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Where Are You Losing When You Could Be Winning?

Using Better Systems to Find the Blind Spots in Dairy Management

9:45 AM
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A practical look at how dairy farms can connect sensor, milk, feed, health, and staff information to make better decisions and improve profitability in Ontario.

Dr. Shari van de Pol

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

CATTLEytics Inc.

Sponsored by ScotiaBank

Cooling the present, Protecting the Future:

Heat Stress Management for Dairy Cattle

11:00 AM
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Heat stress affects more than milk production. It can impair fertility, transition cow success, calf growth, health, and future productivity. This presentation will review the impacts of heat stress across all stages of the dairy herd, from calves and dry cows to lactating cows, and discuss practical, research-based strategies to mitigate heat load for both calves and cows.

Dr. Tevor DeVries

Professor

University of Guelph

Merle and Barb live in Calgary during the week and enjoy weekends in Canmore in a home built with logs they harvested, cut, and shaped themselves. They are the proud parents of three adult sons and dote on their grandchildren. They enjoy hiking, skiing, cycling, and canoeing in Canmore’s back country.
Sponsored by CMR & Howick Mutual



DFO Update

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1:00 PM
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Annual DFO Update

DFO industry news: https://new.milk.org/industry/industry-resources/

Mark Hamel

Region 11 Chair, Representative for Grey & Bruce Counties

Dairy Farmers of Ontario

Mark Hamel was first elected to the Board of Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) in 2018. He represents producers in the counties of Bruce and Grey. Mr. Hamel was re-elected chair of the DFO Board in January 2026. He currently chairs the Ontario Advisory Committees for Milk and Transportation. He also serves on the P5 Supervisory Body and Markets Committee, and represents DFO on the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee, Presidents’ Council and Farmgate 5. Mr. Hamel is a graduate of the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Program - Class 8. He contributed to the development of the Indonesia Dairy Co-operative Initiative by travelling to Indonesia to meet with government officials and dairy representatives in the summer of 2014. Mr. Hamel and his wife, Cathy, are partners with their son Matt (fourth generation) and daughter-in-law, Larissa, to operate Harmony Holsteins west of Elmwood, Ont. Together, they milk 150 purebred Holsteins and farm 900 acres. Mark and Cathy have three children and seven grandchildren.

Supporting Optimal Lifespan for Dairy Cows

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1:15 PM
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There are controversies and misconceptions about whether greater longevity should be a goal and whether to extend lactation length in diary cows. This presentation will address principles behind these questions and highlight key areas to support optimizing cow health and replacement.

Dr. Stephen LeBlanc

Professor

University of Guelph

Stephen LeBlanc is a professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph and director of Dairy at Guelph – The Centre for Dairy Research and Innovation. He received a BSc(Agr) in Animal Science from McGill University in 1992, and a DVM (in 1997) and DVSc (in 2001) from the University of Guelph. His research focuses on dairy cow metabolic and reproductive health and management, precision technologies, and antimicrobial stewardship. With graduate students and collaborators, this work has resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed papers and invited talks in 20 countries. He serves as a senior editor for the Journal of Dairy Science.

Quota Transfer for Dairy Farm Succession

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2: 15 PM
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Description coming soon!

Betty-Anne Elliott

Field Services Representativ

Dairy Farmers of Ontario

PANEL

Using Artificial Intelligence for Real Dairy

3:00 PM

Technology is transforming the dairy industry at a rapid pace, offering new opportunities to improve efficiency, animal care, and profitability. Join a panel of progressive dairy producers as they share their firsthand experiences adopting advanced technologies and AI-driven tools on their farms. From automation and data management to decision-support systems and emerging innovations, panelists will discuss what has worked, the challenges they've faced, and the lessons they've learned along the way.

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This engaging discussion will explore how technology is changing day-to-day farm management, the measurable impacts producers are seeing, and what factors should be considered before investing in new tools. Looking ahead, panelists will also share their perspectives on the technologies poised to shape the future of dairy farming and the opportunities they see for the next generation of producers.

Korb Whale

Chair

Lactanet Board of Directors

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Korb along with his 3 children and parents, Bruce and Deborah, farm in Wellington County in Ontario. Korb is the 7th generation to farm where his ancestors from England settled in 1845. They currently milk 160 cows with an external rotary parlour on 475 acres at Clovermead Farms. They produce all their own feed and cash crop any surplus. In 2014, they were the winners of the DFC Sustainability Award for their efforts over three generations to meet the three pillars of sustainability. The environment, financial and community all factor strongly in this farm’s success. Korb is the chair of the Lactanet Board of directors, a director for Cornerstone Renewables Inc. and Cornerstone Carbon. He is mostly kept busy with his three children's soccer, hockey, figure skating, track, music and cadets. He enjoys travelling and playing hockey in his spare time and loves nothing more than playing the guitar and singing around the campfire with his family and friends. Korb graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Civil Engineering, and after graduation spent a year working for Environment Canada at the BAPMoN (Background Atmospheric Pollution Monitoring Network) laboratory in Alert at the Northern tip of Elsmere Island. Korb continued as an engineer for 3 more years travelling to New Zealand for a year working in the dairy industry and through Europe. He came home to farm in 2000.
Dr. Shari van de Pol

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

CATTLEytics Inc.

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Dr. Shari van de Pol is a veterinarian, engineer, and Founder & CEO of CATTLEytics Inc., a dairy technology company helping farms turn everyday data into clear, practical decisions while better organizing work, teams, and accountability. CATTLEytics digitally twins dairy operations by connecting cows, staff, schedules, time clocks, tasks, and data into one operational system — improving animal health, labour efficiency, and profitability without adding workload. With a background in Computer Engineering (McMaster University) and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Ontario Veterinary College), Shari has unique expertise building data models and AI-driven systems that translate complex biological and operational data into actionable on-farm insights. At CATTLEytics, this includes developing predictive health, reproduction, and performance models that help teams see risk earlier, prioritize work, and close the gap between plans and execution. Her work has been recognized across North America with awards including RBC Innovation Award, Tech for Good, COFS Innovation & Farmer’s Choice, and WCT Entrepreneur of the Year. Today, CATTLEytics is used by progressive dairies across North America to bring consistency to daily management and clarity to long-term decisions."
Evert Veldhuizen

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Thank you to our premier sponsor!

Contact:

Grey Ag Services

info@greyagservices.ca

519-986-3756

Conference location:

Carriage House Events Centre

265 5th St, Hanover, ON N4N 3X3

Map

Mailing address:

Box 463 

Markdale ON

N0C 1H0

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