DECORAH, Iowa – Since its inception six years ago, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s “Boots in the Barn” program has been empowering women in dairy and beef cattle farming with hands-on training that provides education in cattle care, farm management, and networking opportunities.

“There is a growing number of females directly involved in the day-to-day management of dairy and beef cattle operations,” Jennifer Bentley, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy field specialist in Decorah, told Farm World.

Identifying this need to reach women in the cattle industry, Bentley and Denise Schwab, Iowa State Extension beef specialist, established the Boots in the Barn program in 2018.

In the past three years, one virtual and three in-person sessions have been offered across Iowa, with 115 women participating in the program, and an additional 973 views of the recorded sessions online.

“Women often prefer to learn in small groups, and with hands-on opportunities,” Bentley said. “They like to ask questions of presenters without feeling intimidated, so programs designed for women alone are very effective.”

She added a very high percentage of participants are also adopting recommended management practices and have convinced their farming husbands to make changes to their operations.

For example, she said, “Recognizing the economic losses associated with dystocia (a difficult birth), and the consequences it can have on dairy and beef herds due to death loss or injury to both cow and calf, the calving simulator topic was consistently offered at each program,” offered twice a year.

“By allowing time to work through difficult births using a simulator, these women are more knowledgeable and prepared to intervene, thereby reducing the risk of further disease and illness in both cow and calf,” she said.

“Colostrum (the first form of breast milk released by the mammary glands after giving birth) management is the single most important factor in calf survivability, and these women learned the skills to properly manage colostrum to provide the highest quality,” she added.

According to the USDA, 1.2 million women producers account for 36 percent of all producers today, with 58 percent of all farms having at least one female decision maker.

“Boots in the Barn is specifically designed for women, and gives them a comfortable place to learn and ask questions,” Bentley said.

“Women participating in the Boots in the Barn program can confidently bring back valuable knowledge and management skills to their beef and dairy operations they may work on to improve efficiency and profitability of the farm,” she added.

Molly Ihde farms with her parents, Steven and Connie Schmitt; her brother, Lucas Schmitt; and her husband, Sam Ihde, at Windsor Valley Dairy, LLC, near Hawkeye, Iowa, where they milk about 300 head of Holsteins, using five Lely robotic milking machines, and crop farm about 900 acres.

This past spring, Molly attended the Boots in the Barn program along with her mother. She said some of their favorite sessions included a calf birthing simulation, presented by Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and a review of calf nutrition and vaccination recommendations.

The birthing simulation offers participants a life-size model of a cow and calf, and includes an inside look at the pregnant cow’s body, complete with the realistic task of pulling the calf in a variety of positions.

As a result of lessons learned about rations and colostrum, Molly and her husband have changed how they manage and store colostrum, and also modified their calf vaccination protocol.

“The model helped improve our knowledge and our grasp of what’s actually happening internally when a cow is in labor, and when pulling a calf,” Molly said.

Bentley said there’s always something new to learn as the industry changes, and as new people enter the industry.

“These skills are needed to continually stay competitive and profitable in the livestock industry,” she said. “The knowledge and skills gained will facilitate greater involvement in the farming operation, and potentially lead to a greater quality of life through more teamwork and family cooperation.”