MADISON, Wis. -- You can visit dairies from across the United States without leaving World Dairy Expo 2010. Free tours will be presented daily, Tuesday through Saturday, September 28 – October 2, in the Mendota 1 meeting room in the Exhibition Hall. Managers will present a half-hour pictorial view of their operation, including general operation information and highlights of exceptional management practices. Time for questions and discussion will follow. The tours will be available for viewing on World Dairy Expo’s website after the show.
Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com for more information about the operations featured at this year’s show. Tour hosts include:
• Valley-Drive Holsteins, LLC, Campbellsport, Wisconsin, managed by the Jeff and Merlene Hayes family and Daryl Winter. They have 200 cows milking and believe that adaptation leads to longevity. Sponsored by: Structures Unlimited LLC.
• Stewart Farms Inc., Nampa, Idaho, is managed by Joe, Jere, Jim and Marcella Stewart. They milk 630 cows and use innovative reproductive tools. Sponsored by: Semex. 
• Clover Patch Dairy, Millersburg, Ohio, is managed by Alan and Sharon Kozak. With 420 cows on grass, they’ll have something to say about grazing benefits. Sponsored by: American Jersey Cattle Association. 
• Ripp’s Dairy Valley, Dane, Wisconsin, is managed by Gary, Troy and Chuck Ripp and families. With 860 cows in the milking herd, they’re set to discuss management of transition cows. Sponsored by: AgSource Cooperative Services. 
• University of Minnesota Teaching & Research Facility, St. Paul, Minnesota, is home to a 130-cow research herd. Managers will share their findings. Sponsored by: Quality Liquid Feeds. 
• Cycle Farm, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is managed by Bill, Clarice, Jacob, Tony and Moriah Brey. Home to a herd of 240 cows, and a sizeable family, they’re focusing on family succession. Sponsored by: Grow Wisconsin Dairy Team. 
• Royal Farms Dairy, Garden City, Kansas, is managed by Kyle Averhoff and the Irsik Family. Their topic: environmental stewardship with 6150 cows. Sponsored by: Kansas Department of Commerce. 
• Sandy Acres Dairy, Elk Mound, Wisconsin, is home to 480 cows managed by Jeff and Marie Pagenkopf. What’s unique about their place are robotic calf feeders. Sponsored by: Land O’Lakes Purina Feed.