Genetics, technology, community engagement, environmental stewardship and cow comfort are just a few of the topics featured in World Dairy Expo’s Virtual Farm Tours, where farmers have a valuable and unique opportunity to learn from each other’s successes and experiences. Over the past 25 years, nearly 200 farms from around the world have been featured, and thousands more have benefited from the presentations and connections made through the Virtual Farm Tours in Madison.
According to Jenna Langrehr, World Dairy Expo Attendee Programs Manager, the earliest forms of the virtual tours came as a solution when in-person tour groups to Madison-area farms were becoming difficult to navigate due to biosecurity reasons in 2001.
“It was kind of a challenge turned into opportunity to make it virtual,” Langrehr says. “And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since. We can highlight farms across the country – and even internationally – without being restricted to Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. It’s definitely been a fan favorite for attendees.”
The draw to the Virtual Farm Tours is easy to see. “You can see outstanding dairy operations from around the globe, and learn from the owners and managers, without ever leaving the grounds,” Langrehr adds. “If you’re going to attend World Dairy Expo over the four-day trade show, you can see farms from the East Coast, Minnesota, California, Arizona, and maybe one in a different country – without an additional travel expense to see it firsthand.”
The impact of a virtual tour is unlocked in Madison, but it doesn’t end there. Many of the tours, dating back to 2011 can be found on World Dairy Expo’s YouTube channel, the most popular videos representing the diverse nature of the farms that were carefully selected over the years.
2012: Shamrock Farms
In 2012, Shamrock Dairy of Stanfield, Arizona, shared their unique marketing strategy for the dairy products they distributed under Shamrock Dairy, a nationwide dairy products company. At the time, they were already the official supplier for more than 20,000 Subway® restaurants.
Since then, Shamrock Farms has opened a new dairy manufacturing facility in Virginia, and their products can officially be found in all 50 states. They work together with partner farms across the U.S. and continue to uphold a commitment to herds, products and quality at every stage.
2015: Penterman Farm and Holland’s Family Cheese - Marieke Gouda
When Marieke and Rolf Penterman presented about their journey from Holland to Wisconsin during a 2015 virtual tour, they were milking 370 cows in Thorp, Wisconsin. They had just opened their cutting-edge creamery and retail store in 2013. Marieke had just been named the Grand Master Cheesemaker at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Today, they milk around 350 cows, and Marieke continues to blaze trails for women in cheese-making and win local and national awards for both her cheese and leadership in the dairy industry. She earned the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certification in 2024 and remains committed to excellence and tradition.
2019: Moo-Riah Dairy
In 2019, Moo-Riah Dairy consisted of Rudi and Anne-Marije DeWinkle and Justin and Siska Reece milking 1,250 cows in Melba, Idaho. The dairy was built in 1999 by Rudi and Siska’s parents. The cows were milked in a double-20 parallel parlor, and the families were very active in their communities through homeschooling, church and 4-H.
Now, Rudi and Anne-Marije and their seven children milk around 550 cows at Solid Rock Ranch in Nampa, Idaho. Justin and Siska Reece, with their five sons, own Moo-Riah Dairy and have diversified the dairy in several ways. They opened Copper Cow Creamery in 2024, where they sell their own cheese, milk, ice cream, coffee and other treats. The families are raising the next generation to be active both with the farm businesses and in their communities.
“The whole goal of World Dairy Expo is being the meeting place for everything and everyone in the global dairy industry, and with the connections you make here, dairy producers can learn from other dairy producers – so this is a natural opportunity for them to do so,” Langrehr concludes.
The Virtual Farm Tours are made possible by industry organizations and companies that sponsor each session. Sponsors nominate a farm they’ve worked with, and World Dairy Expo selects the farms who will ultimately present in Madison. Companies like AgSource, Quality Liquid Feeds, VitaPlus and others have noticed the advantages of this unique marketing and relationship-building opportunity and have maintained a long history of virtual farm tour sponsorship.
