By Jenn Bentley, Denise Schwab
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will offer a new program for female beef and dairy producers held in northeast Iowa starting in January. "Boots in the Barn" is a three-part series for women involved in cattle production. Three workshops will be offered on Jan. 4, 11 and 18. Dairy topics will be discussed from 1-3 p.m. and beef topics from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
“We’ve had great success with programs designed specifically for women,” said Denise Schwab, beef specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Women often prefer to learn in small groups and with hands-on opportunities. They like to ask lots of questions of presenters without feeling intimidated, so programs designed specifically for women are very effective.”
Three counties in Iowa -- Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque -- are home to 25 percent of Iowa’s dairy herds and 5 percent of Iowa’s beef cow herds. Dairy and beef production have a lot in common, such as reproduction and basic ruminant nutrition. However, they have slightly different perspectives, such as nutritional requirements for maximum milk production, feed quality requirements, and grazing options.
“We know dairy producers prefer to meet during the day and beef women prefer evenings,” said Jenn Bentley, dairy specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, “so we are offering two different programs to best meet each of their needs.”
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