This ag-focused event management group recognized that Canada did not have an exclusive, national dairy event comparable to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
“Canadian dairyman are globally recognized for their early adoption of innovation and commitment to genetic improvement, yet we do not currently have a platform where the entire sector can gather to stimulate continuous improvement,” says Underhill.
That’s just what farmers will get at the Canadian Dairy XPO, with an action-packed lineup Feb. 6-7. Leading genetic suppliers are displaying live cattle in a freestall setting and giving live demos of brand new innovations, such as colostrum feeding, rumen fluid extraction and real time somatic cell count testing conducted on iPhones.
The four robotic milking powerhouses will demonstrate side-by-side and talk features and benefits in the Britespan Building Cow Coliseum. This massive free-span structure was built specifically for these and other companies to showcase innovation and leading genetics available for the Canadian dairy producer.
"Dairy farmers are looking for solutions that meet the current demands of the industry and supply management system,” states Brian Anderson of Athlone Farms.
"Today’s evolving industry requires us – the farmers – to rapidly embrace technology and innovation. It is important that we make the time to get out with our family members and on-farm labourers, to see what the industry has to offer and to educate ourselves with what appears to be an international speaker line-up at the Canadian Dairy XPO.”
The XPO has received a significant amount of support from not only the dairy industry, but the mainstream business world as well – the event and efforts around it have recently been covered in Business Review North America.
Although the XPO targets purebred and commercial dairy producers, the opening night will host a complimentary CheeseFEST function that will welcome the general community.
The networking and social function offers an extensive buffet of cheeses from around the world, local wineries, micro brews and live entertainment. Celebrity chef Lynn Crawford will also be making an appearance and cooking with the Perth County 4-H youth club.
The expo has already caught the attention of Joep Driessen, founder of CowSignals, who will be traveling from the Netherlands to speak specifically to Canadian dairy producers on identifying practical signals as they relate to housing, health and care. He, along with five other world-class dairy gurus, will be speaking on the first day of the XPO in the Dairy Classroom.
Dairy farmer of the year, Don Eby from Eby Farms, says he won’t miss the Cowsignals speaker and the rest of the Dairy Classroom line-up.
“To be able to see this caliber of speaker right here in our backyard is invaluable. I like the concept of an educational conference, specialized dairy tradeshow and live demos all rolled into one. I think producers and vets alike will make CDX an annual stop."
In addition to the Dairy Classroom featured speakers, also traveling to the event are five of the largest commercial dairyman from the top five milk production countries. Over the lunch hour in the Dairy Classroom, these producers will engage in a round table discussion on all aspects of the dairy business and entertain questions from attending Canadian producers.
The Canadian Dairy XPO takes place at the Stratford Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ontario. Admission is $15 with a coupon. PD
—From Canadian Dairy XPO news release
