The Dairy Directions Seminars are scheduled for Dec. 11 in Sac County and Dec. 12 in Pocahontas County. Both programs will be held at the local county Extension office.
“Dairymen in these areas will have the opportunity to have the most current researched-based dairy information presented at their local Extension office,” says Northwest Iowa Extension Dairy Field Specialist Fred M. Hall. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the program begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. A free lunch is included and the program will adjourn at 1:45 p.m.
Topics will include a discussion of the Dairy Revenue Protection program and other risk management tools by Robert Tigner, agricultural economist from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Homeland Security Special Investigator Brett Stanley will share information on legal requirements when dealing with immigrant labor. Mark Olsen with Iowa State University Extension will review of the benefits of using accrual accounting records to manage the dairy enterprise and Hall will give his dairy market outlook.
While dairymen in these areas often have to travel a long way for dairy programs, this program has been tailored to issues for these areas. “Using risk management tools like the new DRP is one way that producers can protect margins, but few have time to learn all the details of the program, I’ll will cover DRP plus LGM and other risk management tools,” says Robert Tigner.
With the current climate around labor and immigration, there is no hotter topic in the dairy industry. Brett Stanley will share his insights as a Department of Homeland Security investigator and walk producers through what they need to do to protect their business in case of an audit.
The old saying that “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” has never been more true in the current era of low milk prices and tight cash flows. ISU Extension Farm Financial Associate Mark Olsen will help producers understand how accrual accounting differs from the cash system and how it will help manage the enterprise more effectively.
While there is no registration fee, a call to the local County Extension office will reserve your seat and guarantee your free lunch. In Sac and surrounding counties the number is 712-662-7131; in Pocahontas and surrounding counties the number is 712-335-3103. The local county Extension offices will host the program and provide the noon lunch and Alltech has provided additional sponsorship.
Dairymen can contact Hall at 712-737-4230 for more information or with any dairy question.
