UNIVERSITY PARK — A dairy's accounting system can provide the data for making sound financial management decisions. But too often, producers rely on it simply for tax purposes because they don't know how to use their own data to make informed decisions about their operations.

Penn State Dairy Alliance and Penn State Cooperative Extension offices in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties are working together to offer educational workshops that show dairy producers, bookkeepers and accounting staff how to organize their accounting systems to yield this important management information. The classes will be offered in December and January.

Workshop participants will learn how to implement proper accounting principles and practices in their everyday accounting transactions. They also will learn how to organize their data to provide valuable management information to the decision-makers of the business, as well as how to read and interpret the various reports a well-organized accounting system can provide.

Two classes will be offered, each designed to progressively build on the participants' knowledge base. Participants may register for one or both classes. Dates and locations include:

• Class 1: Understanding and Implementing Basic Accounting Principles and Practices, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at Brown's Country Kitchen in Portersville, Butler County.

• Class 2: Introduction to QuickBooks for Dairy Accounting, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office in Mercer.

Details about each workshop can be found online at: www.das.psu.edu/dairy-alliance/education/managingaccounting.

Advance registration is required. The fee is $45 per class for the first person from the dairy/business and $25 per class for each additional person. Register for both classes at the reduced rate of $80 per person and $40 for each additional person. To register and pay by cash or check, call the Dairy Alliance office toll-free at 888-373-7232. Registration by credit card is accepted online at the above Web site.