Robert passed away in 2004; his wife, Shirley, remains a partner in the enterprise. Philip’s wife, Debbie, is involved in the farm by keeping the financial records. His son Richard joined the farm last year.

When it comes to “game changers,” the dairy industry has seen its fair share. The science behind creating a gallon of milk continues to change rapidly, thanks to new technologies and with the push for efficient and profitable operations in the current marketplace, nutrigenomics is today’s game changer producers need to consider.

If you’re considering canola, there’s a new tool that can help you calculate if it’s the right option for your dairy. Dr. Essi Evans with Technical Advisory Services Inc. says the canola meal calculator is a web-based tool designed to compare the feeding value of canola and other protein ingredients relative to your choice of an available protein source.

Over the last 50 years, milk production of dairy cows has essentially doubled in Canada. Even if cows consume an increased amount of dry matter, meeting the early-lactation nutrient needs of high-producing dairy cows is a big challenge. The transition period is more than ever a critical period.

It may still be cold outside, and for much of Canada there is certainly still some snow on the ground – but amazingly, in just a month we will be geared up and getting ready to plant our 2013 crops.

‘Making Profitable Dairy Management Decisions’ starts at the Triennial Dairy Symposium Designed with dairy producers in mind, the Progressive Dairy Operators (PDO) Triennial Dairy Symposium will focus on a wide range of key management and production topics affecting the dairy industry.