AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University (ISU) Extension is offering the Dairy Facilities Conference - Guidelines for Planning and Building Successful Dairies program at two locations. The conferences will be held Feb. 28 at Sheldon, and March 1 at Calmar. Dairy producers and dairy industry businesses are invited to attend.

Economic development and rural vitality are creating interest in promoting Iowa’s dairy industry, both to support existing dairies and to encourage the development of new dairies.

“This conference is designed to help bring to the industry the newest research and newest experiences in cow housing, milking centers and manure management,” says Dale Thoreson, ISU Extension dairy and beef specialist in northeast Iowa. “This conference offers information to those in the dairy industry now, and to those just becoming involved.”

Topics include energy efficiency on the dairy, planning a milk center, manure management options and DNR regulations and financing guidelines. The northwest conference will be held at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, and the northeast conference will take place at the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation Center in Calmar.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. The fee of $25 per participant includes lunch and a copy of the conference proceedings. For more information on the Feb. 28 conference contact Chris Mondak in northwest Iowa at (712) 737-4230. For more information on March 1 event, contact, Dale Thoreson in northeast Iowa at (319) 267-2707.

The Dairy Facilities Conference is held at two locations to allow dairy industry personnel the opportunity to attend at a nearby location.

--30--