2026 NMC Annual Meeting Short Courses
The NMC Annual Meeting is designed for all individuals interested in mastitis control, quality milk production and udder health. Attendees come from around the world and include veterinarians, dairy producers, researchers, extension specialists, industry suppliers, dairy processor field representatives, regulatory officials, teachers and students. The meeting features world-renowned presenters who will address a variety of milk quality production principles and offer hands-on strategies to improve udder health.
The NMC Short Courses will only be offered at the in-person meeting. There are no virtual short course offerings in 2026.
Short Course 1
*First Time Attendees Only*
We’ll Take Milk Quality for $1,000
Monday, January 26, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Instructors: Keith Engel, GEA Farm Technologies
Are you new to NMC or interested in learning more about what the organization is about? Come meet some of NMC’s past presidents for what is guaranteed to be a lively roundtable discussion! Each past president brings a unique background and story to NMC. The goals of this short course are to welcome you and provide a history of NMC, discuss ways to get involved and may even include a friendly trivia game. All first-time attendees are strongly encouraged to enroll.
Short Course 2
Basics of Cleaning (CIP) a Milking System: Hands-on Training Using The Teaching Parlor
Monday, January 26, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Instructors: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University, David Reid, Rocky Ridge Dairy Consulting, and Mark Walker, GEA Farm Technologies
This course, which includes the hands-on Teaching Parlor, will teach how a milking system is cleaned internally. Students will learn the steps to perform a CIP (clean-in-place) evaluation, including a slug analysis. Information will be provided about standard plate counts (SPC), preliminary incubation counts (PI), lab pasteurized counts (LPC) and coliform counts, and include the goals for each of these milk quality measurements, their definitions and how to troubleshoot elevated counts. Other topics will include the importance of water quality and water temperature, as well as the “Four Square” method of analyzing the wash protocol for a milking system. Additionally, participants will learn how to perform the standard chemical analysis of each wash cycle. Case Studies will be used to increase attendees’ understanding and retention.
Spots filled: This course is at capacity. Please contact Kyle Wieskus, kyle@nmconline.org, to add your name to the waiting list.
Short Course 3
Real World Milk Quality: A Case Study-based Approach and Look at Regional Differences
Monday, January 26, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Instructors: Monika Dziuba, Dairy MD, LLC, Micaela LoConte, Keseca Veterinary Clinic, PLLC, Blaine Melody, Lander Veterinary Clinic Inc.
This Short Course will use the expertise of three veterinarians with years of experience in milk quality across the West, Midwest and Northeast United States. Each veterinarian will share regional case studies, highlighting common areas of opportunity in a herd’s milk quality program, despite apparent differences in dairy systems. These case presentations are intended to spark group discussion. Plenty of time will be available to answer any questions from course participants. (If you attended this Short Course previously, you may attend again. The presenters will share different case studies than what they presented in 2024 and 2025.)
Spots filled: 22 of 30
Short Course 4
The Parlor: Milk it for All it’s Worth Without Squeezing Your Employees
Monday, January 26, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Instructors: David Reid, Rocky Ridge Dairy Consulting, Kate Stollen, Holsum Dairy, and Zach Janssen, Grande Cheese Company
This short course will discuss how to recognize and fix small problems in milking facilities. The end goal is to focus on how to help make the jobs of milk harvest technicians easier, based on what works on real dairies. One key aspect to be discussed is basic dairy stockmanship and understanding of moving cows into the parlor or barn.
Spots filled: 28 of 35
Short Course 5
Milking System Analysis. Hands-on Training Using The Teaching Parlor
Tuesday, January 27, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Instructors: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University, Andy Johnson, Dairy Consultant, and Mark Walker, GEA Farm Technologies
This course is appropriate for beginner, intermediate and advanced milking system analyzers. A brief, all-class lecture covering the design and function of a conventional milking system will transition into small groups based on experience levels, each with a coach for teaching. Hands-on training using a milking system simulator will fill the rest of the time. Areas of focus will include all the parts of milking system, how to measure and achieve vacuum stability, how to graph pulsator function and liner choices, and how the pulsator and liner works together. Limited testing equipment will be provided. Bring your own testing equipment for practice familiarity.
Spots filled: This course is at capacity. Please contact Kyle Wieskus, kyle@nmconline.org, to add your name to the waiting list.
Short Course 6
Using Antimicrobial Benchmarking to Assess and Improve Mastitis Treatments
Tuesday, January 27, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Instructors: Pamela Ruegg, Jaimie Strickland and Lara Juliano, Michigan State University
The objective of this course is to use real farm data to evaluate antibiotic use for treatment and prevention of mastitis, and to review ways to improve antibiotic stewardship by modifying treatment protocols for clinical mastitis and at dry-off. Participants in this hands-on, case-based class will use an open-access, web-based software program to evaluate and benchmark antibiotic use, using data from real dairy farms. Data about antibiotics used to treat cows will be downloaded from U.S.-based herds that use common dairy management programs (either DairyComp305, PCDart or Bovisync). Those files will be uploaded to https://dairyantibioticbenchmark.msu.edu and used to create an antibiotic use report that generates current protocols and compares antibiotic use to anonymous peer herds. Compliance with suggested mastitis treatment protocols will be assessed. The cost of mastitis treatments will be estimated and potential improvements that reduce costs without affecting efficacy will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to bring data from their own U.S. based herds, but data from case herds will be available and used for general discussion.
Spots filled: 22 of 30
Short Course 7
What Does Precision Look Like in a Robot Barn Where Cows Make the Choice When to be Milked?
Tuesday, January 27, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Instructors: Paul Peetz, Lely
In a world of “watchful eyes,” it’s increasingly important for consumers to understand that dairy producers offer cow environments that allow cows the freedom to access water, food, comfort and space, and freedom from fear, pain or disease. Plus, these cow environments should support natural expressions, such as eating, socializing and being milked. The presenter will share data from four farms that have camera systems in the barns that allow you to view cow behavior around the milking robots. Data support cows’ desire to be milked. We will explore data from cows all over the world as they express their needs and respond to farm management actions. The future of supplying milk to consumers revolves around our ability, as an industry, to help consumers feel good about their choice to drink real milk and other dairy products. If you support farms with robotic milking systems or are interested in learning more, this Short Course is for you.
Spots filled: 10 of 30
Short Course 8
Parlor Performance: A Look at the Numbers
Tuesday, January 27, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Instructors: David Reid, Rocky Ridge Dairy Consulting, Kate Stollen, Holsum Dairy, and Zach Janssen, Grande Cheese Company
Discussion will focus on where the numbers come from, what influences the numbers and how to evaluate reports to allow analysis on what further evaluations should be made on dairies.
Spots filled: This course is at capacity. Please contact Kyle Wieskus, kyle@nmconline.org, to add your name to the waiting list.
Short Course 9
Milking Machine Function, Milking Time Diagnostics and Liner-teat Interactions
Tuesday, January 27, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Instructor: John Penry, Dairy Australia
This short course shall focus on the basic physics and function of the milking machine. The instructor will provide an in-depth exploration of the liner-teat interaction. Furthermore, participants will learn about milking time diagnostics for milking machine function with an emphasis on milking machine liners.
Spots filled: This course is at capacity. Please contact Kyle Wieskus, kyle@nmconline.org, to add your name to the waiting list.
Short Course 10
Practical Bedding Management With a View to Enhancing Udder Health
Tuesday, January 27, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Sandra Godden, University of Minnesota, and Kenneth Buelow, Holsum Dairies
The selection and management of specific bedding materials can have important impacts on cow comfort, udder health, milk quality and milk production. At the system level, this also offers opportunities to enhance environmental stewardship and capture related economic benefits. In this course, the instructors’ central focus will be on the pros, cons and management options for recycled sand and recycled manure solids bedding systems. While the main emphasis will be on optimizing udder health, the instructors will also discuss environmental stewardship and economic considerations. Instructors will present a balance of academic and clinical learnings, with invaluable real-world experience. The session will be very interactive, allowing participants to learn from the shared experiences of everyone in the room. Instructors’ experience is primarily with Midwest and Northeast regions, though they do have some experience with West/Southwest dairies.
Spots filled: This course is at capacity. Please contact Kyle Wieskus, kyle@nmconline.org, to add your name to the waiting list.
Short Course 11
Science and Application of Pre- and Post-milking Teat Disinfectants
Tuesday, January 27, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Instructors: Amy Vasquez, Cornell University, Jessica Belsito, IBA, and Marianna Gentilini, DeLaval
This interactive session will focus on the science and application of pre- and post-milking teat disinfectants. Through case discussions and hands-on evaluations, participants will explore the importance of teat disinfection in mastitis prevention and milk quality. Topics will include active ingredients and their modes of action, label interpretation, regulatory and manufacturer testing protocols, and how to select the most appropriate teat dip for specific farm conditions. The instructors will also cover considerations for mixing and storage, review efficacy trial data, and discuss how to monitor on-farm success. Breakout sessions will provide opportunities to assess teat dips and engage in farm-specific problem-solving. The primary learning goals are to improve the understanding of teat disinfectant components, enhance decision-making for product selection and develop strategies for monitoring teat health and disinfectant efficacy and target concentrations.
Spots filled: 23 of 30
Short Course 12
Udder to Insight: Harnessing the Power of Laboratory Testing
Tuesday, January 27, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Instructors: Justine Britten, Udder Health Systems, and Quinn Kolar, Cornell University
Milk quality is more than a standard; it’s a source of valuable information. From Udder to Insight is a practical short course that guides dairy professionals, veterinarians and lab staff through the full journey of milk quality assessment. Participants will learn best practices for sampling, explore key laboratory tests and gain the skills to interpret results with confidence. Instructors will use real-world case studies and expert-led discussions to help participants gain a clear understanding of how to use laboratory data to troubleshoot udder health issues, detect contaminants and support evidence-based decision-making. By the end of this course, attendees will be able to confidently connect on-farm practices with laboratory results, transforming raw data into actionable strategies that enhance milk quality, support animal well-being and strengthen overall dairy productivity.
Spots filled: 16 of 30
Short Course 13
Independently Perform a Complete Milking System Analysis – Graded (Using The Teaching Parlor)
Tuesday, January 27, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University, David Reid, Rocky Ridge Dairy Consulting, and Mark Walker, GEA Farm Technologies
Attendees will work independently to complete their own “NMC Milking System Evaluation Form.” The form is customized to create 100 total points for a perfect score. Roger Thomson will grade the tests. Achieving a score of 80 or higher will earn the attendee a “Certificate of Completion” from NMC, which is good for 3 years. Participants must bring their own vacuum testing equipment.
Spots filled: 8 of 12