World Dairy Expo 2025 was buzzing with excitement as companies and organizations showcased their newest advancements for the dairy industry. From smart applications for more refined feeding to an all-in-one semiautomated milking system and even a keepsake drink to commemorate this year’s show, there was an assortment of cool things to see while in Madison, Wisconsin. Read what Progressive Dairy editors found during their time at this year’s event.

Images by Karen Lee.

MTech Dairy Solutions silage separation system

The silage separation system from MTech Dairy Solutions received its patent on Wednesday of World Dairy Expo and was on display at the company’s booth via a banner and samples of what it can produce. The system can process a semi-load or 25 tons of corn silage an hour into fines and larger forage particles to add more flexibility to a farm’s feeding strategy. This allows farms to optimize energy levels in lactating, dry cow and heifer rations; reduce sorting; and lower purchased feed costs.

Phil Mlsna, international sales manager for MTech, said the system is expandable to process more forage at once. With the patent obtained, they are beginning on-farm trials. If a 2-pound milk response can be proven, the unit could have an ROI of a year or less.

—Karen Lee, managing editor

Courtesy image.

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin debuts humorous campaign with local comedian Charlie Berens

“Wisconsin Originals – Born to Dairy” is a farmer-first storytelling campaign showcasing the quirky Midwest personalities of dairy farmers and the pride they have in what they do. It stars active Wisconsin dairy farmers and industry members.

The campaign kicked off at World Dairy Expo with an exclusive first look, new swag and trading cards. Attendees also had a chance to meet Charlie Berens – comedian, Emmy Award-winning journalist and host of the Manitowoc Minute – who brought his humor and hosting talents to the campaign. “Charlie is a beloved personality in Wisconsin. Dairy farmers love Charlie, and he loves farmers,” said Katrina Hoesly, sustainability marketing specialist for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

To see more of the campaign, go to the Born to Dairy website or follow @americasdairyland on social media.

—Karen Lee, managing editor

Courtesy image.

VAS FeedComp mobile app

FeedComp is a new mobile app designed to help dairies maximize efficiency and profitability from every load. Key benefits include real-time inventory tracking to prevent shortages, automatic pen count updates for accurate feeding and instant ration adjustments for nutrition precision. It requires only a Bluetooth-enabled scale head and a phone or tablet. The mobile app works both online and offline, syncing seamlessly with DairyComp to ensure farmers can manage feeding programs from anywhere. Role-based permissions allow nutritionists, veterinarians and consultants to collaborate efficiently while maintaining data integrity and reducing errors. Feeder report cards promote accountability and consistency in daily operations. As part of the VAS Pulse Platform, FeedComp connects feed, inventory and herd data for comprehensive financial insights. It enables income over feed cost (IOFC) reporting, linking ration costs to milk production and helps dairies shift from reactive management to proactive, data-driven decision-making.

—Audrey Schmitz, editor

Image by Walt Cooley.

Cheese stand sells sparkling lemonade in limited edition can

Alongside grilled cheese sandwiches, the Badger Dairy Club sold sparkling lemonade in a limited edition commemorative can. The 16-ounce containers were wrapped in imagery depicting the show’s Road to Madison theme. The drink is normally sealed locally and sold on campus with different branding. It has a mild-flavored taste and is lightly carbonated.

“It's a nice, fun souvenir for people to take home with them,” says Grace Mansell, 2025 cheese stand chair for the Badger Dairy Club. “It’s something new and exciting. And, honestly, it’s pretty good lemonade.”

The students had 3,000 cans sealed for the show. They planned to sell 25,000 grilled cheese sandwiches and 10,000 chocolate shakes. As of midweek, they had already sold half of the limited edition cans and expected to sell out by the end of the show. 

“We have some of people in our club that collect special edition cans, so they were really excited about this opportunity,” Mansell says. 

Given that temperatures during expo week reached into the low 80s, show attendees also enjoyed the new, cold beverage offering. 

—Walt Cooley, editor 

Images by Jenn Coyne.

GEA premiers DairyProX in Doug Williams Memorial Best of Show Booth Award

The GEA DairyProX is a semiautomated milking system designed to fit conventional parlors and addresses the constant challenges of labor strains and the pressure to milk more cows effectively and consistently. The milking claw is attached by operators and then the milking process – teat cleaning, stimulation, pre-dip application, fore-stripping, milking and post-dipping – is conducted automatically within the teat cups. The technology that aids all these processes is stored in the subway of the parlor.

GEA’s latest innovation was on display at their eye-catching booth which featured the many services and products available to dairy producers. Such a design and attendee appeal warranted the company the inaugural Doug Williams Memorial Booth Award for Best of Show. The award was presented by the World Dairy Expo Commercial Exhibitor Committee, staff and Doug William’s family in honor of Williams, who passed away in early 2025.

—Jenn Coyne, editor

Images by Jenna Hurty-Person.

Acepsis showcases flushing water trough

It’s no secret that water is one of, if not the most important nutrient a cow consumes, making water quality paramount to animal health and well-being. Cows, however, often aren’t the most careful when it comes to keeping their water trough clean. Acepsis is making clean water a little easier to achieve with their new Smart Trough water management system. This system collects all organics in the trough into a central channel at the bottom of the trough. When the trough is ready to be flushed, a baffle tube closes over the central channel. Then the drain valve opens and the organic debris is flushed out of the central channel, removing at least 90% of the organic matter collected while only dumping 20% of the water from the trough.

One key component of keeping this trough clean is the use of chlorine dioxide in the water. This works by destroying the biofilm structure and eliminating bacteria in the water system, thereby minimizing the spread of disease in the herd.

—Jenna Hurty-Person, editor

Image by Kimmi Devaney.

First-of-its-kind magnetic rotary parlor unveiled at show

As I spoke with dairy producers throughout the week, I noticed one major theme: Most mentioned rotary parlors during our conversation. Whether they recently installed one, others in their region were adding them to their operations or people were considering their options to update their milking systems, rotaries were on many attendees’ minds.

Madero Dairy Systems unveiled the Madero Premium Maglev Rotary during World Dairy Expo, which is the first magnetic levitation milking system for the dairy industry. The rotary is run on top of magnets, with two magnets pushing negative force against each other to make it easier to guide the rotary around without much effort. Aside from a concrete foundation, the rotary is entirely made of stainless steel with longer stalls to provide more space in front of the cows. The ideal size is 80 to 100 stalls, and it is approximately one-third the weight of a rotary that is made with concrete. One of the company’s primary goals with this system is to minimize maintenance. Reducing metallic friction also saves energy. Company representatives anticipate the rotary being available in late 2026 or early 2027.

—Kimmi Devaney, editor

Image by Marian Viney.

Producers gather at World Forage Analysis Superbowl luncheon

The 2025 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, was buzzing with energy, and one of the highlights was the World Forage Analysis Superbowl. I had the opportunity to attend the luncheon, meet with sponsors and connect with the winners whose forage samples stood out among hundreds of entries. It was inspiring to see the innovation and dedication behind the scenes – from cutting-edge forage management to the science driving dairy nutrition. It was a celebration of excellence in forage.

—Marian Viney, editor

Image by Marian Viney.

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin distributed free milk

At the 2025 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin continued their tradition of distributing free milk to attendees as part of their statewide dairy promotion efforts. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin operated a booth where chilled single-serving milk cartons were provided, offering a refreshing taste of Wisconsin’s dairy excellence. The initiative served as a hospitality gesture and a way to connect consumers with the state’s 6,000 dairy farms and 1.26 million cows. The milk giveaway was part of a broader effort to highlight Wisconsin’s role as America’s Dairyland and to educate the public about the quality, nutrition and sustainability of locally produced dairy.

—Marian Viney, editor