High school students encouraged to participate in April event
High school aged students with an interest in dairy can register now to participate in a day-long tour of two central Pennsylvania dairy farm operations on Friday, April 10. The tour is being coordinated by the Center for Dairy Excellence and supported by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania as part of its Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow program. Students must register by April 1, 2015.
"We are excited to showcase two unique, innovative, profitable and multi-generational dairies in central Pennsylvania," said Emily Yeiser, dairy initiatives manager with the center, "This tour will show students the tremendous opportunities available to them in the future within our dairy industry."
Reinford Farms Inc. is a very progressive, environmentally-minded, 610-cow dairy farm nestled on 1,150 acres in the small town of Mifflintown, Pa. The farm was started in 1991 by owner Steve Reinford. They have a 28-cow rotary parlor, with a 300-cow four row, a new 300 cow six row, and two other free stall barns. In 1993, they built a methane digester, which supplies all the farm's hot water, heats the shop and house, dries corn, and pasteurizes the calf milk. Reinfords also own a tractor and tanker trailer to haul their milk to various processors.
Murmac Farms, LLC, is a partnership between Sherry Craig, Brian Craig and Pamela Whitehill. The farm includes 1,300 milking cows with 1,190 calves and heifers. The farm has a Boumatic Double-20 Parallel Parlor with two, six row freestall barns. They bed with sand and use a flush system to keep alleyways clean. They also have about 1,100 tillable acres.
Tentatively, bus pick-up locations will be in Lancaster, Harrisburg and Mifflintown with exact locations to be determined after the registration period is closed. The Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm tour is funded by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania, with lunch for participants generously sponsored by Phibro Animal Health Corporation, formerly known as Prince Agri Products, Inc.
The Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania was established in 2010 as a charitable 501(c)(3) organization enabling individuals and corporations to make a lasting impact on the future of Pennsylvania's dairy industry and its individual dairy farm families. Priorities for the center foundation include youth development, continuing education, consumer outreach and market development.
More details and information can be found by visiting www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/, under the Upcoming Events tab. To register, contact Emily Yeiser at the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-346-0849 or eyeiser@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the Center's mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources. Learn more about the Center at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org. 3.10.2015