Future-Ready Dairy Farm Tour Series

Event Description:

Real farms. Real conversations. Real solutions.

Join the UVM Extension Dairy Team for the Future-Ready Dairy Farm Tour Series as we visit innovative dairy farms across Vermont that are improving efficiency, profitability, and resilience through technology, diversification, and herd and crop management strategies. These informal farm tours and conversations offer a chance to hear directly from producers about what is working on their farms, lessons learned along the way, and what they are most excited about for the future of their businesses and the dairy industry.

This tour series will highlight:

Practical approaches to milk quality and on-farm testing
Crop and herd management strategies that support long-term success
Diversified markets and alternative income opportunities
Funding opportunities and resources for dairy & crop operations
On-farm precision ag tools that improve decision-making

This work and events are supported by Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2025-70027-45395, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as Stonyfield Organics and University of Vermont Extension.

Upcoming events in this series:

Resource Recovery in Action: Recycling Water for Pasture Irrigation
Severy Farm, LLC, 6039 VT-30, Cornwall, VT 05753
PARKING: Please navigate to Pleasant View Cemetery in Cornwall, VT, and follow signage to the parking area.
Thursday, June 25, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Learn from the Severy family about their 100% grass-fed organic dairy operation and their innovative approach to recovering agricultural grey water. Nate Severy will detail the unique ways that he manages his grazing system and the equipment he utilizes to complete the job. Additionally, UVM Extension Research Associate Professor Joshua Faulkner will discuss trial results from research on forage quality and yields.

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Precision Agriculture in Action: Robotic Weeding on Dairy Farms & Herd Health Monitoring Systems
Henry Bros. Wolf Ridge Dairy (2053 Greenwoods Road, Alburgh, VT, 05440) and Ladd Farm (345 Alburgh Springs Road, Alburgh, VT 05440)
Tuesday, June 30, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Explore the latest in precision ag technology with live demos, conversations, and a farm tour all in one day. Join UVM Extension specialists for a demonstration of BOTONY robotic weeders at Henry Farm, then head to Ladd Family Farm for a Stonyfield-provided lunch and discussion about smaXtec herd health monitoring technology, operating a small-scale feed center, and the family’s unique approach to grazing management. This event will be a great opportunity to connect and see innovative tools in action.

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Building for the Future: Funding, Automation, and Innovation Strategies
39 John Rowley Road Milton, VT 05468
Tuesday, July 7, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Learn from the Rowley family about their journey building a future-ready dairy operation through facility design, automation, and long-term planning. Participants will hear about the family’s approach to automated milking, adapting dairy nutrition and management strategies to evolving technology, and navigating grant and funding opportunities to support these investments. The workshop will also explore farm transfer and succession planning strategies to help position the operation for future generations.

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Diversifying Dairy: Grazing, Agritourism, and Value-Added Innovation
Stony Pond Farm, 336 Emch Rd, Enosburg Falls, VT 05450
Thursday, July 9, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Learn about innovative practices at Stony Pond Farm, stewarded by the Webb family. Melanie and Tyler Webb manage a Jersey herd and produce small-batch cheese and grass-fed beef. Learn about seasonal calving, grazing, and youngstock management strategies, compost bedded pack management, and infrastructure for product distribution. Additionally, to reach new markets, Tyler and Melanie added two farm stays on their property.

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Farm Tour at Skyline Holsteins, Derby Line, VT
3749 Nelson Hill Rd, Derby Center, VT 05829
Tuesday, September 1, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Stay tuned for more info!

Price:

Free

Additional Information:

Please note, you can only register for one tour date at a time. After you complete your registration, you can start over if you would like to register for another date.

For more details, please visit our events website.

If you have an event related question, please contact Susan Brouillette (susan.brouillette@uvm.edu) or Whitney Hull (whitney.hull@uvm.edu). If you have a question about the registration process, please contact the UVM Non-Credit Registration office at noncredit@uvm.edu or (802) 656-8407.