The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture is partnering with Purdue University to offer the fifth annual Kentuckiana Dairy Exchange. The two-day meeting will give dairy producers an opportunity to visit other dairies and learn the latest from UK and Purdue specialists July 31 and Aug. 1.

Dairy specialists from both universities believe Kentucky and Indiana producers share many common challenges and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

The meeting begins at the Shelby County Cooperative Extension office July 31 with registration at 1 p.m. EDT.

Evening presentations on July 31 will include information about dairy farm succession planning. Participants will tour five Kentucky dairies over the two days including John Kalmey Dairy with 150 registered Holsteins; Harvest Home Dairy with 130 Holsteins, a new compost bedded pack barn, camera monitoring system and real-time location system for cows; Eddie Klingenfus Dairy with 110 Holsteins, sand freestall barn and heavy use of alternative feeds; Longview Dairy with 200 Holsteins and a recently installed heat detection system and Dick Davis Dairy with 70 Holsteins, Lone Star Milk Quality Award winner.

Participants may preregister by July 15 for $25. Make check payable to Kentucky PDCA and return to: Kentucky Dairy Exchange, c/o Larissa Tucker, 403 W.P. Garrigus Building, Lexington, KY 40546-0215. For more information, contact Tucker at 859-257-5986 or email larissa.tucker@uky.edu. The registration fee will cover program costs, snacks and dinner on July 31. The brochure and registration form is located online here. 

Meeting participants are responsible for their own room reservations. A block of rooms is reserved at Best Western Lodge in Shelbyville under “Kentuckiana Dairy Exchange” at a rate of $62 per night. Reserve rooms by July 15 by calling 502-633-4400.

The Kentuckiana Dairy Exchange is sponsored by UK and Purdue Cooperative Extension Services and is supported by industry sponsors including Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Kentucky Dairy Development Council, Dairy Farmers of America/DMS, Neogen Corporation, Alltech, Afimilk, Advanced Comfort Technology, Southeast Dairy Consulting, Novartis Animal Health, Jackson Dairy Supply/Valley Farmers Cooperative, Bluegrass Dairy and Food, KABA/Select Sires, Koetter & Smith Inc., Venture Milling and the Dairy Products Association of Kentucky.