The fall season holds many traditions beloved by farmers across the country: fairs, exhibitions and opening the barn doors to a public curious about what is happening on their local dairy farm. These events provide great opportunities to catch up with fellow farmers, promote a herd and educate Canadians, but they also come with a few risks.

Before hosting farm visits or attending shows, Dairy Farmers of Canada invites farmers to re-orient themselves with biosecurity protocols to protect their herds, workers and communities.

Opening up your farm to visitors: What to know

The fall season is a popular time for Canadians to venture out and visit a local farm. Before hosting an on-farm event, it is important to first consider the risks and how you can mitigate them. Rather than restricting access to the farm, biosecurity protocols keep visitors from unintentionally compromising the health of animals in any way.

Currently, the most prevalent risk is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. It continues to be detected in U.S. dairy cattle, and though no cases have been detected in Canadian dairy cattle as of this writing, its presence in bird populations still makes adherence to biosecurity recommendations essential.

According to veterinarian Rob Tremblay, the guidelines prepared in 2024 remain largely valid.

“The surveillance system put in place by the CFIA makes us quite confident that there are no cases of HPAI in Canadian dairy herds,” Tremblay says. “General biosecurity is always a good practice for domestic visitors to Canadian dairy farms.”

Certain risks can change depending on the location of a farm. Understanding the local risk will help farmers determine if they want to proceed with the event. Any farmer considering an open-door event should contact their provincial chief veterinary officer (CVO) or board and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative to assess the localized risk.

If a farmer feels comfortable, there are many ways they can reduce risks: screening visitors, keeping numbers to a manageable size and putting up biosecurity signage. At a minimum, a farmer should also offer disposable footwear and handwashing stations at entrances and exits. They can rope off access to feed storage, feed alleyways and sick pens, and make it clear to visitors that animals should not be touched. 

Fairs in the United States: What to know

HPAI has been reported in multiple states – including, as of this writing, in poultry flocks in Wisconsin, the site of the World Dairy Expo and an annual destination for many Canadian dairy exhibitors. In settings where people and animals from different farms and communities gather in close quarters – such as exhibitions and fairs – there is a higher likelihood of influenza viruses spreading.

The CFIA currently advises against taking any Canadian dairy or beef cattle to U.S. agricultural exhibitions or fairs. These events, especially those involving both cattle and poultry, may increase the risk of introducing and spreading the virus in Canada. 

“The U.S. has better monitoring for HPAI than was present last year at this time,” Tremblay says. “But they also have states where HPAI is not well controlled. So vigilance is a good idea.”

For any farmer or exhibitor taking cattle to the U.S. and returning to Canada, the same special testing requirements are in place as in 2024. Farmers will need a U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service export certificate for all Canadian cattle that are in the U.S. for fewer than 60 days.

Farmers must isolate animals as per the Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard and have their veterinarians conduct bulk tank tests and tests on all imported dairy cattle (including heifers) between 14 and 21 days after return.

Cattle must remain in the U.S. for 60 days if they have been on premises (including exhibition sites) where avian influenza or any other contagious disease that cattle can contract was detected in the past 60 days or have been exposed to such diseases. A formal quarantine may be issued if biosecurity measures are not sufficient to prevent the potential for spreading disease.

If you are planning on hosting an on-farm event, attending a local or national exhibition or traveling to the U.S. for a fair, please review the full guidelines on the Animal Health Canada website and the CFIA website.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is the national policy, lobbying and promotional organization representing Canadian dairy producers. DFC strives to create stable conditions for the dairy sector in our country. It also seeks to maintain policies that promote the sustainability of Canadian dairy production and promote dairy products and their health benefits. Visit the DFC website for more information.