WORLD DAIRY EXPO: "AROUND THE WORLD OF DAIRY IN 5 DAYS"
Dairy industry enthusiasts will soon be traveling from faraway places to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison October 4 through October 8 to take a virtual trip "Around the World of Dairy in 5 Days". World Dairy Expo, the destination, is expecting over 65,000 producers and industry professionals to converge from 90 countries for the five-day dairy celebration. More than 2,500 head of North America's most beautiful bovines from 37 states and 7 Canadian provinces will parade across the colored shavings within the themed Showring where official judges with a keen eye for cattle will select the champions. Each animal brings along a traveling caravan of professional fitters to make sure that their stay in Madison is clean, comfortable and relaxing. All seven major dairy breeds will compete for the ultimate overall Supreme Champion on Saturday, October 8 at 5:00 p.m. This year's commercial trade show is "bulging at the seams" as a record 795 exhibiting companies from 28 countries will provide dairy producers a chance to explore everything from new self-propelled feed delivery systems to computerized herd management systems, rotary parlor to robotic equipment. Over 120 new companies will join this year, allowing dairy producers a chance to discover the latest inventions, go hands-on with the coolest gadgets and share the newest ideas in dairy management. Visitors are encouraged to visit www.worlddairyexpo.com to access interactive maps that will help them locate company booths or products at the show. Daily Expo Seminars and Virtual Farm Tours provide producers multiple resources for ideas for their dairy back home. These venues bring real-world models to life and give producers a chance to exchange ideas face-to-face with the farm owners and industry professionals. World Dairy Expo also hosts numerous competitions, including national and international judging and skills contests at the 4-H, FFA, Intercollegiate and Post-Secondary levels. In addition, winners of the 2011 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Products Contest will be sold at auction on the evening of Oct 4, and winning forage samples from the 2011 World Forage Analysis Superbowl will be on display throughout the week. Dairy Forage Toolbox seminars will offer forage quality presentations throughout the week. Hours for World Dairy Expo are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Daily admission is $8 (US dollars) per person and season passes are $25 (US dollars) per person. Parking is free. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com or contact via email wde@wdexpo.com or by telephone at 608/224-6455. 09.19.2011