Milker skills workshop set at Arlington Ag Research Station

A Milker Skills Workshop for dairy producers and dairy employees will be held Nov. 17-18, at the Arlington Agriculture Research Station.

The workshop is an interactive, hands-on session designed to help dairy producers and employees achieve a better understanding of harvesting milk and the factors impacting milk quality. The two-day workshop will cover raw milk quality, udder health, prevention and control of mastitis, milking machine function and milk room management.

The Milker Skills Workshop will be conducted by UW-Extension specialists Pam Ruegg and Larry Baumann. The workshop is being sponsored by the UW–Madison Department of Dairy Science, UW-Extension, UW-River Falls Dairy Outreach Program and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

The cost of the workshop is $200 per person, which includes the two-day workshop, two lunches and a take-home manual that will help dairy producers and their employees evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their dairy operation, and find ways to improve their dairy’s milk quality.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board will provide a one-time stipend of $75 per farm to help underwrite one participant from a farm that attends the workshop.

The workshop will be limited to 25 people and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications for the workshop can be obtained by contacting Bob Kaiser, (608) 846-3761, or Michelle Wieghart, (715) 425-0641; or by writing to: Dairy Outreach Program Coordinator, Michelle Wieghart, Agricultural Resource Center, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 410 S. 3rd St., River Falls, WI 54022.