Massachusetts Association of Dairy Farmers

2025 Annual Meeting
2025-03-13 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Bluebonnet Diner, 324 King Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
Please join us on Thursday, March 13, 2025 for the 14th Joint Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Association of Dairy Farmers and the Massachusetts Dairy Promotion Board.
We invite you to attend the annual meeting where a variety of guest speakers will provide industry and program updates valuable to you. Speakers will share with us the ever changing local, regional and national, political and regulatory issues affecting the dairy industry.
We hope that you will be able to join us as well for this important day.

Online registration is now open!
Click the button below for a downloadable registration form that can be submitted via postal mail.
Mail-in registration form
Pre-registration is requested. The donation is $25.00 per person by March 7th prepaid. Walk-ins are welcome and the fee for walk-in attendance is $40.00 per person. We encourage you to prepay and save $$.
The deadline to register online has passed. The fee for walk-in attendance is $40 per person.

Thank you to our 2025 sponsors!

MA Ag Day: Join MADF at the State House
2025-03-18 11:15 - 14:00 | Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02133, United States
Public Schedule
11:15am–12pm
Speaking Program (Grand Staircase)
12–2pm
Taste of Massachusetts (Hall of Flags/Great Hall)
Attendees are encouraged to make appointments with their local legislators.
Click here to register online.

UMass Soil Health Mini School 2025
2025-03-26 09:00 - 15:00 | UMass Research Farm, 89 River Rd, South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Join extension personnel for the 3rd Annual UMass Soil Health Mini School on March 26th in South Deerfield MA. The full-day workshop will include hands-on workshops and presentations on current soil health topics. $30 for the full day, including lunch and snacks.
Click here to register online.
Please email Artie Siller with any questions.

Workshop descriptions
Dr. Joshua Arnold, Assistant Extension Professor in urban agriculture at UMass will share his experience in testing urban soils for harmful contaminants in urban agroecosystems, including challenges and successes. Participants will learn about soil sampling methods developed with community members and urban farmers to reduce costs and interpret risk. He will also share his experience adopting these methods to farmland around Asheville, NC, after Hurricane Helene.
Dr. Sam Corcoran, Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab Manager at UMass will lead a hands-on demonstration of pH testing tools available to farmers. She will cover why pH matters for plant growth and soil health and discuss what to look for when purchasing a pH meter.
Dr. Amelia Magistrali, Associate Extension Educator in Soil Health at UConn will lead a workshop focusing on soil health and testing considerations for high tunnels and raised beds, with an emphasis on organic matter management. The session will present some initial findings from a soil sampling pilot study in high tunnels and raised beds and discuss research and recommendations for these types of systems. Amelia will also cover some of the challenges and recommendations for nutrient and water dynamics in high tunnels and raised beds.
Artie Siller, Soil Health Extension Educator at UMass will present research results on winter cover cropping mixes, tillage, and cover crop planting time. They will then lead a field walk to tour field research plots and discuss winter soil management and cover crops at the UMass research farm.

Navigating the Future of Dairy—Spotlight on the Dairy Farm of the Year awardees in ME, NH and VT
2025-03-26 11:30 - 12:30
The 2025 Tri-State Dairy Exchange: Navigating the Future of Dairy webinar series will be held on the last Wednesday of each month until May from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
It is sponsored by the Tri-State Dairy Team and features presentations and roundtable discussions with Extension dairy professionals from the University of Vermont (UVM), University of New Hampshire and University of Maine and other guest presenters.
Although there is no charge to participate, a one-time registration is required to receive an email with the webinar link, which will work for all sessions. To register, go to http://go.uvm.edu/conferences. Information about the webinars can be found at https://go.uvm.edu/tristatedairy.

Navigating the Future of Dairy—Virtual Fencing Update: Farmer Panel
2025-04-30 11:30 - 12:30

Navigating the Future of Dairy—Crossover Event with the Maine Farmcast: Hay Crop Silage Production and Management
2025-05-28 11:30 - 12:30

UMass Research Farm Field Day
2025-08-06 09:00 - 14:00 | Crop and Animal Research and Education Farm, 89 River Road, South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Join UMass researchers to hear about ongoing trials related to field crops, pollinators, vegetable production, and more!
When: Wednesday August 6th from 9am–2pm with free lunch included
Location: 89 River Road, South Deerfield MA 01373
For more information and to register ahead of time visit:
https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/vegetable/events/umass-research-farm-field-day-2

2025 MADF Picnic
2025-08-15 10:00 - 14:00 | Smith’s Country Cheese, 20 Otter River Road, Winchendon, 01475, United States
The Catlin’s from Smith’s Country Cheese welcome the dairy community to their family farm in the beautiful town of Winchendon.
About Smith’s Country Cheese Mr. David Smith started farming on 20 Otter River road in 1969 with 20 bred heifers. In the following years the Smith family would grow the herd to 220 milkers As the price of milk fluctuated, David realized that he needed to gain more control. He joined a pilot program at the University of MN teaching farmers how to make their own farmstead Gouda cheese. Successfully adding quality farmstead cheese. In 2013, the Smith family began looking for a new owner. Jake & Allie Catlin learned that the Smith family was looking to sell their dairy and creamery to a couple who wanted to keep it an operating farm. Something just felt right! Well, the rest is history...The Smiths taught the Catlins how to make cheese and care for the cows until the sale was official. Together with Jake’s brother Mike & wife Leah, their family has grown to 200 Holsteins, 43 acres, and more wheels of cheese than a connoisseur can dream of. The original Gouda recipe is still used today! The Catlins are excited to be hosting the MADF Annual Summer Picnic and look forward to showcasing & welcoming you to their family farm in beautiful Winchendon, MA.
Join us for updates from the MA Department of Agricultural Resources, the MA Dairy Promotion Board and your association, MADF.
In addition, representatives from the local, regional, and national level will share with us the new and ever-changing political and regulatory issues affecting the dairy industry and our farm families. Special thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors!
Catered lunch by Smithsonian Cafe Chowder House is included with your registration!
Save $15 per attendee when you register online! ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 2:00PM. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to register.

Exhibitors and Sponsors
Join the Massachusetts Association of Dairy Farmers at the MADF Summer Picnic and showcase your products and services! What better way to see your customers in the heat of the season! Visit with your current and potential customers at the ONLY summer trade show event in Massachusetts for the dairy industry!
Click here to learn more ExhibitorsRegistration includes one 10' x 10' outdoor booth space plus two exhibitor registrations. Please be sure to bring your own tent and chairs. Exhibitor Booth (MADF Business Member) $300Exhibitor Booth (non MADF Business Member) $500 Join MADF as a Business Member and save on your Exhibitor Booth! SponsorshipsSponsorship are available to support the MADF Summer Picnic. All sponsors will be recognized on the MADF website, a sign at registration, and verbally during the program. Dairy $500 (includes four registrations)Cow $300 (includes two registrations)Calf $100 (includes one registration) Your support of the Massachusetts dairy industry is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Download the brochure for more information.

Online registration options
Please note: Attendee pricing is $25 when pre-registered and $40 for walk-ins.
Apologies for the payment difficulties with PayPal. We are happy to report that we have corrected the issue and payments can now be processed online. ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 2:00PM.
The deadline to register online has passed.

High Quality Forages at the Miller Farm
2025-08-28 10:30 - 14:00 | Miller Farm, 1732 Fort Bridgman Road, Vernon, VT, 05354, United States
Join us for a field day at Miller Farm, a fifth generation organic dairy in the Connecticut River Valley.
This is a free event but registration is required with limited availability. Click here to learn more and to register online.

The Miller family has been farming here in the Connecticut River Valley for five generations, now operating on 700 acres. They milk just under 200 cows with one of the oldest registered Holstein herds in North America. In addition to their own on-farm fluid milk processing, they ship their milk to Stonyfield Organic. The farm first became certified organic in 2009.
Joining the farm hosts, Peter and Arthur Miller, will be Dr. Heather Darby (UVM Extension), Sarah Flack (independent grazing consultant), Bill Kipp, Nutritionist, Independent Dairy Consultants, and Cheryl Cesario (American Farmland Trust).
The Miller Farm has a strong focus on forage quality for high-quality milk production. Some of the topics we’ll discuss include:

Strategies for producing top quality forages – in the field and in storage
Shifting climate patterns and how that affects dormancy
How cutting height affects forage yield and quality
The tradeoff between forage quality and soil carbon levels based on cutting height and frequency
Managing soil fertility to optimize forage yield and quality.
UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils program’s forage variety trial results
Grazing management in a high organic milk production system

This workshop is a collaboration between American Farmland Trust, Stonyfield Organic, and the Vermont Grass Farmers Association, with funding support from the NRCS Connecticut River Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

This is a free event but registration is required with limited availability. Click here to learn more and to register online.

Water Quality Insights Series: PFAS in Agroecosystems
2025-11-21 11:00 - 12:00
About the Live Webinar
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are emerging contaminants raising concern in agricultural landscapes. This session highlights the latest Penn State research on how PFAS moves through soil and water, influencing stream water quality and shaping our understanding of its environmental impacts. Participants will gain insight into current findings and their implications for agriculture, water resources, and long-term stewardship.
Click here to learn more and register online.

2026 Annual Meeting
2026-03-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Bluebonnet Diner, 324 King Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
Please join us on Friday, March 20, 2026 for the 15th Annual joint meeting of the Massachusetts Association of Dairy Farmers and the Massachusetts Dairy Promotion Board.
We invite you to attend the annual meeting where a variety of guest speakers will provide industry and program updates valuable to you. Speakers will share with us the ever-changing local, regional and national, political and regulatory issues affecting the dairy industry.
We hope that you will be able to join us as well for this important day.

Online registration is now open!
Click the button below for a downloadable registration form that can be submitted via postal mail.
Mail-in registration form
Pre-registration is requested. The donation is $35.00 per person by March 13th prepaid. Walk-ins are welcome and the fee for walk-in attendance is $40.00 per person. We encourage you to prepay and save $$.
The deadline to register online has passed. The fee for walk-in attendance is $40 per person.
