Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife) and the Gingg family will host the annual Southwest Dairy Day on Oct. 8 at Del Rio Dairy near Friona.
A look at a modern dairy that has adopted new technologies to meet the needs of the industry will be featured on the tour, along with exhibitor booths and product testing. Other topics include irrigation, composting manure and an application demonstration. Dr. Jackie Smith, AgriLife extension economist, will discuss dairy provisions under the 2014 Farm Bill, according to AgriLife Today.
Del Rio Dairy consists of 3,800 milking cows and 2,850 heifers. A tour will include a Saudi-style cow barn, which is a covered open corral; a double-45 parallel milking parlor; a double-8 parallel parlor in the special needs facilities; the latest in cow comfort and cooling; and the dairy’s composting operation.
Attendees can earn two Dairy Outreach Program Area continuing education units. Producers in eight Texas counties are required to receive eight hours of continuing education every two years as part of their Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit.
The program is free and includes lunch. Contact Sharon Harris at 972-952-9201 or srharris@ag.tamu.edu, or visit http://texasdairymatters.org.