University of Minnesota Extension, in collaboration with the Minnesota Dairy Initiative-Central Region, has announced a lineup of upcoming virtual winter dairy meetings.

The series of informal conversations cover a variety of topics relevant to Minnesota dairy farmers.

Each Zoom discussion will be held from 12:30 to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month through March 24. The discussions are:

Jan. 27. “Creating an Inclusive Culture on the Farm.” Understanding how different cultures and perspectives can impact communication on your farm is important. This may be different ethnicities, religions, gender or age, but being aware of these differences plays a role in overcoming them to be a better communicator. This discussion will go over some of the differences and strategies to overcome these differences. Making sure everyone on your farm is on the same page with tasks and roles is essential to a well-run farm. Understanding their culture and perspective is necessary to do so.

Feb. 10. “Multiple Perspectives to Farm Transition.” Farm transfer and estate planning is a process and can take years to complete. It is never too early to get started. In this webinar, a panel of dairy producers describes the approaches, conversations, resources and experiences that have helped their farms and families prepare for farm transition planning.

Feb. 24. “You Did It!!! Setting and Achieving Farm Goals.” What will your farm look like next month, five years from now, or 20 years down the road? This discussion will cover tips, tools and action planning to help set and achieve SMART goals for your farm. Learn how to use the SWOT and SOCS analysis systems, along with business planning tips, to help take your farm to the next level of success. This discussion will be interactive and fun!

March 10. “Alternative Forages: Do They Fit Your Program.” Alternative forages have a logical fit on many beef and dairy operations, providing opportunities to produce more forage on fewer acres. In this session, Jared Goplen and Nathan Drewitz will discuss key details to consider to maximize forage production and quality in these systems. 

March 24. “Win, Win, Win: Improving Calf Performance and Animal Welfare.” U-MN dairy scientist Marcia Endres will share the latest options in animal group housing and discuss their impact on animal welfare, performance and farm management.

These educational discussions are free to attend. Registration is required by noon on the day before the event at z.umn.edu/CentralWDS. All sessions will be recorded and emailed out to registered participants to watch at their own convenience. The event brochure is available at z.umn.edu/WDSCentral.

For more information, contact Dana Adams at [email protected] or 320-204-2968, or Leah Bischof at [email protected] or 320-429-0611.

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