An all-day tour of Midwest dairy farms known for their excellent heifer management and innovative technology practices will take place on Thursday, Oct. 29. Organized by the I-29 Dairy Outreach Consortium, the “Milk Producers of Tomorrow” tour will travel to four large facilities ranging in size from 1,200 to 13,000 head in southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa.
“Some operations strictly raise heifers while other tour spots are dairy farms,” said Ryan Breuer, dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “All use different technology to grow and keep animals healthy, such as automatic calf feeders and superior housing and ventilation designs. And they work with veterinarians and breeders on advanced genetics and reproductive medicine. They’re employing practices to ensure that these calves will be great dairy producers for the future.”
This educational event is geared toward dairy farmers who want to learn about improved dairy calf management or are considering adopting a new practice, but is open to others as well. Breuer, who will be one of the tour leaders, emphasized that the management techniques in use are relative to all sizes of dairy operations. “If we don’t manage technology correctly, it won’t work,” he said. “The tour is all about how people successfully manage their businesses.”
The registration form is available online or from Breuer, whose email is rmbreuer@iastate.edu. The deadline is Oct. 26. The $85 fee — $35 for college students with current identification — covers lunch, shuttle transportation to the farms and supplemental materials.
The tour departs from the southeast corner of the Walmart parking lot in Sioux City at 7 a.m., Oct. 29 and returns about 4:15 p.m. Pick-up locations in other states are detailed on the registration form.
The tour organizer, the I-29 Dairy Outreach Consortium, is a team of dairy and agriculture extension and industry representatives from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.