The Free Workshops Will Be Held on Five Dairy Farms and Qualify as National FARM Training
The first Animal Care Workshop, hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Beef Council, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and Penn State Extension, will be held on March 31 at Rohrer Dairy Farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Dairy producers and their employees are invited to four other identical workshops that are being held on dairy farms across Pennsylvania throughout March and April. The events will be held directly on PA dairy farms for hands-on training, focusing on animal care skill-building to help dairy producers fulfill training requirements in four areas of the National FARM program. A Spanish interpreter will be present at each event.
“As you and your dairy team work to enhance efficiency and cow comfort, we hope you’ll join us at one of these animal care workshops this spring. We’re excited to host the workshops back on the farm for hands-on training,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “The workshops are offered at no cost, and they also qualify as National FARM training. After rotating through the four training areas during the workshops, you’ll get a physical certificate that you can save in your files to show your commitment to FARM standards.”
The training areas for the workshops include: 1. Cull Cow Decisions, Down Cows and Transition Cows 2. Animal Handling, Stewardship and Meat Quality Issues 3. Dystocia 4. Farm Safety
Lunch will be provided at each event, and biosecurity protocols will be closely followed. The events will be held on the following dates and locations:
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Lancaster County)
Rohrer Dairy
126 Charlestown Road
Washington Boro, PA 17582
Thursday, April 2, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Lebanon County)
Farm to be determined
Thursday, April 9, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Centre County)
Breezy Farms
3760 W. Whitehall Road
Pennsylvania Furnace, PA 16865
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Franklin County)
Mercer-Vu Farms
12275 Mount Pleasant Road
Mercersburg, PA 17236
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Somerset County)
Pennwood Farms
262 Sugar Grove Road
Berlin, PA 15530
To register for one of the free animal care workshops, call 717-346-0849 or visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/animal-care. Please include the names of employees who will be attending from your operation.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information about the events, contact Valerie Mason-Faith at vmason@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849.
The National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management works to set the highest standards when it comes to animal care, workplace settings, and environmental and antibiotic stewardship. These workshops qualify as National FARM training for dairy producers and employees.