In the demo fields
COFS has built a full line-up of comparative field equipment demonstrations for 2014. For dairy farmers, some highlights are the corn silage harvesting, cornstalk baling, silage baling and high-speed Tempo planter demonstrations.

At the corn silage harvesting demonstrations, farmers will experience live showcases of iron, engineering and precision. The five companies participating are Dispro/Dion Ag, East-Can Equipment Sales/Krone, John Deere, New Holland and Sunova Implement Limited/Claas.

“The companies in this demonstration are some of the leaders in their field,” says Paul Roper, COFS exhibit sales and demonstration co-ordinator, about the corn silage harvesting demonstrations. “Their staff are ready to wow the crowds.”

Big machines make for big demonstrations. Each day at 1:30 p.m. in the Southwest Demo Field, manufacturers will make a 350-foot- long pass with a wagon beside them. After each pass, small corn silage piles will also be dumped on the headland to examine up close.

“We are giving the unique opportunity to see the mechanics behind each piece of equipment but also the way they process the product,” Roper says. “Live demonstrations in large fields give us that special opportunity unlike any other show.”

Another demonstration helping farmers evaluate new products in the Southwest Demo Field will be the cornstalk baling demonstration. This new equipment demonstration is fostered from a biomass feasibility study undertaken by the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and nine other partners.

The COFS corn stalk baling demonstrations will showcase an Agco 2014 – 2270 XD large square cornstalk baler, Hiniker flail chopper and Stinger 6500 bale stacker. This will be the first time any of these units are showcased at COFS.

Using a two-pass system, demonstrations will start with the Hiniker flail chopper creating 40-foot windrows followed by a second pass with the Agco baler. Once baled, the Stinger 6500 unit will collect and stack bales – another growing practice in Canadian agriculture.

This demonstration and this project come from growing discussions in the agricultural industry about supplying the bioindustrial industry.

This OFA project is supported by the Program of Energy Research and Development that is operated by Natural Resources Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, La Coop fédérée and its affiliates, AgroMarts, Agris Co-op, Wanstead Co-op, IGPC Ethanol Inc., Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC), GFO, Agco, Stinger and Hiniker.

Experts will be on-site at the daily demonstrations held at 2:30 p.m. These new demonstrations will be a great place for farmers to learn more about these upcoming opportunities. Other places to see brand-new technology in action will be at the high-speed Tempo planter demonstrations.

“We love farming. We think planting is the most important part of farming. We’re excited to bring this proven planting technology to Ontario farmers,” says Gustav Nilsson, Väderstad International area sales manager for Canada.

Väderstad will offer the chance to experience their new Tempo high-speed planter in three ways at COFS. To see the high-speed planter in action, there is the Tempo planter demonstration in the Southwest Demo Field at 2:00 p.m. each day.

To see the planter’s results, there are corn plots in the West Demo Field that were planted in May and are now ready for inspection. To ask questions about purchasing or trying the planter at home, farmers can head to the East-Can Equipment Sales exhibit on Middle Machinery Mall.

Lastly, dairy farmers curious about how silage balers work can have their questions answered at COFS. At 11:00 a.m., attendees can see how silage of any kind can be stored using a Goweil silage baler. The new silage baling demonstration will be in the West Demo Field daily.

In the barns
Unlike COFS in 1994, farmers can see new dairy technology in action at three different dairy barns on-site. To see dairy technology, genetics and services, there is no better place than the Grober Young Animal Development Centre (GYADC), Britespan Dairy Innovation Centre or EastGen Dairy Producer Pavilion.

Since 2009, COFS is home to the GYADC where Grober Nutrition’s team studies calves in different housing and using different feeding systems. In this barn, calves are housed together in a group as well as individual housing to compare trial results.

“We look forward to opening the centre each year and to sharing the results with farmers during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in September,” says Heather Copland, Grober Nutrition’s marketing and communications manager.

This year’s first trial tracks calves weaned at different ages for their growth differences. The second trial compares individually housed calves fed by the new Förster Technik CalfRail versus group-housed calves using the Förster Technik Vario Plus automatic feeders.

To see the results and machines in person, farmers may visit the GYADC on Masonville Lane next to the infamous Dairy Innovation Centre.

The innovation centre will once again come to life for COFS with live cattle being milked side-by-side using either Lely’s Astronaut A4 or DeLaval’s VMS. COFS is the world’s only place where different brands of robotic milking systems work in the same facility. For Canadian dairy farmers, it has become a perfect one-stop shop when preparing for barn upgrades.

New for 2014, a huge 9-foot by 15-foot TV screen will stream dairy pictures, videos and product information provided by innovation centre sponsors or suppliers.

The innovation centre is open all day long from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at COFS. Similarly, the EastGen Dairy Producer Pavilion is the other dairy barn at COFS where live showcases take place throughout the day.

Located on 9th Lane, the pavilion is home to a live daughter display in addition to the other commercial exhibitors showcasing their dairy services.

In the new Dairy Pavilion
Thanks to the success of these exhibit areas, dairy exhibitor requests have continued to grow over the years. COFS is responding with the introduction of a brand-new, 3,000-square-foot Dairy Pavilion.

“In past years, it has been a challenge to accommodate all exhibitors who wanted space in a dairy-focused area,” Roper says. “The Dairy Pavilion will become a dairy hub for feed, building supply, animal bedding and health companies.”

The new Dairy Pavilion will be located on Masonville Lane near the innovation centre and 4-H Pavilion – Dairy, which also houses dairy exhibits.

In the driver’s seat
Looking for new wheels? For the first time in 10 years, the Skid Steer Ride ’N’ Drive returns to COFS. Also for the first time in many years, dairy farmers can test-drive two different pick-up truck brands.

Dairy farmers have known for years that skid steers are proven helpers for bale handling, barn cleanout and feeding. Farmers at COFS will be able to test these manoeuvrable and super-compact machines in the driver’s seat.

Bobcat, JCB, John Deere, Kubota, New Holland and Vermeer wheel or track units will be available to test-drive through the obstacle course. The ride ’n’ drive will be open behind the Dairy Innovation Centre from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.

This year COFS also offers the unprecedented opportunity to test drive two different pick-up brands on the road – Ram and Toyota.

The Ram Test Drive offers the chance to take the new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel for a spin. Ongoing daily near Pride Seeds, it will also feature the Ram 2500 and 3500. Anyone with a valid driver’s license is welcome.

The Toyota Test Drive will be stationed at the Toyota flagship exhibit on Masonville Lane near the Canadian Energy Expo. Toyota will have their Tundra and Tacoma pick-ups on display ready for farmers to take on the road.

True to 1994
Since its beginnings in 1994, COFS has been bold by embracing the challenges but also the ultimate payoff of offering farmers the unique platform to experience agricultural equipment in motion.

Now, Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show is one of Canada’s leading dairy trade shows and largely because of the ability to bring different companies together in one place and in action, whether it’s in the demonstration fields, in the barns, in the exhibit pavilions or in the driver’s seat.

Attendees will want to plan their trip so that they don’t miss any of the opportunities to experience these products in action.  PD

—From Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show

PHOTOSPhotos courtesy of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.