The Purdue Extension Dairy Team will co-host a series of free regional dairy meetings around Indiana beginning in late-January to help producers improve their operations.
The meetings will feature industry experts presenting about topics that focus on animals, economics, labor and farm maintenance. Other workshop hosts are the Indiana Dairy Producers and the Indiana Forage Council.
"While milk prices have remained fairly strong, and combined with decreasing corn prices, to improve profit margins on dairy farms, there are always opportunities to review the latest on management practices," said Mike Schutz, Purdue Extension dairy specialist and one of the meeting organizers. "The regional dairy meetings offer dairy producers a great opportunity to learn from industry experts on a number of important management topics ranging from forages to better utilizing milk marketing strategies.
"There will be plenty of management tips for dairy farms of any size."
All locations also will offer presentations about artificially inseminating heifers, labor and immigration, animal identification and traceability and bird control. Additionally, each date will include location-specific topics.
Representatives of the Purdue Dairy Team and the Indiana Dairy Council will give industry updates at each meeting, as will some of the program's sponsors.
All meetings will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. local time on the following dates:
Jan. 28: Turkey Run State Park, 8121 Park Road, Marshall. For more information: 317-695-8228.
Feb. 4: Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds, Family Arts Building, 750 W. 200 S., Columbus. For more information: 812-379-1665.
Feb. 5: The Log Inn, 12653 S. 200 E., Warrenton. For more information: 812-867-3216.
Feb. 11: Farmstead Inn, 370 S. Van Buren St., Shipshewana. For more information: 260-768-4595.
Feb. 12: Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, Ag Hall, 17746 E. C.R. 34, Goshen. For more information: 574-533-0554.
Feb. 13: Back 40 Junction Restaurant, 1011 N. 13th St., Decatur. For more information: 260-724-3355.
Registration is required by Jan. 24 for the Marshall, Warrenton and Columbus meetings, and by Feb. 5 for the Shipshewana, Goshen and Decatur meetings. Lunch will be served at all locations.