The 2019 Alta ADVANTAGE Showcase Tour marked a milestone as the 20th edition of the most progressive dairy management tour in the industry.
More than 250 guests from 21 different countries gathered together in Sioux Falls, South Dakota June 25-28, 2019. This was the first time ever that the Showcase Tour took place in the US Central Plains region, as guests toured Alta partner dairies in southwestern Minnesota, northwestern Iowa, and eastern South Dakota.
Thank you to our host farms
We thank the following farms that opened their operations to share their progressive approaches to herd management throughout the three-day tour:
- Ocheda Dairy | Worthington, MN
- Boadwine Dairy | Baltic, SD
- Van Ess Dairy and VanEss Heifer Farm | Sanborn, IA
- City View Farms | Sutherland, IA
- Drumgoon Dairy | Lake Norden, SD
- Sunrise Dairy | Castlewood, SD
So much to learn!
From the owners and managers of these forward-thinking dairies, guests had the chance to discuss everything from converting to robotic milking systems and eliminating antibiotics, to manure management, nutrition, and parlors, to heifer management, breeding strategies, and Alta’s alignment with progressive dairies. Evenings included great conversation and friendly competitions for guests to meet and mingle with fellow dairy producers from around the world.
20 times in the making…
With the 20th tour now complete, here’s a peek back at a few impressive stats from those tours:
- 20 Alta ADVANTAGE Showcase Tours
- 13 years
- More than 5000 total guests
- 150 farms visited
- ~400,000 cows represented at these host farms
- 765 total Showcase Tour stations discussing a diverse array of management topics
Thank you for being a part of the 20th Showcase Tour experience!
Check out tour photos and videos below.
