Learn dairy from the leaders

In a few weeks, some will be making New Year’s resolutions or better yet, setting goals for their dairy farm business. What are the areas of goals you should be thinking about, and what is in the realm of possibility? Sometimes it is most helpful to get out of your familiar environment and visit with some who are doing things differently in order to open your eyes to greater possibilities. Therefore, we invite you to consider and register for the Israeli Dairy School, January 5-11, 2020.

Israel is a world leader for milk per cow and in applying technology to achieve greater management precision. The Israel Dairy School will be your entrance to learn more about how they achieve great results by hearing from dairy specialists and farmers and seeing management in action on farms. In addition, Michigan State University Extension educators, working in collaboration with the Israel Dairy School, will help you apply what you learn to your business.

Israeli Dairy School is a unique opportunity to learn more about dairy from a different perspective, all the while visiting and experiencing some of the most important historical and religious sites in the country. Farms and agri-business visits are interspersed with visits to places such as the city of Nazareth, the baptismal site on the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. Tours of the old city of Jerusalem, Mount of Olives and the Western Wall are included in the Dairy School itinerary.

The Israeli Dairy School will move around the country during the week of January 5-11, 2020. The combination of tours and presentations and discussions also include those on characteristics of the successful dairy farm of tomorrow, LEAN management concepts applied to feed management and employee management - the last frontier for dairy success.

The School is for both dairy farmers and dairy business professionals who want to experience this unique learning environment. For more information and to register, go to: https://www.dairyschool.co.il/product/eegistration-for-us-dairy-farmers-seminar-2020/. For more  information and the itinerary, contact Phil Durst, MSU Extension at durstp@msu.edu or 989-387-5346.

Come, be a part of history – history past as well as history present and future as you learn skills, perspectives and techniques to apply in your work. You will have a unique experience that will help guide your business forward.

Seminar program

Day One (Sunday, January 5, 2020) Introduction to the dairy industry and Kibbutz farming in

Israel

• Morning Arrive to Tel-Aviv
• Meet the driver; look for "Israeli Dairy School" sign.
• Transfer to the hotel in Kibbutz Degania B, near the Sea of Galilee
• Check- in to the hotel
• 12:30 Lunch in Degania
• 14:00 Agricultural tour- introducing the various types of farming in the kibbutz
• 15:30 Short presentation given by each participant about his activity
• 17:30 Opening lecture: Agriculture and dairy farming in Israel. An overview of dairy history and
• recent developments in the Israeli dairy industry
• 19:30 Welcome Dinner

Day Two (Monday, January 6, 2020) Dairy feeding and nutrition+ famous churches around the Lake of Galilee

• 7:00-8:00 Breakfast
• 8:00-11:00 Sightseeing tour to the Lake of Galilee and the very famous churches around the lake
• (Capernaum National Park)
• 11:30-13:00 Visit regional feed center, serving about 50 dairy farms )about 5000 cows /day(
• 13:30-14:30 Lunch
• 14:30-15:30 Lecture: Dairy feeding management in Israel
• 15:30-15:45 Coffee break
• 15:45-17:00 Forage Management: Maximizing forage quality, Excellence in preservation Kaatz
• 17:00-18:00 Feed Management: LEAN Management Concepts, Forage Shrink. Kaatz & Moore
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:00-21:00 Facilitated discussion – Optional: Employee management – the next frontier for dairy
• success – Moore & Durst

Day Three (Tuesday, January 7, 2020) Visit family robotic dairy farm and kibbutz organic farm

• 7:30-8:00 Breakfast
• 8:00-9:30 Visit Yardenit (the Baptismal Site on the Jordan River)
• 9:45-11:30 Visit a robotic dairy farm using milking robot and traditional milking
• 11:30-13:00 Visit the famous city of Nazareth, the Annunciation Church and market
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch in Nazareth
• 14:30-17:00 Visit the first organic dairy farm in Israel (kibbutz 300 cows), meeting with the farm
• manager
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:00-21:00 US dairy industry – What will it take for producers to survive? Durst & Moore

Day Four (Wednesday, January 8, 2020) Veterinary and Veterinary services at farm in Israel

• 7:00-8:00 Breakfast
• 8:00-9:30 Veterinary services in Israel
• 9:30-11:00 Reproduction and groups management
• 11:30-13:00 Heat stress Management- the Israeli way
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch
• 14:30-16:00 Health management of Dairy cows - Durst
• 16:00-16:15 Coffee break
• 16:15-17:45 Calf Management - Moore
• 18:00 Dinner
• 18:45-21:00 Bathing in Hamat-Gader hot springs

Day Five (Thursday, January 9, 2020) Dairy herd management on farm and visit to the Dead Sea

• 7:00-8:00 Breakfast
• 8:00-9:30 Visit dairy herd management company
• 10:00-11:30 Dairy herd management on farm – Kibbutz with the dairy farm manager
• 11:30-13:00 Drive to the Dead Sea
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch
• 11:15-13:00 Visit the lowest dairy in the world near the Dead Sea
• 14:00-16:00 Swimming in the Dead Sea
• 16:00 Driving to Jerusalem
• Evening Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem

Day Six (Friday, January 10, 2020) Sightseeing tour in Jerusalem

• 7:00-8:00 Breakfast
• 9:00 Full day tour in the old city of Jerusalem: markets, Mount of Olives, Churches, the
• Western Wall
• Evening Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv
• Day Seven (Saturday, January 11, 2020) Tel Aviv and the old city of Jaffa
• 7:00-8:00 Breakfast
• morning Tour Tel-Aviv and old city of Jaffa
• Afternoon Transfer to Ben-Gurion airport for departure