Illinois Milk Producers’ Association to host Dairy Technology Showcase on July 29

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BLOOMINGTON, IL – The Illinois Milk Producers' Association will be sponsoring their annual "Dairy Technology Showcase," hosted by Dave Fischer. This is the third year for the IMPA Dairy Tech Showcase farm tour that will highlight dairy technology and dairy management on two dairy farms in Northwestern Illinois. The tours will be held on Tuesday July 29, 2014, in Stephenson County.

There is no need to register for the event, and you can attend either one or both of the host farm operations. Lunch will be "on your own" between noon and 1:00 p.m.

The first farm stop is Koester Dairy, owned and operated by the Dan and Amber Koester Family. The farm is located at 1099 E. Angle Rd., Dakota, IL 61018 and the tour will be from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The Koester family farm is operating in a new milking facility built to maximize technology, management and cow comfort. The Koester family leads the state in DHIA production, with the only herd topping an average of 30,000 pounds of milk per cow.

The second farm stop will be Scheidairy Dairy Farm, owned and operated by the Doug and Dan Scheider Families. Their farm is located at 1730 West Buckeye Rd., Freeport, IL 61032 and the afternoon tour will run from 1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Scheidairy has incorporated many management programs to help optimize milk production and cow comfort, including sand-bedded freestalls, and modern forage storage methods.

Each farm stop will include an organized tour conducted by the dairy owners along with management discussions and Q&A sessions, which will be led by Dave Fischer, former University of Illinois Dairy Educator. Also joining Fischer will be Dr. Mike Hutjens and Dr. Phil Cardoso, University of Illinois Dairy Specialists.

Schedule will be:

  • 10:30 a.m. – noon at Koester Dairy, 1099 E. Angle Rd., Dakota, IL 61018
  • Lunch on your own – Freeport and neighboring towns have several places to eat
  • 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Scheidairy, 1730 West Buckeye Rd., Freeport, IL 61032

For more information, contact Jim Fraley, IMPA manager, at 309-557-3109 or Dave Fischer at (618) 830-4957.