The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) marked its 25th Anniversary, April 6-8, in Appleton, Wis., by drawing more than 400 members to its annual conference and trade show via a “hybrid” format of in-person and virtual attendance. The 400-plus attendees, including dairy calf and heifer growers, dairy producers, veterinarians, academia and allied industry professionals, represented 16 countries and 27 U.S. states. This event provided a well-rounded mix of technical information and practical advice to help attendees grow their dairy’s future.
“The conference featured leading calf and heifer experts who shared research, ideas and technologies that are implementable on many calf and heifer ranches, and dairy operations,” said DCHA President Elizabeth Quinn, KA Sunset View Farm LLC, Schaghticoke, N.Y. “Despite the lingering challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, DCHA leaders and members took away renewed energy and enthusiasm for raising calves and heifers, and feeding the world’s population.”
DCHA’s Gold Standards – industry benchmarks and best management practices for raising dairy calves and heifers – remain the foundation of moving dairy operations forward, Quinn added. “The information, knowledge and experience gained at this year’s DCHA Annual Conference complement and support the organization’s Gold Standards.”
During the DCHA Annual Meeting, DCHA Vice President Sam Gardner, Huddleston, Va., announced that the DCHA board of directors voted to keep the leadership team the same for 2021-2022. DCHA board members are: President Elizabeth Quinn, Vice President Sam Gardner, Secretary-Treasurer Jamie Franken, Sutherland, Iowa; Past President T.J. McClure, Johnson, Kan.; Northeastern Regional Director Emily De Benetti, Burgessville, Ont., Canada; Southwest Regional Director Clint Al-Ag, Friona, Texas; West Regional Director Megan Kissel, Bliss, Idaho; Producer-at-Large Director John Balbian, Amsterdam, N.Y., Academia Director Theresa Ollivett, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.; Corporate/Company Director Kerry Nieuwkoop, Merck Animal Health, Chowchilla, Calif.; and Allied Industry-at-Large Director Jorge Delgado, Alltech, Andover, Minn.
DCHA thanks its annual meeting sponsors who contributed to the program’s success. Diamond sponsors were TechMix and Cargill. Platinum sponsors included American Dairymen, California Dairy, DairyBusiness News, Diamond V, Elanco, Hoard’s Dairyman and Holstein International. Gold sponsors were Land O’Lakes, Merck and Zoetis. Silver sponsors included Agri-Plastics, Alltech, Boehringer Ingelheim, DBC Ag Products, Denkavit, Ecolab, MicroBasics, Milk Products, STgenetics and SCCL. Bronze sponsors were ADM, Alliant Energy Center, Biomin, Calf Star LLC, Calf-Tel, CHR. Hansen, Compeer Financial, Dairy Star, Hubbard Feeds, PortaCheck, Vita Plus and Zinpro.
The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (www.calfandheifer.org) was founded in 1996 based on the mission to help dairy producers, calf managers and those professionally focused on the growth and management of dairy calves and heifers. With a national membership of producers, allied industries and research leaders, DCHA seeks to provide the industry’s standards for profitability, performance and leadership, serving as a catalyst to help members improve the vitality and viability of their individual efforts and that of their business.
