The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Directions Series Dec. 7 in Sac City and Dec. 8 in Pocahontas.
The series will focus on four topics: cover crops and cocktail mixes as part of your forage system; the difference between cash flow and profitability; stress on the family farm, and a review of the dairy market and federal milk market orders.
“We all have a good sense of how cover crops are a good conservation practice, but we need to understand how they fit into our forage system,” said Fred Hall, Northwest Iowa Dairy Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “This also opens up a variety of ‘cocktail mixes’ that can fit into our forage programs.”
Gentry Sorenson, ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist will cover the cover crop topic.
Dr. Larry Tranel, ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Specialist, will discuss the difference between cash flow and profitability and how that can help producers understand their lender’s point of view. Plus, Tranel will communicate with producers to help manage stress in the farm family.
“While the milk market looks strong now and the margins are looking better, looking at what is being discussed for the Federal Milk Market Order changes has the potential to reorganize the standards for the milk market,” Hall said.
Hall will address the market and what is being discussed concerning the federal orders.
Both days will feature the same program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so dairy producers and agribusiness personnel can select the date and location that works best for them – either the ISU Extension and Outreach Sac County office in Sac City on Dec. 7 or the ISU Extension and Outreach Pocahontas County office in Pocahontas on Dec. 8. Registration will open at 9:30 a.m. each day.
There is no charge to attend either program thanks to sponsorship from the county Extension offices and Dairy Gross Margin, LLC; however, preregistration is requested to plan adequately for meals and materials. To register for the Dec. 7 Sac City session, call 712-662-7131; for the Dec. 8 Pocahontas session, call 712-335-3103. Any other questions can be directed to Dairy Specialist Fred Hall at 712-737-4230.