Penn State's Dairy Alliance Goes International

Penn State's Department of Dairy and Animal Science's Dairy Alliance is exporting their dairy advisory team concept to dairy farmers in the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. In June, Lisa Holden, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Dairy and Animal Science, and N. Alan Bair, Director of Dairy Industry Relations, spent four days training dairy farmers and industry leaders on the Islands of Sao Miguel and Terceira in the organization and implementation of dairy advisory teams.

Through a collaborative program established with the Department and the University of the Azores, Holden and Bair facilitated in-depth discussions of the concept and how teams function effectively to increase profitability for dairy producers. Bringing together employees of farmers' associations, advisers, farmers, support people who work for industry, and government representatives, they discussed the goals of advisories teams, and how they might be implemented to help issues specific to the Azores.

The concept of cooperative extension is not a tradition in the Azores, and enhancing the distribution of information from the University to their constituents similar to Cooperative Extension programs is one of the long-range goals of the collaboration. Holden and Bair also promoted the concept of agricultural industry leaders, government, cooperatives and the University being true partners in working to help farmers become more profitable.

Dr. Terry Etherton, Head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science, said, "We look forward to supporting the University of the Azores as they seek to enhance the profitability of their already strong dairy industry. Dairy advisory teams have proven to be very successful in Pennsylvania, and the concept has tremendous potential for those dairy farmers who wish to maximize their profitability."

More than 125 people attended the four sessions on the two Islands, and learned the importance of bringing new ideas to the table, sharing information, developing trust and establishing open communications.

Holden emphasized to attendees that the farmer decides who the team members are and makes all the decisions about the implementation of the ideas brought to the table. She noted that team members are all working toward the goal of helping increase the producers' profitability.

Heading up the effort for the University of the Azores was Paulo Caetano Ferreira and Dr. Alfredo Borba, both of whom have visited Penn State and met Pennsylvania producers.

The Azorean dairy industry is the most important industry of the Azores, employing 30 percent of the active populations. With 100,000 dairy cows, the industry features a year-round grazing system of management.

This training continues a relationship made possible through an endowment established by Don and Sandra McCreight in 2000. McCreight, a native of Indiana County, received his B.S. from Penn State in animal science in 1957, and his Ph.D. in agriculture education and animal industry in 1969. In 2000 he was the DAS Distinguished Alumnus in Animal Science.