RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. — Dr. Sidney Bosworth, a forage agronomist with University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, will present the keynote talk at the tenth annual Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference.
Bosworth, who plans to retire this spring, will reflect on his 30-year career at UVM, including his work on forage crops, pasture and grazing management and pest and weed control at the March 11 conference. It will be held at Judd Hall at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration beginning at 9 a.m.
The fee is $25, which covers lunch and conference materials. Registrations can be made online at go.uvm.edu/2020organicdairyconference or by mail. Checks, made payable to University of Vermont, should be mailed to UVM Extension, Attn: Organic Dairy Conference, 278 South Main St., Ste. 2, St. Albans, VT 05478.
To guarantee lunch, please register by March 7. Anyone requiring a disability-related accommodation to participate should contact Susan Brouillette at (802) 524-6501, ext. 432, by Feb. 19.
The agenda includes talks by Patrice Vincent, Belisle Solution Nutrition, Inc., on strategies for maximizing efficiency and profitability starting in the field, and Brad Heins, University of Minnesota, with the latest research on crossbreeding and genetic considerations for organic dairy farms. Heins also will offer tips for successfully raising organic dairy calves in group housing.
Researchers from UVM, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) and the University of New Hampshire will provide updates on research relevant to the organic dairy industry. Roy Desrochers, a sensory practice leader with UVM Extension, will lead an interactive session on sensory analysis of dairy products, designed to help farmers achieve success in the marketplace through a better understanding of which sensory properties are most important to consumers.
In addition, participants will hear from a panel of farmers on creative strategies for surviving low milk prices. Panelists include Cliff and Patti Bruner, Cooperstown, New York, who started a bed and breakfast in conjunction with their dairy operation, and Cameron Clark, a Williston dairy farmer, who transitioned to a grass-fed herd and once-daily milking due to labor constraints.
The fourth panelist is Eric Paris, owner of Tamarlane Farm in Lyndonville, which produces certified organic grass-fed beef and vegetables for his family-owned restaurant. Paris also operates Kingdom View Compost, which turns food scraps and other farm waste into organic compost for his and other farms.
The conference is sponsored by UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Program in collaboration with NOFA-VT’s Organic Dairy and Livestock Technical Assistance Program.
–UVM Extension
For more articles out of New England, click here.