MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension is hosting a free webinar series on starting a small dairy herd. The eight-session series runs May 28-Dec. 2.

“In a time of people wanting to know more about where their food comes from, we’re also seeing an increase in folks becoming more self-sustainable,” said MU Extension dairy field specialist Chloe Collins. One way the dairy industry is a part of this trend is a growing interest in having a family dairy cow.

“I think raising and learning about your own livestock is admirable, but I want to make sure those interested have reliable sources of information to learn from,” Collins said. “There are lots of personal farm pages and websites sharing info about small dairy herds, but I haven’t seen many research-backed sources when doing my own searches. It’s important to know the ‘why’ behind different practices used in the dairy industry, such as breeding and milking, but it’s even more important that the information that people have access to is of the highest quality.”

Collins said she’s been approached multiple times with questions about where to buy cattle, how to vaccinate cattle, what to feed cattle and how to best raise a calf. “And those are only the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “I hope by creating a step-by-step format of webinars we can really dig in and address those recurring questions.”

The webinar series will be divided into eight hourlong sessions that will be hosted May 28 to Dec. 2.

Collins is also bringing in guest speakers to the webinar, including MU Extension specialists as well as subject-matter experts from North Carolina State University Extension and Central Bank in Marshfield, Mo.

Register for the free webinar series at http://muext.us/SDHMS or call the MU Extension Center in Wright County at 417-349-4134.