Professional Dairy Heifers Growers Conference Oct. 28-29 BATAVIA, N.Y. A dynamic program has been planned for the 2003 Northeast Regional Confer ence of the Professional Dairy Heifer Growers Asso ciation (PDHGA) Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 28-29 here at the Holiday Inn. Heifer growers, dairy producers raising their own replacements, and allied industry representatives will benefit from this opportunity to convene in scenic western New York to learn the latest, share ideas, tour farms, and develop their programs. Raising dairy replacements is a key management area on any dairy farm, and professional growers are in demand. Regional conferences are just one way PDHGA provides important resources, educa tion, professional development and motivation dedicated to helping growers maintain and increase profitability and add value to the heifers they raise. PDHGA conferences, newsletter, website and data base also provide a vital communication network. “The conference experience definitely helped me be more professional and more accountable to the customers I’m growing for,” said Lynn Neer of Greenwood Farm in Belleville. Neer has been custom-raising dairy replacement heifers for four and a half years, and he recently became a member of the PDHGA after attending his first conference. “I was impressed with how professional and or ganized the event was,” Neer explains. “The trade show was excellent, and I was able to bring back in formation about a new technology to help one of my customers. It was very beneficial for me to visit with veterinarians and other growers from different areas, and the farm tours were a great way to see how others do it. You get a lot of good ideas.” This year, the conference focus is reproduction, and Tuesday will be the day to hear from the ex perts. Speakers will cover timely information on subjects ranging from breeding programs, econom ics and handling facilities, to post-fresh results of in tensified feeding and BVD/Lepto impact and protocols. The day will conclude with the ever popular producer panel and a summary of best management practices. The schedule offers plenty of time to interact with other growers, speakers and trade show vendors. An optional dinner and evening program are also planned for Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Batavia Holiday Inn, with Dr. Roger Saltman, Pfizer, as the keynote speaker on the topic of Process Management. Farm tours have been planned for Wednesday, Oct. 29. Conference-goers will visit three large dairy heifer operations Alan Hainesworth’s Calf Facil- ity in Mt. Morris, which raises 6,000 calves annu ally; Stokoe Farms in Avon, which is a renovated dairy farm handling 700 head post-weaned; and Heifer Haven Farms in Stanley, which is a custom grower operation handling 1,750 post-weaned heif ers. For registration by Oct. I, the cost is $5O; after Oct. 1, $6O. Walk-in registration will be $75. PDHGA members receive a $lO discount on regis tration prior to the conference ($4O by Oct. 1 and $5O after Oct. 1; no discount for walk-in registra tion). Cost for the optional dinner with speaker on Tuesday evening is $25. Wednesday’s farm tours are $27. Make checks payable to “Cornell Cooperative Extension” and mail with name, address and phone number, to: Northeast PDHGA Conference, Attn: Wendy Garrett, Cornell Cooperative Extension, 420 East Main Street, Batavia, N.Y. 14020. For more information about the conference or to become a member of PDHGA, contact Steve Bee hard, PDHGA Northeast Director, at (518) 846- 8422 or (518) 846-7375. Or visit the Website at www.pdhga.org. National Workshop To Honor McDaniel RALEIGH, N.C. World-renowned dairy cattle geneticist Ben T. McDaniel will be honored at the National Dairy Genetics Workshop set for Oct. 20- 21 at the Hilton North, Raleigh, N.C. McDaniel, a distinguished educator, researcher and mentor, has led the world dairy industry in tackling issues such as the genetics of fitness traits and their relationship to profitability. From his stu dent days at Clemson University to his experiences at USDA, Beltsville, to his education and faculty position at North Carolina State University, McDaniel has made an impact on dairy genetic evaluations and the industry’s application of re search findings. Former students can be found in both academic and industry roles worldwide. For additional information on the workshop, con tact Dr. Bennet Cassell of Virginia Tech, bcassell@vt.edu, phone (540) 231-4762; or Cari W. Wolfe of the American Jersey Cattle Association, cwolfe@usjersey.com, phone (614) 861-3636.
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