UMES Extension partnered with the University of Maryland Extension, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delmarva Poultry Industry to bring the “On-Farm Commercial Poultry Field Day” to some 425 participants from Delmarva.
The March 4 event, held at Yahya Farm in Delmar, Del., focused on “optimizing equipment and performance on the farm.” Workshops were held on litter amendments, controllers, LED and dimmers, PDS water systems and maintenance for generators, heaters, cool cell and tunnel doors. Among the poultry farmers in attendance (49 %), 17 Marylanders and 70 Delawareans received credits or recertification for Nutrient Management in their respective states. Other attendees hailed from government agencies, poultry companies, agribusiness and financial institutions.
Jennifer Rhodes, an Extension educator with UMD, reported that 100 % of attendees “indicated the information they received at the field day would benefit their farm operation or business” while over half said they “increased their level of knowledge or skills ‘a lot’ to ‘a great deal.’” Over half also said the event improved their grower networking. The majority (63%) reported that they were extremely likely to attend a future field day.
“This field day is a great example of how Extension, nonprofit trade associations, agribusiness, poultry companies, universities and farmers can work together for the benefit of their community,” Rhodes said.
UMES’ part was helping to secure some of the 62 table vendors and equipment dealers and providing student volunteers through the UMES MANRRS club, said Dr. Jennifer Timmons, assistant professor in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. “Not only was this event educational for the poultry growers that attended, but it also provided UMES students the opportunity to visit with individuals that work in the poultry industry and learn how broiler chickens are raised.”
“Thank you for flying the UMES Extension flag! This appears to have been a very successful event,” said Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of UMES’s School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.
