The Penn State Extension dairy team will host a free dairy twilight tour Aug. 4 for dairy producers.

The event will be hosted by the Hartzell family on its farm at 111 Hartzell Lane, Slippery Rock. Attendees can enjoy some ice cream from the Berkey Creamery at Penn State University, visit with other dairy producers, and take a structured tour of the host farm.

According to Extension Dairy Educator Ginger Fenton, the tour will feature hands-on educational stations staffed by members of the extension dairy team from across the state.

As the Hartzell family has expanded its dairy operation, it has focused on keeping its cows comfortable to maximize production.

An agricultural engineer will discuss the specific aspects of cow comfort in the automated, recently expanded barn along with the gravity flow manure system featured on the farm. An extension veterinarian will discuss hoof health and locomotion scoring of cattle.

Additional stations will highlight:

n RFID tags and a system for sorting cows

n Farm safety featuring a demonstration on prevention of power takeoff (PTO) entanglements

n Financial management, the dairy margin protection program, and record-keeping.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude by 9 p.m.

The event is free, but registration is requested.

To register or for more information, visit extension.psu.edu/dairy-twilight, call the Mercer Extension office at 724-662-3141, or send an e-mail to DairyTeam@psu.edu.

Support for the event is being provided by Penn State Extension in Butler County, the Butler County Holstein Association and the Butler County Dairy Promotion Committee.

This material is submitted by Donna Zang, extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center complex.