Mobile milking system for sheep focus of upcoming UMaine Extension workshop

GARDINER, Maine – University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with University of Vermont Extension, will host a dairy sheep mobile parlor and milk quality workshop from 1–3 P.M. on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at Oaklands Farm, 335 Lincoln Avenue in Gardiner. Attendees will observe a dairy sheep mobile milking system in operation and learn about milk quality and parlor audits. We will be walking so please let us know if you need accommodations. 

The program is designed for dairy farmers and agricultural service providers interested in mobile parlors and milk quality in small ruminants. The host farm is a recipient of a grant funded by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center.

The workshop is free, but registration is required via the Dairy Sheep Mobile Parlor and Milk Quality Workshop page. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Libby-Babcock at 207.581.2788 or melissa.libby1@maine.edu.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety, and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H, which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture, and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.