The Workshops Will Be Held on PA Farms for Hands-On Training in National FARM Areas
To help dairy producers and their employees boost their skills in key animal welfare areas, the Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Beef Council, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and Penn State Extension are hosting a free Animal Care Workshop series this spring. The on-farm workshops will focus on animal care skill-building to help dairy producers fulfill training requirements in four areas of the National FARM program. The free events will be held directly on five Pennsylvania dairy farms for hands-on training. English and Spanish speakers are both encouraged to attend, and lunch is included.
“We’re looking forward to being back on the farm for these workshops and having dairy teams join us this spring for these free National FARM training opportunities,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “After rotating through the four on-farm training areas during the workshops, which include hands-on skill-building, your team will 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:
- Cull Cow Decisions, Down Cows and Transition Cows
- Animal Handling, Stewardship and Meat Quality Issues – After a physical demonstration, participants can get in the pen and practice animal handling skills.
- Dystocia – Attendees will practice hands-on skills related to dystocia with a calving model from Penn State.
- Farm Safety -Not just another farm safety talk, but a walk-through of the farm and a conversation about safety do’s and dont’s.
The workshops 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
1895 Prospect Road
Washington Boro, PA 17582
Thursday, April 2, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Berks County)
Tulpa Canal Farm
455 Canal Road
Womelsdorf, PA 19567
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, on-farm 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.
In addition to workshop partners and speakers, these events are made possible through support from dairy industry sponsors. Thank you to the following businesses for sponsoring the workshops: Pennsylvania Beef Council, Mid Penn Bank, Premier Select Sires, 4WardAg, North Group Consultants, Clover Farms, White Horse Construction, Bank of Bird-in-Hand, Agricultural Veterinary Associates, DairyOne, Kish Bank, ESB Dairy Supplies LLC & IBA Dairy Supplies, East Gate Feed and Grain, and Allegheny Ag.
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.