The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

The New Hampshire Dairy Conferences are scheduled at two locations in March 2017. The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and the NH Dairy Practices Committee are working jointly to organize these conferences.

This year’s morning speaker will be Justin Bergeron, DVM, Assistant State Veterinarian, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Justin spent the first several years of his career practicing mixed animal medicine in northern Minnesota before attending the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency. His current responsibilities are to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious, infectious, and parasitic disease among the domestic animals and poultry of Maine. He is currently the head of the State’s poultry, farmed cervid, and veterinary public health programs. His other areas of interest include antibiotic stewardship and policy analysis. His published works include papers on food safety and food chain risk assessments.

Through his presentation, Justin will focus on antibiotics and regulations, why we have regulations (human versus animal health), who regulates what, the reality of the current situation versus the idealist interpretation of reality, as well as discussing antimicrobial resistance. Producers will also learn characteristics of good antibiotic stewardship and how it can increase farm margins.

The afternoon session will center around manure management on dairy farms. John Tyson, an Agricultural Engineer with Penn State Cooperative Extension, will discuss critical components of manure handling systems, types of housing and bedding and their effect on design criteria, and what it takes to add a manure storage and handling system to an existing dairy operation.

The dates and locations for the two conferences are:

  • Wednesday, March 15: Whitefield, New Hampshire – The Inn at Whitefield
  • Thursday, March 16: West Lebanon, New Hampshire – Fireside Inn & Suites

For more information, contact UNH Cooperative Extension Dairy Specialist, Michal Lunak at (603)787-6944.