Dec. 17 2018 08:32 AM

Promotion is good for first-time veterinarians and dairy producers

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.

National Mastitis Council (NMC) is offering ten, $200 travel stipends to dairy producers and practicing bovine veterinarians to attend the NMC 58th Annual Meeting, scheduled for Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2019, at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, Ga. The travel stipends are available to first-time attendees (producers and veterinarians) on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply for a travel stipend, contact JoDee Sattler at: jdsattler@nmconline.org. This is the second year NMC is offering these types of travel stipends.

Those awarded the stipends will register for the meeting as usual. When they check-in for the meeting, NMC staff will provide a $200 check to the attendee.

The American Association of Veterinary State Boards approved up to 56 Registry of Approved Continuing Education- (RACE) approved continuing education units (CEU) for the NMC Annual Meeting. AAVSB CEUs may be earned by attending short courses, general sessions and/or the featured symposium. Veterinarians may earn a maximum of 19 CEUs for this meeting.

The 2019 NMC Annual Meeting also provides American Registry for Professional Animal Scientists and Dairy AdvanCE CEUs. Administered by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, DairyAdvanCE helps dairy producers find, track and manage high-quality trainings and continuing education relevant to dairy producers’ needs.

“Dairy producers and veterinarians are key stakeholders in NMC and the dairy industry’s efforts to enhance milk quality and reduce mastitis,” says NMC President David Kelton. “The NMC board of directors would like to see more people at the grassroots level – dairy producers and veterinarians – attend and participate in NMC programs. We hope this initiative will help grow NMC membership and outreach efforts in udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety.”

This year’s NMC Annual Meeting kicks off with an optional dairy farm tour on Tuesday, Jan. 29, with stops at Hart Agriculture, Green Meadows and Harmony Grove. Also, the meeting includes 15 short courses, which provide hands-on training and one-on-one interaction with instructors.

For its 58th Annual Meeting, NMC is featuring four themes: Hot Topics, Udder Health in Heifers: A Fresh New Look, Milk Quality Matters and Consumers and Communication. NMC Annual Meeting details may be found at: http://meeting.nmconline.org.

To register for the NMC Annual Meeting, go to: http://meeting.nmconline.org/index.php/registration-information. Due to limited enrollment, the short courses typically fill up before the pre-registration deadline. Thus, those interested in short courses are encouraged to register early. The early registration deadline is Jan. 6, 2019. Registration fees increase $35 per attendee starting Jan. 7, 2019. Pre-registrations are accepted through Jan. 20, 2019. After that date, individuals must register at the meeting.

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 about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.