National Mastitis Council (NMC) invites milk quality enthusiasts to its regional meeting in Guelph, Ont., Canada, June 20-22, on the beautiful University of Guelph campus. The NMC Regional Meeting, hosted jointly with the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners and Dairy Farmers of Ontario, features “Solutions to Emerging Milk Quality Issues.” Presenters will address implementation of selective dry cow therapy programs, bedding options and their impact on udder health, and maintaining the highest milk quality when transitioning to robotic milking systems.
“The program will provide the best current mastitis and milk quality information to leading dairy producers, veterinarians and advisers,” said Dave Kelton, NMC President and University of Guelph professor of epidemiology. These topics will be addressed during Wednesday’s short courses, Thursday’s general sessions and Friday’s farm tours.
The NMC Regional Meeting kicks off with nine short courses on June 20. These short courses provide a small group setting, which allows participants to interact directly with instructors and other short course participants. Two short courses feature 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 Arizona this past winter.
During the evening of June 20, enjoy some camaraderie with milk quality enthusiasts during the evening banquet, which features Andrew Samis who will address “Saturated Fat: A New Perspective.” Samis, a human physician affiliated with Queens University, developed a research interest in diet and cardiovascular disease after completing his doctorate in gastrointestinal physiology. He has published in this area and has served on several national expert panels associated with the development of guidelines related to diet and cardiovascular disease. He will review the history of saturated fat dietary guidelines and debunk the myth that saturated fats, including butter, impair human health.
On June 21, the general session addresses several topics related to emerging milk quality challenges. Key topics include animal welfare, automatic milking systems, bedding management, free fatty acids and product quality, antibiotic use and selective dry cow therapy.
The NMC Regional Meeting concludes with dairy farm tours on June 22. Tour stops include Dual Lane, Kelderview and Larenwood dairies. Owners of these dairies will show visitors how they achieve outstanding quantity and quality milk production, along with sharing insights on providing cow comfort, building collaborative relationships and adhering to standard operating procedures.
The early registration deadline is May 31. 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.
Full details, including short course topics, instructors and fees, general session speakers and presentation titles, and farm tour stop descriptions, can be found at http://oabp.ca/nmc-regional-meeting. To register for the meeting, go to http://oabp.ca/nmc-regional-meeting-registration.
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.
