2024 Eastern Ontario Dairy Days conference series set for February

OTTAWA — After a three-year pause, the annual Eastern Ontario Dairy Days conference series is set to resume in February.

The yearly conferences began 48 years ago as several regional gatherings of Eastern Ontario dairy farmers, which was eventually pared down to two locations on consecutive dates. The series was last held in February 2020, one month before the arrival of the pandemic.

The revived 2024 edition returns to the St. Isidore Recreation Centre on Tuesday, Feb. 13 and the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at each site (no advance registration). A fee of $30 per person applies, which also covers a catered lunch. It’s all over at 3:30 p.m.

Both dates feature the same speakers, including Dr. Marina von Keyserlingk, professor and research chair in animal welfare at the University of British Columbia.

Blair Murray, one of the longtime organizers of the event, said that von Keyserlingk will speak about animal welfare issues, including the benefits of keeping calves with their mothers for a period of time, “and how to better manage calves.”

Alberta Milk’s Kelly Mauthe, a milk quality specialist, will share his experience with the “everyday pickup testing” rule in that province, and Dairy Farmers of Ontario Chief Business Officer Kristin Benke will deliver an industry update. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s Melanie Hunter and Eastgen dairy solutions specialist Craig Leroy will also present.

A small trade show with about 20 exhibitors will complement the conference as usual.

Murray reports strong general interest in the return of the event, which typically draws between 100 to 120 producers to each scheduled date.