The silage is off, with corn and soybeans being harvested. Next come winter meetings. Below are several meetings that dairy farmers shouldn’t miss.
Feedbunks and freestalls. These workshops are in the barn, down home, practical and held from 1-3 p.m.
The teachers will be the following Ohio State University Extension faculty: Bill Weiss, researcher in nutrition and forages; Tom Noyes, dairy agent, Wayne County and Dianne Shoemaker, formerly district dairy specialist, but recently assigned responsibility for all of Ohio.
These meetings will be limited to 25 because of the intensive, hands-on nature of the workshops.
Each participant will assess the following of the host farm: feed storage, feeds mixed and fed, feed consumed compared to formulated ration, cow behavior, cow body condition, cow health, stall use, water, waterers and water available for cows, animal employee interactions, manure appearance, manure particle size and what can we determine from the manure about cow nutrition, health and comfort.
After actively assessing these on the host farm, producers may be willing to go home and determine the most limiting factor for milk production on their own farm.
Early registration is encouraged. The workshop cost is $20 per person if you postmark your registration before Nov. 7, but $25 per person after that.
Contact names. Registration can be made by sending name(s), farm name, address and telephone number, with checks payable to Ohio State University Extension and mailed to the Extension Office listed below for each session:
* Wayne County, Nov. 18, Ben-Ali Holsteins, Roy and Lisa Mangun, 13693 Friendsville Rd., Burbank, OH;
OSU contact: Tom Noyes, Wayne County Extension, 428 West Liberty Street, Wooster, OH 44691-5092; phone 330-264-8722; e-mail noyes.1@osu.edu
* Richland County, Nov. 19, Mountain Oaks Farm, Dan, Katina, David and Diana Eichelberger, 5683 Olivesburg Fitchville Rd., Ashland, OH;
OSU contact: Duane Rader, Richland County Extension, 1495 W. Longview Ave., Suite 206, Mansfield, OH 44905; phone 419-747-8755; e-mail rader.72@osu.edu
* Tuscarawas County, Nov. 20, JIMITA Holsteins, Jim and Rita Rowe, 9877 Strasburg, Boliver Rd. NW, Strasburg, OH;
OSU contact: Chris Zoller, Tuscarawas County Extension, 419 16th Street SW, New Philadelphia, OH 44663-6403; phone 330-339-233; e-mail zoller.1@osu.edu
* Ashtabula County, Nov. 21, Location to be announced;
OSU contact: David Marrison, Ashtabula County Extension, 39 Wall Street, Jefferson, OH 44047-1137; phone 440-576-9008; e-mail marrison.2@osu.edu
Managing for success. Since 1992 nearly 500 dairy farmers in northeast Ohio have graduated from this workshop. This workshop consists of a series of three daytime meetings, one week apart, where dairy farmers are taught management skills.
The Wayne County sessions will be held Dec. 4, 11 and 18 at Des Dutch Essenhaus, Shreve, OH 44676.
The Tuscarawas County sessions will be held Jan. 6, 13 and 20 at Dutch Valley Restaurant, 1343 Old Rt. 39 NE, Sugargrove, OH 44681.
All sessions will begin with registration and refreshments at 9:30 a.m. and adjourn at 3:30 p.m.
These sessions are designed to improve the competitiveness of the dairy farmers attending by those farmers first learning then going home and applying principles of resource management.
Topics. Major topics covered will be planning, staffing, organizing, directing and controlling. More specific topics for each session are as follows:
* Session 1: Introduction and paradigms, wrestling with management, functions of a manager and planning.
* Session 2: Brainstorming, problem solving, organizing, controlling, directing.
* Session 3: Task/people orientation, job descriptions, want advertisements, interview and selection of employees and employee handbooks.
Sponsors for the sessions, which also offer a limited number of $50 scholarships to their customers are Farm Credit Services and Wayne County Bank.
A registration fee of $95 per person is requested two weeks prior to the first session. This fee covers three meals, refreshment breaks, a comprehensive notebook and milk production monitor.
Reservation can be made by mailing name, address and phone number with check made out to Ohio State University Extension for $95 per person to the contact person listed above.
(The author, an OSU Extension ag agent in Lorain County, is a member of OSU’s Dairy Excel team. Questions or comments can be sent in care of Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.)
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