University of the Azores Visitors Toured the Dairy Facilities at Penn State

The Penn State Department of Dairy and Animal Science (DAS) hosted a group of agriculturalists from The Azores, Portugal, in May as part of an ongoing relationship between the University of the Azores’ Department of Agricultural Sciences and DAS. Designed to benefit the Azorean dairy industry, funding for this initiative was made possible by an endowment established by DAS alumni Don McCreight and his wife Sandy. The focus of their visit to Pennsylvania was to learn more about the relationship of cooperative extensive and the dairy industry, and the programs available to support the industry. The group included: Virgilio Oliveira, veterinarian from San Miguel and president of the Young Farmers Association of The Azores; Paulo Simões Ferreira, dairy, fruit and vegetable farmer from Terceira and President of the Farmers Association of Terceira; Rui Messias, journalist from Terceira; and, Paulo Caetano Ferreira, farm manager at the University of the Azores, Terceira. They met with staff from the PA Department of Agriculture’s Center for Dairy Excellence, Penn State’s Dairy Alliance, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, industry leaders and DAS staff. Their week-long stay included visits to dairy farms in Blair, Tioga, Bradford and Lancaster Counties, featuring discussions with local extension educators. With about 100,000 head of cattle, The Azores’ dairy industry features a year-round grazing system of management, so there was an emphasis on visiting successful grazing operations. This visit to Pennsylvania continues the relationship which has included farm visits and seminars given by DAS staff in the Azores. The goal of the collaborative effort is to enhance the distribution of information from the University to their constituents, as well as to promote stronger and more effective relationships between the University of the Azores and agricultural industry leaders.

(In PA Farm News)