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About the MAC

The Mid-Atlantic Consortium (MAC) Dairy Extension In-service Training Program has become the premier educational event for dairy Extension agents and campus dairy Extension specialists in states from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. This two-day training program is specifically designed for dairy Extension field agents and includes cutting edge technical knowledge, case studies, and innovative Extension programs. Participants of this program receive a notebook, power point presentations, and the opportunity to network with peers and national experts.

BACKGROUND

Who Should Attend

The audience for this program is dairy Extension professionals, veterinarians, and consultants in states from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The program is designed to allow for ample time for questions for speakers and interaction with Extension colleagues. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn from successful programs developed by Extension practitioners and to participate in case studies.

What to Expect

A notebook is provided with the power point presentations so participants may take notes specific to ideas presented by speakers. In addition, participants will receive a CD-ROM with speaker PowerPoint presentations and other resources such as articles, worksheets, and publications related to the topics on the program.

Meeting History

The W. K. Kellogg Foundation from 1998-2002 funded the start-up of the Mid-Atlantic Consortium (MAC). The Kellogg funding for this project ended in 2002. Now the funding source is primarily through registration fees of participants and sponsorships from industry and government. The program is developed by a steering committee from 7 land-grant universities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, plus The Ohio State University from the Midwest region.

Special Thanks goes to theConference Steering Committee

Bob PetersUniversity of Maryland,Chair

Gary AndersonUniversity of Maine

Sheila AndrewUniversity of Connecticut

Larry ChaseCornell University

Dave MarcinkowskiUniversity of Maine

Jud HeinrichsPenn State University

Bill ShockeyWest Virginia University

Dianne ShoemakerOhio State University

Robert Van SaunPenn State University

Jackson WrightCornell University

Mike WestendorfRutgers University

Registration

·  Submit your form by May 2nd!

Sponsors

·  Show your support of the MAC

Past Programs

·  Download past program information

Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contactKiera Finucane

HOTEL

Hotel Information

1073 Highway 315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
Tel: (800) 762-2222 / Web site:The Woodlands Resort
Check-In Time: 3:00 PM
Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM

Rooms must be reserved by April 20, 2014

All rooms reserved under the MAC reservation are
$112.00/night for a single room and $122.00/night for a double room (plus tax)

Need Directions?

·  Map and Directions,click here

Hotel Amenities

·  Free wi-fi in rooms

·  Free breakfast with overnight stay

·  Workout facility and pools

·  Walking trails

·  Free parking

Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contactKiera Finucane

Wednesday May 21, 2014

PROGRAM
11:00am - 12:30pm / Registration
Session 1:
Robert Van Saun, Pennsylvania State University, Session Chair
1:00pm / Welcome - Bob Peters, University of Maryland
1:10pm / Cow of the Future
- Juan Tricarico, Innovation Center for Dairy
2:10pm / Options to Mitigate Green House Gases
- Alexander Hristov, Pennsylvania State University
2:55pm / Question and Answer
3:15pm / Break
3:35pm / Water Quality Standards and Management Considerations for Dairy Herds
- Tanya Gressley, University of Delaware
4:20pm / A Survey of Water Sources Used for Dairy Herds in Pennsylvania
- Bryan Swistock, Pennsylvania State University
5:00pm / Adjourn
5:20pm / Cash Bar
6:00pm / Dinner
Session 2: Research Updates
Larry Chase, Cornell University, Session Chair
7:15pm / Best Practices for Silage Making
- Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University
8:00 pm / Question and Answer
8:15 pm / Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate: Northeast Impacts and Adaptations
- Jennifer Pronto, Cornell University
8:40 pm / Adjourn

Thursday May 22, 2014

6:30am - 8:00am / Complimentary Breakfast - Main Dining Room
Session 3: Anatomy of a Successful Farm Visit: What Works?
Dianne Shoemaker, The Ohio State University Extension, Session Chair
8:00am / Successful strategies for solving management problems
- Stan Fultz, University of Maryland Extension
8:45am / Making the Most of Your Professional Toolbox
- Jerry Bertoldo, Cornell Coop. Extension
9:25am / Do’s and Don’ts of Successful Farm Visits
- Larry Chase, Cornell University
9:45am / Break
Session 4: Group Feeding of Calves
Sheila Andrew, University of Connecticut, Session Chair
10:00am / Group Calf Rearing
- Jud Heinrichs, Pennsylvania State University
10:45am / Spatial and Environmental Considerations for Group Calf Housing
- Dan McFarland, Penn State Extension
11:30am / Producer speaker
12:15pm / Lunch
Session 5: Technical Updates
Bill Shockey, West Virginia University Extension, Session Chair
1:15pm / Milk Check Analysis
- Jason Karszes, Cornell University
2:00pm / eXtension and Other Internet Dairy Resources
- Kiera Finucane, University of Maryland
2:45pm / Adjourn

Registration

·  Submit your form by May 3rd!

Sponsors

·  Show your support of the MAC

Past Programs

·  Download past program information

Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contactKiera Finucane

REGISTRATION

Registration


NEW for 2014! Online registration and credit card payment:http://macdairy.eventbrite.com

Download the Registration Form:Word Doc|Fillable PDF

Please send the regsitration form along with a check payable to the University of Maryland to:
Kiera Finucane
University of Maryland
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
College Park, MD 20742-2311

Registration

·  Submit your form by May 2nd!

Sponsors

·  Show your support of the MAC

Past Programs

·  Download past program information

Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contactKiera Finucane

SPONSORS

Sponsors of the 2014 Program

Please join us in supporting the companies that have helped make this year's event possible.

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

The Mid-Atlantic Consortium is recognized as a premier educational event for dairy extension agents in the Northeast. This event is designed to provide innovative program ideas to the agents that support dairy farmers. Please join us in supporting the farmers that keep our industry going.

For more information about supporting the 2014 Conference, please contact:

Dr. Bob Peters
University of Maryland
3149 Animal Sciences Bldg
College Park, MD 20742
email:
office: 301-405-1374

PAST PROGRAMS

Past MAC In-service Programs

Previous MAC Regional Dairy Extension In-Service Training Programs are available on CD for $20. For more information on an individual program please follow the link to view the meeting agenda.

Meeting agendas are available in .pdf format.

2013 MAC Program / Session Summary: Dairy Genomics, Opportunities for Collaboration on Extension and Applied Research Grants, Challenges and Opportunities of Using Robotic Milkers, Cropping and Management Strategies to Meet Forage Needs, and Technical and Farm Service Updates
2012 MAC Program / Feed Management; Farm Family Communication; Cows, Crops, and Manure; Calf Housing Management; and Working Effectively with Dairy Veterinarians
2011 MAC Program / From Visions of New Business Models to Profit, Managing Price Risk and Cost of Production, and Updates on European Somatic Cell Count Standards and FDA Antibiotic Residue Testing Initiative
2010 MAC Program / Managing for Sustainability and Agility in Lean Economic Times
2009 MAC Program / Information on practical, on-farm aspects of udder health, mastitis control, milking management and milk quality
2008 MAC Program / The New Realities of Dairying in the 2000's: Risk Management, Herd Health Public Image, Silage Production, Communications Technology, Breeding Programs and Reproductive Management
2007 MAC Program / Securing Dairy Farm Viability, Health, and Welfare in a Global Economy
2006 MAC Program / Putting Knowledge to Work for More Profit in Critical Areas
2005 MAC Program / Clearing the Air on Dairy Issues: Animal and Public Health; Air, Feed, and Water Quality; Feeding Fats; and Grass-based Dairying, Organic Dairying, and Agritourism
2004 MAC Program / Staying on the Cutting Edge: Cow and Calf Health, Nutrient and Manure Management, Biotechnology, and Herd Replacement and Market Cow Strategies
2003 MAC Program / New Dairy Technologies: Focusing on the Milking Center and Reproduction
2002 MAC Program / Clearing the Way to Profitability: Nutrition and Herd Health, Labor Management, and Profitability
2001 MAC Program / Tools for Dairy Production and Finance
2000 MAC Program / Environmental Management of Dairy Farms: A Training for Extension Educators in the Northeast
1999 MAC Program / Dairy Cattle Health Assurance: Mastitis, Residue Avoidance, BVD, Salmonellosis, and Johne's Disease

To order a CD containing meeting presentations and handouts from one of the above programs, please send a request detailing the year of the program and the number of CDs requested along with a check payable to the University of Maryland to:
Kiera Finucane
University of Maryland
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
College Park, MD 20742-2311

Registration

·  Submit your form by May 2nd!

Sponsors

·  Show your support of the MAC

Current Program

·  See what topics are avaliable this year

Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contactKiera Finucane