Josh Mashek | Iowa
Dairy producer Josh Mashek, Calmar, Iowa, made his first trip to World Dairy Expo (WDE) when he was just eight years old. In the two decades since, he’s made a return trip nearly every year.
Expo’s Trade Show, which features more than 850 participating companies, is one of the segments of the show that keeps him coming back.
“You’re always on the lookout for new ideas and products that will help you make your business better,” Mashek says, who farms in a family partnership that also includes his parents, Dennis and Barb, and his brother, Tanner. They milk 400 registered Brown Swiss cows.
“The Trade Show here is huge. If you want to know what’s going on in dairying, this is the place to be.”
Some years, Mashek will arrive at Expo looking for specific products or ideas. A few years back, for example, he spent a good part of his time at the show gathering information about managing sand bedding in the free-stall barn.
“I was able to talk to the reps from several different companies while I was here,” he says. “I got different ideas from each of them and heard what their customers were saying about what was and wasn’t working for them.”
Most years, he also makes it a point to visit a number of genetics companies exhibiting at the show.
“A lot of it’s simply PR,” he says. “The company reps who come to the farm are here at the show and it gives me the chance to touch base and catch up with them. Also, a lot of the companies use Expo to feature their newest and best products. It’s cutting edge.”
Mashek also appreciates the dairy-specific nature of the Expo Trade Show.
“At some of the shows you go to, there are a lot of exhibits that don’t really have anything to do with dairy farming,” he says. “But, at Expo, it’s all related to dairy. It’s a great place to come and learn.”
Mark Hilty | Indiana
Sitting in on an Expo Seminar or two and attending at least one of the breed shows in the Coliseum top Mark Hilty’s must do list when attending World Dairy Expo.
“We enjoy the whole show,” says Hilty, who milks 100 cows, mostly Holsteins, near Goshen, Ind. In the past 10 years, he’s made half a dozen visits to Expo. “There’s always so many new things to see and learn about, and it’s all in one place. We always come away with ideas on how we can be more profitable and stay in business.”
The Expo seminars are held daily in the Exhibition Hall. Over the years, Hilty has attended sessions on dairy cow nutrition and health, farm business management and robotic milking.
“The speakers they have here are the very best,” he says. “You get the latest information.”
Along with the formal presentations by the speakers, Hilty also finds value in the audience question and answer segments that are part of each seminar and in having the chance to touch base informally with other farmers before and after the sessions.
“It’s great to talk to other producers and find out what they’re doing on their farms.”
Shifting gears, attending the cattle shows is pure enjoyment for Hilty.
“We’re not interested in having show cows of our own,” he says. “The shows are just fun to watch. The cattle you see here are absolutely top-notch.”
Rick Adams | Wisconsin
Having the chance to connect with friends from throughout the dairy industry is one of the major reasons Rick Adams has been coming to World Dairy Expo every year since 1980.
“You get busy on the farm and you don’t always have time to stay in touch with everybody,” Adams says. He’s the owner of 600-cow Sugar Creek Dairy near Elkhorn, Wis. “I know a lot of the vendors in the Trade Show and I have friends showing cattle in the different breed shows. It’s hard for me to walk very far around here without running into somebody I know. It’s great to be able to catch up with people, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
Adams typically spends three days at Expo. The International Holstein Show, held on Friday afternoon and Saturday, is a highlight of the trip for him.
“I spend a lot of time on genetics,” he notes. “At the show, you can see what the daughters of certain bulls look like and get a better idea of what the trends are in the industry. You can see where the improvements are in areas like udders and frame. It gives you some things to think about in terms of what you could be doing in your own breeding program.”
A friendly, informal competition with a long-time farmer friend from Minnesota adds to Adams’ enjoyment of the breed show.
“We’ve been meeting up at the show for the last 30 years,” Adams relates. “We each try to pick out who we think is going to win a class and then compare the results. We have a lot of fun doing it.”
Luke Haywood | Michigan
Putting up top-quality, highly digestible forages is a priority on Luke Haywood’s 1,200-cow, Sand Creek Dairy near Hastings, Mich. Attending the various activities making up the World Forage Analysis Superbowl (WFAS), held annually in conjunction with WDE, gives Haywood additional tools for getting the job done.
Included in the WFAS activities are a contest featuring eight production categories, a series of seminars related to forage production and management and a display of forage samples from contest finalists.
“(Coming to WFAS) is a good way to get a lot of information in a short period of time,” says Haywood, who is a part of the family management team that also includes his dad, Larry, and sons Ethan and Austin.
The Haywoods have been competing in the WFAS contest for a decade. Over the years, they’ve produced numerous finalists in the Alfalfa Haylage and Grass Hay categories and also the brown midrib corn silage and standard corn silage categories. A few years back, they took top honors in the brown Midrib Corn Silage division.
“Entering the contest helps us measure our progress,” Haywood says. “We can see how we stack up against some of the best forage producers from all across the U.S.”
The Mycogen Seeds Forage Superbowl Luncheon, held in the Exhibition Hall on Wednesday of Expo week, presents additional opportunities.
“We’re able to talk to other producers about what they’re doing to put up better forages. A lot of the businesses we work with also have representatives at the luncheon, so we’re able to network with them.”
Luke also makes sure to leave time in his Expo schedule to walk through a display area (in the Arena building) featuring physical samples of WFAS category finalists.
“You can see what hybrids people are using,” he says. “You can also take a look at particle length and get an idea of how well the forage is preserved.”
Brian and Kristi Dinderman | Illinois
Keeping their Hi View Farm name in front of potential customers looking to purchase high quality genetics is an important part of the business plan for registered cattle breeders Brian and Kristi Dinderman, Orangeville, Ill. Exhibiting in several of the breed shows at World Dairy Expo each year helps them meet the challenge.
The Dindermans’ 70-cow, registered herd includes Guernseys, Ayrshires and Holsteins.
“When you have a smaller dairy like we do, finding a niche will help you be profitable,” says Brian. “We found our niche is in merchandising and selling animals and genetics.”
Throughout the course of a year, the Dindermans will exhibit at a number of other cattle shows including their local county fair and the Illinois State Fair. While there are marketing benefits to competing in all of those events, Expo is in a class by itself.
“This is the show of shows,” says Brian. “If you can be successful here, it takes your marketing to a whole different level.” Adds Kristi, “Expo is where you really find out what kind of animals you have compared to the very best. When you do well here, you get noticed.”
In 2018, the couple learned first-hand how success at Expo can translate into improved visibility and sales. That year, one of their animals, HI Guern View Dancing Diva-ET, was named Reserve Grand Champion in the International Guernsey Show. Another animal the couple had bred and sold, Hi Guern View Diva Designer, was Intermediate Champion.
“It definitely had a big impact on the number of embryos we were able to sell throughout the year,” says Kristi.
