Over half of Israel’s soil is arid or semi-arid; only 20 percent is farmable. Even so, since becoming a modern nation in 1948, the land for agriculture has almost tripled and production has increased 16-fold, as it has become “a land flowing with milk and honey”. Israeli dairy farms, for example, produce high volumes of milk from cows, leading the world for national milk per cow.
US farmers and dairy professionals are invited to join the Israel Dairy School for a special week, January 5-11, 2020. You can go to Israel to learn more about how they achieve great production and how it can apply to your farm or farms with which you work. Enjoy the culture of this country and see the ancient holy sites around the country that have a special meaning for many.
Technology and research have led the way for Israel’s agricultural success as it continues to develop the technology to save, reuse and reclaim water. At the same time, because of the small land area for agriculture, it has strived to increase productivity of all enterprises.
The Israeli Dairy School Dairy Seminar is an interactive training program designed to educate participants on recent developments in dairy farming and management. The dairy farm seminar covers cutting-edge technological innovations and their practical applications in high-producing dairy herds, as well as techniques and outlines for production initiatives, processing, and marketing of dairy products. In 2020, the seminar is being held in cooperation with Michigan State University Extension.
Registration information is available at: https://www.dairyschool.co.il/dairy-herd-management-seminar-in-israel-5th-11th-january-2020-2/. The dairy agenda includes visits to various kibbutz to understand agricultural production and dairy farming in a community, visits to a regional feed center serving 50 farms and a dairy herd management company. There will also be visits to the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea and Jerusalem’s Western Wall and more. Classroom sessions will focus on dairy reproduction, calf and cow health, feed management and heat stress management – the Israeli way. Discussion times will examine the future of US dairy and employment on farms.
This Dairy School promises to be a uniquely profitable opportunity for you. Join with other US farmers and agricultural professionals, including Michigan State University Extension personnel, and go to Israel to understand dairy. In addition, you will be able to see the places that we have read about in Israel.
In Israel and around the world, Jews will celebrate Sukkot for a week, beginning at sundown on October 13 this year. This feast is an agricultural festival originally considered a thanksgiving celebration for the harvest. Harvest is something to truly be grateful about in what was a barren land.
- All in all, for those who invest in a week at the Israel Dairy School, it will be an active, interactive and joyful time of learning and seeing this great country. Space is limited. Registration for the Dairy School closes soon. Contact Phil Durst, Michigan State University Extension at 989-387-5346 or durstp@msu.edu for more information.
