Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference Provides ‘A Spectrum of Opportunities’ - Cowsmo

Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference Provides ‘A Spectrum of Opportunities’

Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) members from 33 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces and 16 countries gathered April 12-14, in Bloomington, Minn., and virtually for the DCHA Annual Conference and Trade Show. The 465 attendees, including dairy calf and heifer growers, dairy producers, veterinarians, academia and allied industry professionals, learned about improving colostrum quality, building calf immunity, biosecurity practices, heifer fertility, reproductive efficiency, maximizing beef x dairy genetics, employee management and engagement, and investing in personal development.

“The conference’s presentations provided expertise from leading calf and heifer experts who shared insights from science-based research to help calf and heifer raisers improve animal health and productivity,” said DCHA President Elizabeth Quinn, KA Sunset View Farm LLC, Schaghticoke, N.Y. “This forum inspired attendees to invest in themselves and their businesses to achieve a competitive advantage.”

With the theme “A Spectrum of Opportunities,” the 2022 DCHA Annual Conference and Trade Show provided three specialized tracks – wet-calf/weaning, post-weaning/reproduction, and beef x dairy. This allowed attendees to select the track most pertinent to their dairy business and personal interests.

During the DCHA Annual Meeting, members approved the 2022-2023 slate of candidates. DCHA board members are: President Jamie Franken, Sutherland, Iowa; Past President Elizabeth Quinn, Schaghticoke, N.Y.; Vice President Kerry Yanez, Chowchilla, Calif.; Secretary-Treasurer Clint Al-Ag, Friona, Texas; Northeast Regional Director John Balbian, Amsterdam, N.Y.; Southeast Regional Director Izabella Toledo, Mayo, Fla.; West Regional Director Jason Anderson, Bellevue, Idaho; Producer-at-Large Jim Van Patter, Cuba City, Wis.; Academia Director Theresa Ollivett, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.; and Allied Industry-at-Large Directors Jorge Delgado, Andover, Minn.; and David Casper, Freeport, Ill. Retiring board members include Sam Gardner, Huddleston, Va.; T.J. McClure, Johnson, Kan.; and Megan Kissel, Bliss, Idaho.

DCHA thanks its annual meeting sponsors who contributed to the program’s success. Diamond sponsors were Cargill and Merck Animal Health. Platinum sponsors included California Dairy, Elanco, Hoard’s Dairyman, Progressive Dairy and TechMix. Gold sponsors were Axiota Animal Health, Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Solutions, Neogen and Zoetis. Silver sponsors included Acepsis, Agri-Plastics, Alltech, American Dairymen, American Foods Group, Anpario, Boehringer Ingelheim, DBC Ag Products, Diamond V, Holstein International, Hubbard Feeds, MicroBasics, Milk Specialties Global, STgenetics and Trans Ova Genetics. Bronze sponsors were ABS, Adisseo, ADM Animal Nutrition, AgPartners, Calf-Tel, Casper’s Calf Ranch, Compeer Financial, Dairy Star, DSM, Ecolab, International Ingredient Corporation, Milk Products, Peach Teats, Vita Plus and Zinpro.

The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association 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.

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