Join milk quality enthusiasts in Boise, Idaho, for the 2017 National Mastitis Council (NMC) Regional Meeting, July 19-20, at The Grove Hotel. “The 2017 regional meeting is designed for dairy producers and their employees, veterinarians, mastitis/milk quality specialists, researchers, extension specialists and students who have an interest in high quality milk production,” says Allan Britten, the 2017 regional meeting program chair and laboratory director and president of Udder Health Systems, Meridian, Idaho.
Prior to the conference, Udder Health Systems is hosting the President’s Reception the evening of July 18. The event features a full BBQ dinner, tours, educational exhibits and Mariachi music.
The NMC Regional Meeting kicks off with an early-morning tour to C.S. Beef Packers LLC, Kuna, Idaho. This state-of-the-art meat packing plant is a joint project between Idaho-based J.R. Simplot Company and Texas-based Caviness Beef Packers. This new facility spans more than 400,000 square feet and will serve as an outlet for beef ranchers’ and local dairy producers’ cattle.
In the afternoon, NMC will offer a dairy farm tour to Beranna Dairy in Caldwell, and Liberty Ranch in Kuna. Beranna Dairy includes 3,900 cows that are milked in a 75-stall rotary milking parlor. Liberty Ranch milks 2,600 cows in a double-herringbone milking parlor.
Also on July 19, six short courses provide a small group setting, which allows participants to interact directly with instructors and other short course participants. One short course features the “teaching parlor,” a one-of-a-kind portable training device designed to simulate a real milking parlor. The teaching parlor was among the most popular teaching tools used at NMC’s annual meeting held in Florida this past January. Also, one short course will be taught in Spanish Short course topics, descriptions, fees, instructors and schedule are listed on the NMC website (www.nmconline.org).
During the evening of July 19, enjoy some camaraderie with milk quality enthusiasts at Jack's Urban Meeting Place (JUMP), located a couple blocks from The Grove Hotel. JUMP is a tribute to J.R. (Jack) Simplot who passed away in 2008. His legacy embodies a pioneering spirit, taking risks and thinking outside the box. The lively community space houses vintage tractors and steam engines, and inspires visitors to grow and innovate.
On July 20, the general session features a variety of topics related to Idaho and Washington lowering their maximum somatic cell count (SCC) limit to 400,000 cells/ml for farm milk shipments. Speakers will address milking parlor throughput, robotic milking, milk bacterial diagnostic results, contagious mastitis, beef carcass quality, animal health and producing low SCC milk.
The early registration deadline is July 10. However, short courses have limited enrollment and are filled on a first-come-first-served basis. Courses may reach their capacity before the deadline, so register early. Registrations will be taken on-site, if space is available.
NMC is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has close to 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.
