Seminars Planned to Educate Dairy Graziers at World Dairy Expo

MADISON, Wis., Sept. 26 -- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection issued the following news release:

Dairy farmers interested in starting or improving their grazing systems should make plans to attend the sixth-annual World Dairy Expo Grazing Seminars on Friday, Oct. 3 in Madison.

Grass-based dairy production is an important piece of Wisconsin's$43.4 billion dairy industry, said Dan Smith, administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's (DATCP's) Division of Agricultural Development.

"Grazing gives farmers the option to greatly reduce the input costs of starting or maintaining a dairy operation," Smith said. "This could open doors to increased on-farm profitability, as well as increase Wisconsin's dairy product diversity, and, therefore, the diversity of income streams."

The seminars are scheduled in the Alliant Energy Center in meeting room Mendota 3. The schedule is as follows:

* 10 to 11:30 a.m. - Pasture Forage Selection, Fertility and Cover Crops. The moderator is Mark Kopecky, Organic Valley agronomist. Panel members include Karl Dallefeld of Prairie Creek seeds, Dan Olson of Byron Seeds and agronomist Dan Undersander of UW-Madison. Learn about forage species selection, fertility, and how cover crops can fit into a grazing program.

* 11:30 a.m. - Learn about Dairy Grazing Apprenticeships from Program Director Joe Tomandl.

* Noon to 1:30 p.m. - (Cross) Breeding the Ideal Dairy Grazing Cow. The moderator is Rhonda Gildersleeve with UW Extension. Learn about experienced graziers' breed preferences for dairy grazing systems, as well as breeding strategies and cow/bull selection criteria.

* 1:30 to 3 p.m. - Maximizing Your Grazing Acres. The moderator is DATCP Livestock Specialist Jeff Swenson. Learn about using sexed semen to breed high-producing cows and using beef semen to breed others. The panel includes Judd Hanson, Assistant Vice President of U.S Strategic Marketing, Genex CRI, Shawano; Anthony Ekren, Dairy Beef Sales and Marketing, Wulf Cattle, Morris, Minnesota; Jerry Wulf, president, Wulf Cattle; Mark Opitz, dairy farmer, Belmont.

Another way DATCP is supporting the diversity of Wisconsin's dairy industry is through a $50,000 dairy innovation grant to the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program. This project, supported by the nonprofit organization Grassworks, has been designed to educate and support farmers who want to independently own farms or who want to expand their grazing careers. The program also works to help beginning farmers develop business plans and to help retiring farmers develop farm transition plans.

"Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship is doing its part to strengthen the dairy industry in the state and the region by training the next generation of dairy farmers," said Program Director Joe Tomandl.

The apprenticeship comprises 4,000 hours of training in two years, which is the equivalent of a full-time job. More than 3,700 of those hours are dedicated to on-farm work experience with an approved Master Dairy Grazier. Other programing includes paid instruction, pasture walks, industry conferences and peer-to-peer discussions.

The grant money will be used for recruitment and support of apprentices, support for Master Graziers working with apprentices, professional development of Master Graziers, farm transition and financial planning and program administration.

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