One of Tradeshow Week’s 50 fastest growing shows in North America, the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show will expand in 2008 to include a brand-new Dairy Producers Conference and Expo held December 4 in conjunction with the 2008 show. The Dairy Producers Conference & Expo will be held in the Grand Plaza room at the Amarillo Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

With Texas quickly becoming one of the premier states for dairy production and operations, the Dairy Producers Conference & Expo seeks to support this growing market in Texas and in the surrounding four-state region.

This expo will feature morning and afternoon seminars for owner/operators, managers and herdsmen.

Seminars begin at 9:30 am with “Dairy Consortium Updates” presented by Dr. Don Topliff of West Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture; followed at 10:15 a.m. with “Copper Sulfate Foot Baths” presented by Sharon Preece of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Science and Engineering; and wrapping up with “Survey of Labor Immigration Issues” at 10:45 a.m. presented by David Anderson of Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

In the afternoon, Robert Hagevoort of New Mexico State University Extension will discuss “Management of Dairy Rations with High Feed Costs” at 1 p.m. At 1:45 p.m., Robert Devin of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will talk about “Confined Livestock Operations and Workforce Development” followed by “Strategies to Improve Reproductive Performance” presented by Todd Bilby of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Conference proceedings will be available in both English and Spanish. Attendees will also have multiple opportunities throughout the day to visit with exhibitors. To register for the seminars, please call Katie Kaehler at (800) 827-8007.

The show will include more than 500 companies displaying the latest agricultural products and services for area farmers, ranchers and dairymen. Admission is $2 with 100 percent of admission being donated back to the FFA. Children 18 and under are free. For more information on attending, visit www.farmshows.com or call (800) 827-8007.  PD