-quality milk, and sampling
cows for milk culturing. Milking
employees can improve their
ability to milk cows with a con
sistent routine using recom
mended milking practices.
Mastitis detection and preven
tion will be highlighted. Limited
to the first twenty-five partici
pants. March 13. (Hershey
Brothers, Manheim, Lancaster
County).
Managing A
Hispanic Workforce
• Managing the Hispanic
Workforce. Dairy producers
currently employing a Hispanic
workforce, those considering
workers from another culture,
and industry professionals
should plan to attend this con
ference. Knowledgeable speak
ers and workshop leaders will
present reliable information,
free of the myths and misunder
standings some producers have
about this issue. Conference par
ticipants will gain a greater un
derstanding and appreciation
for the Hispanic culture. They
will leam methods of organiza
tion and communication to help
workers and producers succeed.
In addition, participants will
learn about regulations govern
ing alien workers and ways to
avoid legal problems. To regis
ter, contact conference coordi
nator Dee Brothers at (607) 255-
4478, dab2@comell.edu. Jan. 16
(Harrisburg).
• Employee Management,
Dairy Feeding Systems Manage
ment. 3 Sessions. Fee: $5OO (in
cludes a feeder’s kit valued at
$500). As managers seek to im
prove the efficiency of the dairy
feeding system, they need tools
to train employees to effectively
prepare, deliver, and record ap
propriate dairy rations to the
herd. This three-day workshop
provides the resources that man
agers need to train dairy feeding
employees and to set up systems
for monitoring and controlling
dairy rations. March 14 (Leba
non Extension Office); March 21
(Lebanon Extension Office);
March 28 (Bomberger Dairy
Farm).
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 16, 2000-A2l
Penn State Begins Capitol
Region Dairy Program
• Dairy Works Workshop, 2
Sessions. Intended for farmers
who are either expanding their
herds and have personnel man
agement issues or large-herd
dairy managers who recognize
personnel management as a
bottleneck in their operations.
Content focuses on the steps the
dairy manager can take to
manage employees and to de
velop systems for every part of
the dairy. With expansion, more
and more dairy industry profes
sionals are managing people, not
cows. They need systems in
place to teach their workers how
to make the right cow-side deci
sions. March 27-28. Fee and Lo
cation to be announced.
Presented by Dr. Tom
Fuhrmann, international large
herd dairy consultant.
• Milking Systems and Par
lors, Planning and Managing for
Quality Milk and Profitability,
An NRAES Event, A Confer
ence for Producers and Their
Advisors. Camp Hill, Jan. 30-
Feb. 1. Quality milk, milk pro
duction per man-hour, and
profitability can be optimized on
dairy farms through careful
management and capital invest
ments. New developments and
research have occurred concern
ing milking parlors, milking sys
tems, data collection and use,
cow comfort, and cow handling
to improve milk production.
Producers considering expan
sion seek guidance on purchas
ing new milking systems and
parlors as well as on effectively
managing these systems.
On Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Camp
Hill, more than 30 experts on
milking systems and parlors will
share their knowledge and
answer your questions at a con
ference entitled “Milking Sys
tems and Parlors: Planning and
Managing for Quality Milk and
Profitability.” The conference is
being coordinated by NRAES,
the Natural Resource, Agricul
ture, and Engineering Service.
The conference will provide
guidance on planning milking
parlors, parlor efficiency, testing
and troubleshooting milking
systems, system cleaning, data
collection and manage
ment, workforce management, cow behavior,
ventilation, and milk cooling. The target au
dience includes producers, their advisers,
milking managers, extension educators, ser
vice and supply industry representatives,
milk plant field staff, veterinarians, sanitari
ans, engineers, and dairy scientists.
Producers with 200 or more milking cows
and those considering expansion will find this
program of interest. The conference will
begin at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 and end at
12:30 p.m. Feb. 1. For the evening of Jan. 30,
a tabletop exhibit session/reception is
planned, with hors d’oeuvres provided by in
dustry Sponsors. For the evening of Jan. 31,
four concurrent discussion sessions are
planned on the topics of robotics, data collec
tion and management, workforce manage
ment, and remodeling parlors for SO-200-cow
dairies. The conference is designed to allow
plenty of time for audience questions and in
formal discussion. A postconference work
shop for milking system technicians with
intermediate to advanced skills is also being
planned.
Conference speakers will include Don
Rogers, First Pioneer Farm Credit; David
Reid, Rocky Ridge Veterinary Service; Steve
Spencer, Penn State University: Steve Eicker,
Valley Ag Software; G. M. (Jerry) Jones, Vir
ginia Tech; Doug Reinemann, University of
Wisconsin; Jack Rodenburg, Ontario Minis
try of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs;
Andy Johnson, Total Herd Management Ser
vices; Steve Stewart and Paul Rapnicki, Uni
versity of Minnesota; Curt Gooch, Cornell’s
PRO-DAIRY program; Richard Stup, Penn
State’s Dairy Alliance Program; Edmond
Pajor, Purdue University; speakers from
leading manufacturers of milking equipment
and parlors; and more.
If your company is interested in sponsor
ing, contact NRAES for information on the
benefits of sponsoring. The following profes
sional organizations have cooperated in
making this conference possible: American
Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP);
American Dairy Science Association (ADSA),
American Registry of Professional Animal
Scientists (ARPAS), National Mastitis Coun
cil (NMC), and Northeast Dairy Producers
Association (NEDPA), Inc. Pennsylvania
Dairy Stakeholders Note that ARP AS has ap
proved 12 continuing education credits for
this conference.
The registration fee is $250 if postmarked
by Jan. 8 and $295 after Jan. 8 or at the door.
The fee includes one conference admission,
the tabletop exhibit session/reception on Jan.
30, one lunch, break refreshments, evening
discussions, and a copy of the conference pro
ceedings.
(Turn to Pag* A 24)