Released Jan. 8, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University Extension is aiding farmers in the future of dairy management with a series of workshops this winter.

"Managing the Dairy of Tomorrow" workshops are designed to help build management skills and improve profitability in Ohio's dairy industry. The three-day workshops will focus on the following topics: management styles, mission and goals, developing and using cost of production, budgeting for the dairy business, evaluating business alternatives, controlling feed costs, business planning, and managing people.

Registration is $100 per person and $75 for each additional participant from the same farm. Registration is due 10 days prior to the start of the program.

The workshops, running from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day, will be held at the following locations:

• Feb. 13, 20, 27: Mercer County, OSU Extension Central Services Building, 220 West Livingston Street, Celina. Contact Todd Mangen, (419) 586-2179.
• Feb. 19, 26, March 4: Paulding County, Youth Leadership Building, 503 Fairgrounds Drive, Paulding. Contact Jim Lopshire, (419) 399-8225.
• Feb. 25, March 3, March 10: Ashtabula County, OSU Extension, 39 Wall Street, Jefferson. Contact David Marrison, (440) 576-9008.
• March 12, 19, 26: Mahoning County, Dutch Village Inn, 150 East SR 14, Columbiana. Contact Dave Goerig, (330) 533-5538.
• March 13, 20, 27: Wayne County, Shisler Conference Center, 1625 Wilson Road, Wooster. Contact Terry Kline, (330) 264-8722.

Specialists teaching the workshop sessions include: Julia Woodruff, OSU Extension educator, Ashland County; Duane Rader, OSU Extension program assistant, Richland County; Chris Zoller, OSU Extension educator, Tuscarawas and Holmes counties; David Marrison, OSU Extension educator, Ashtabula County; Dianne Shoemaker, OSU Extension dairy specialist; Francisco Espinoza, OSU Extension program assistant, ABE Center; Don Breece, OSU Extension farm management specialist; and Maurice Eastridge, OSU Extension dairy specialist.

Following the workshop, an on-farm consultation will be scheduled with each interested farm business. The on-farm consultations will focus on one-on-one discussions of applying principles taught in the workshops; assessing the need for a financial analysis of each business; assisting with the development of a business plan; and facilitating dairy discussion groups. Along with grant funding received from the North Central Risk Management Education Center, the following sponsors are supporting the workshops: Farm Credit Services, Ohio Dairy Producers, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O'Lakes Purina Feed and Affiliated Dealers and Co-ops, and the Ohio Dairy Veterinarians Association.

For more information or the register, contact Chris Zoller at (330) 339-2337, or zoller.1@osu.edu, or Dianne Shoemaker at (330) 263-3799, or shoemaker.3@osu.edu, or log on to http://dairy.osu.edu.

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http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=4433

Contacts: Candace Pollock, (614) 292-3799, pollock.58@cfaes.osu.edu

Diane Shoemaker, (330) 263-3799, shoemaker.3@osu.edu