2022 Southwest Dairy Day set for Scotland, Texas on Oct. 20

The purpose of this free event is to provide information to fellow dairy producers, allied industry members and local communities about current management strategies and new technologies that producers are using in the dairy industry.

Southwest Dairy Day was last held in 2019 at T&K dairy in Snyder, attracting more than 350 attendees and 35 sponsors. The 2019 event highlighted five topics, including robotic milking systems, precision technologies, facility design, cow comfort and manure management.

This year Southwest Dairy Day will be Oct. 20th in Scotland and Windthorst, the first time it will be hosted in this region. This region is known for its German descent and differs greatly from other regions within Texas in terms of crops grown, number of cows per dairy and seasonal variations. Windthorst and Scotland are in Archer and Clay counties. These two counties include approximately 33 of Texas’ 351 dairies, meaning Archer and Clay counties account for about 9% of all dairy producers in Texas.

Not only will this be the first time Southwest Dairy Day will be held in this region, but this year the tour will include stops at three different robotic dairies. The host farms include Wolf’s Legendairy and Hemmi Family Dairy in Scotland and Vieth Dairy in Windthorst. The field day will begin at 8 a.m. at K of C Hall, 12538 U.S. Highway 281, Scotland. Attendees will be able to view sponsor booths and equipment displays at this location, as well as eat the noon lunch. During the morning, buses will drive attendees to each dairy farm where automatic milking system and precision technology experts will discuss unique aspects of each farm. The following topics will be covered during the tour by the respective speakers:

1. Vieth Dairy
   1. Topic: Cow comfort in automated milking systems.
   2. Speaker: Dr. Marcia Endres, professor and director of graduate studies, University of Minnesota.
2. Hemmi Family Dairy
   1. Topic: Retrofitting an existing dairy facility to implement automated milking systems.
   2. Speaker: Dr. Tim Terry, farm strategic planning specialist, Pro-Dairy, Cornell University.
3. Wolf’s Legendairy
   1. Topic: The use of other precision technologies on close-up cows and within an automated milking system.
   2. Speaker: Dr. Barbara Jones, assistant professor, Tarleton State University, and director of the Southwest Regional Dairy Center.

Sponsorship Information

The following are the levels of sponsorship and a description of what they provide for the Southwest Dairy Day. If you are interested in being a sponsor please visit: https://tamu.estore.flywire.com/products/southwest-dairy-days-sponsorship or www.texasdairymatters.tamu.edu and click link to visit the sponsor website.

• Platinum ($1,200) — All advertisement in booklet, on posterboard, on slideshow, company recognition at the introduction of lunch, promotional advertisement/information that are put in all bags at registration, social media recognition before the event (two sponsors a week) and booth space (one table and two chairs) along with location selection first come first serve. Limited to 15 spots!
• Gold ($1,000) — Advertisement in booklet, on slideshow and posterboard, promotional advertisement/information that is put in all bags at registration, and booth space. Silver ($700) — Advertisement in the booklet and on slideshow, and booth space.
• Bronze ($400) — Advertisement only in booklet and on the slideshow.

Additional booth space ($250) – MUST be a platinum, gold, or silver to add.

Equipment ($150/piece) The host dairy producers are excited to show their dairies and expect a great turnout from fellow dairy producers, allied industry representatives and the community. Given that this region is very rich in its dairy culture, it could be one of the most attended Southwest Dairy Day. For more information and to keep up to date on the progress of this event, please follow us on our Facebook page, Texas Dairy Matters or visit our website at www.texasdairymatters.tamu.edu. If you have any questions or would like to be emailed information on how to become a sponsor of the 2022 Southwest Dairy Day, please contact Drs. Jennifer Spencer or Juan Pineiro at jennifer.spencer@ag.tamu.edu or juan.pineiro@ag.tamu.edu.