I want to see industry move forward. Farmers with cows that never go out of the barn are talking with those with completely grass-based systems. Colleen Helenek, a UVM Extension dairy specialist who works with the Farmers for Tomorrow, emphasizes that the discussion groups are not intended to replace the farm visit. When a farmer calls with a problem, we still go out. However, these groups have a greater impact than individual farm visits.
Farmers have a chance to observe how other farmers are doing something.
They are teaching each other. Last March, a group of farmers, including Chaput, worked with Extension to organize the first-ever large farm conference in Vermont. Held in S. Burlington, it attracted 130 participants, who came to hear national experts speak on labor management, interpersonal communication, financial management, milk marketing, and biosecurity. The conference, specifically a talk on financial management, prompted Simpson's idea for input sheets that she later shared with her discussion group. Farmers with smaller sized herds, such as Bob Bassett of Woodstock, also benefit from participation in a group.