As part of our tour in Southwestern Ontario, held from April 8 to 10, 2026, producers and members of Uniag Cooperative had the opportunity to visit several dairy farms recognized for their performance, discipline, and innovative practices. Over the course of three days, participants were able to connect directly with passionate producers, discover practical, on-farm approaches, and draw inspiration from different management models. This tour reflects our commitment to fostering knowledge sharing, supporting our members in the growth of their businesses, and highlighting practices that contribute to building sustainable performance every day.
We would also like to warmly thank our partners for their contribution to the success of this tour: Serval Canada, Financement agricole Canada & Jefo Nutrition.
Day 1 – Visit to Summitholm Dairy
We left Saint-Isidore at 8 a.m. to head toward Summitholm Dairy. As soon as we hit the road, Tim Hortons coffee and donuts were shared among the group. Lunch was enjoyed on the road, courtesy of Serval Canada, with boxed meals prepared by La Binerie in Plantagenet.
Farm Overview
Summitholm is a family-owned operation that has been in business for over 80 years. Today, the farm milks 440 cows three times a day in a double-16 milking parlour.
The farm’s primary goal is clear: to maximize kilograms of fat produced per cow per day, with a target of 2 kg/cow/day. This approach explains the presence of older cows in the herd, as additional lactations lead to higher component production.
The visit began in the dairy barn and ended at the creamery.
Key Management Highlights
1. Rigorous milking performance tracking
The use of Afimilk software allows the team to generate detailed monthly reports on each employee’s milking performance.
The goal is not to penalize, but to identify areas for improvement. This approach ensures consistency, even with multiple employees involved in milking.
2. Dry cow management focused on minimizing stress
The dry cow barn operates on an all-in, all-out system. During its design, one guiding principle stood out: minimize disruption.
A rear alley allows cows to be moved without using the scrape alley, avoiding the need to disturb multiple groups of animals—an important advantage given the high number of movements related to calving.
3. Annual strategic meeting
Each year, the farm owners, management team, and key partners (nutritionist, genetics representative, etc.) meet to review challenges and identify improvement opportunities.
Action items are posted in the employee lunchroom to ensure follow-through and accountability.
Creamery Development
With quota limiting expansion, the farm explored alternative growth opportunities. The initial idea was to install a self-serve milk vending machine on the farm.
The concept evolved to include cheese curds, then a small storefront, and eventually expanded into Summit Station—a full-scale processing facility.
About the Creamery
All milk used in the creamery is A2A2 milk, stored in separate bulk tanks on the farm. Although no premium is currently paid by the federation, this remains a strong marketing advantage.
Evening
The day concluded with a group dinner at a restaurant.
Day 2 – Visits to Boernview and Hendriks
Boernview
Farm Overview
Boernview operates a cross-ventilated tunnel barn equipped with 10 Lely milking robots.
A key management feature is that fresh and treated cows are housed in a separate barn with their own robot, eliminating any risk of milk contamination.
An additional robot is located in the former parlour barn, where heifers, dry cows, and fresh cows are housed. This setup allows cows to remain in the same environment after calving, reducing stress.
Calf Management
The calf nursery is equipped with an automated feeder that delivers pasteurized whole milk. Milk is pasteurized in the main barn and transported using milk taxis.
Two designated days per week are set for moving one-week-old calves. This system ensures:
- proper task execution
- thorough cleaning and disinfection of pens
- improved biosecurity
Lunch
Lunch was enjoyed at the Mennonite-operated Anna Mae’s Bakery, sponsored by Farm Credit Canada.
Hendriks Dairies
Farm Overview
A 100-cow Jersey herd milked three times per day, producing 1.9 kg of fat per cow per day.
The barn is tunnel-ventilated and located on a hill, benefiting from strong natural airflow.
Cow Comfort
Stalls are bedded with sand, which the owner considers essential for maximizing cow comfort, despite the maintenance challenges.
Hoof Health Management
No footbaths are used. Instead, prevention relies on:
- strategic scraper operation
- maintaining clean, dry walking surfaces
Strategic Herd Choice
The decision to milk Jerseys is driven by land availability. Jerseys require less feed than Holsteins, making this a sound business decision rather than a preference.
Dinner
Dinner was held at Match Eatery & Pub at the London Casino.
Day 3 – Visit to Ringia Farms
Feeding
The farm uses an automated feed kitchen for concentrates, ensuring precise ration preparation before mixing.
Observed benefits include:
- significant time savings
- reduced feed waste
- measurable cost savings (e.g., soybean meal lasting three weeks longer)
Bunker silos are also maintained annually with a protective tar coating to prevent deterioration.
Calf Management
Calves are housed in individual pens and fed using a rail-mounted robotic feeder (three meals per day with whole milk).
Each calf has a detailed record card displayed at its pen, including:
- birth date
- colostrum quality and intake
- treatments
This system allows for complete traceability throughout the animal’s life.
Human Resources
Employee retention is a major strength:
- all but one employee have been with the farm for over three years
- several have been there for more than 11 years
The farm supports retention by providing housing, and all employees are local.
Milking Parlour
- 420 cows milked three times per day
- 50-stall rotary parlour
- automated sorting gate for cow separation
A flush system reuses water from the parlour to clean the holding area, resulting in:
- time savings
- reduced water usage
- improved labour efficiency
Lunch
Thank you to JEFO for sponsoring lunch at Chuck’s Roadhouse.
