Why it matters: Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers brings recognition to farmers who lead and do things differently on their operations.

The pair were recognized at the regional event held at Cellar 52 on April 8 in St. Jacobs with sponsors and alumni in attendance.

“We really appreciate the opportunity to be here,” Drew said upon receiving the award. He noted the couple are celebrating their 10 anniversary and marking the fact that they will soon be aging out of the “young farmers” demographic.

“This is a great way to kick things off and we really appreciate everybody’s support in this room,” he said, adding the couple is grateful for the support of their family, their team on the farm and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Drew has served as the president of the OFA since 2023.

The Spoelstras will go on to represent Ontario at Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers competition in November.

The runner-up was McBlain Farms Ltd., run by Allison and Tyler McBlain of Caledonia.

The Outstanding Young Farmers Program is open to participants aged 18 to 39 years old, whose major source of income comes from agricultural sources. Participants are selected from seven regions in Canada, and two national winners are chosen each year.

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Organized by DLG Markets North America, the event features more than 300 exhibitors and welcomes 17,000 farmers and industry professionals.

The Canadian Dairy Business Summit kicked off the show, featuring keynote speaker and former Toronto Maple Leafs right-winger Darcy Tucker, who spoke about projecting strength within the industry. The summit also included industry experts discussing the latest innovations and challenges facing the dairy sector.

The annual Calves for a Cause fundraiser, an auction and charity initiative that brings together breeders and supporters to raise funds for the London Children’s Hospital Foundation, raised approximately $383,000 on live lots. The live sale averaged $6,942 on 47 animals.

Follow all of Farmtario’s coverage of the Canadian Dairy XPO here.

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The sale, held April 1, 2026, was the sixth edition of the sale. It was created by the Markus family, when Darryl and Sarah Markus’s son Brooks spent a lot of time in hospital due to a rare medical condition.

Brooks has not had to be in hospital for a year.

“That’s the first time in six years that I can say that,” said Darryl the morning after the sale. “He’s healthy and doing well. It’s been a long road.”

The Markus family continues to raise funds for the London Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Gross sales of live cattle at the sale raised about $383,000, with the online embyro and commercial cattle sales yet to come. The live sale included cows for the first time, not just heifers, and that added to the total. The average of the live show was $6,942 on 47 animals.

The top sellers were:

• Hilrose-I Altitude Red Annalee for $19,000 to Alphie Stoltzfus, from Pennsylvania
• Bud-Jon-Vail EC Citron for $17,000 to Mark-A-Valley, from Ontario
• Echo Glen Major Irene for $13,500 to Martin-View, from Ontario.

Follow all of our coverage of the Canadian Dairy Xpo.

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Kelly Reynolds, of Mill Wheel Show Clinics, from New York, used calves from the Calves for a Cause sale to show young people calf showing basics.

Reynolds’ tips included:

• Choose a calf appropriate for the size of the showperson and keep in mind that the calf will grow quickly during the show season.

• If the calf is a behaviour problem in the barn already, she won’t likely be a good choice to show.

• When figuring out how your calf should stand, have someone else hold the halter and take a good look yourself, from the viewpoint of a judge.

• Getting a calf to stand properly takes practice. Think about how she’s standing as she’s being walked into place. Using your feet to put the calf’s feet into place is fine, but better is to use hand pressure on the calf’s side to get her to move her feet.

• When lining up your body with the calf, have your toes facing the calf, and have your shoulders line up with the calf’s hips.

• How you and your calf react when in a lineup of calves can make or break your placing, says Reynolds. This is where the judge can directly compare your calf with others. Leave enough space between calves.

• Being in step with your calf, meaning the same side feet of the showperson and the calf move at the same time. It adds an “amazing flow” for a judge, says Reynolds.

Check out all of our coverage of the Canadian Dairy Xpo.

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As the CUSMA agreement comes under review, the industry is looking for ways to mitigate the impact of any trade adjustments with the United States.

Canada is the third-largest market for U.S. dairy producers and holds less than a one per cent share of overall global dairy trade. Under the agreement, Canada granted the U.S. access to about 3.5 per cent of its domestic dairy market tariff-free as of 2020, with quotas increasing annually until 2026.

Senator Rob Black toured the CDX grounds and met with farmers and suppliers. He told Farmtario that the upcoming trade talks will be a challenge.

“The government is supportive of supply management. We need to hold feet to the fire,” he said, adding that CDX is an opportunity to strengthen networks and learn about products and services that could be marketed globally.

Building global trade partnerships

Both Germany and the Netherlands had delegations at the show, as well as pavilions for attendees to learn more about doing business with the two nations.

Germany and the Netherlands are also significant markets for Canadian dairy genetics. Meanwhile, Canada looks to both countries for production and engineering equipment.

Matthew Lawrence, regional sales manager for Ontario for German compressed air products manufacturer Kaeser Compressors, said Canada’s strong 75-year trade relationship with Germany continues to strengthen.

“From a business standpoint, our countries have the same mindset and value system,” he said. “Both countries tiake pride in their engineering knowledge and expertise.”

He added that Canadians understand that choosing a German product means they can have confidence in the integrity of the product.

Germany and the Netherlands are significant investors in Canadian and U.S. agricultural land, and expansion is on the minds of many suppliers.

Luc Ottink, area sales manager with Netherlands-based Ottevanger Milling Engineers, said his company is working to expand its presence in Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, the Dutch are a significant presence on immigrant-run Canadian farms, representing 23 per cent of immigrant farm operators.

“The relationship between Canada and the Netherlands has been good and we have always got along, so why not do business,” he said.

Enterprise Ireland sponsored the Dairy Fest event at the show – the social evening with lots of cheese and other dairy products available to test. Jordon Undershill, founder of CDX and now director of USMCA exhibitions for DLG, the German company that now owns the show, says that he expects Ireland to have a pavilion at the 2027 show.

Check out all of our coverage of the Canadian Dairy Xpo.

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The show continues to have an increased international flavour with the second show under the new ownership of the German organisation DLG.

The popular Dairy-fest event will have an Irish theme, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. The Netherlands will also have a pavilion in the Innovation Hall for the first time, featuring Dutch dairy companies.

The show takes place at the Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ont., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free parking. Admission is $25 per day or $40 for a two-day pass. There’s also a family four-pack of tickets available for $80.

There will be food available at several food trucks and grilled cheese and milkshakes will be served at the 4-H Food Booth.

Need to get from your hotel to the show? There’s a complimentary shuttle bus running.

Calves for a Cause

Fundraising event Calves for a Cause returns on the evening of April 1.

The auction showcases some of the top dairy calves in the province to help raise funds for the London Hospital Foundation.

The auction is run by the Markus family. Brooks Markus, son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, was born with a rare nervous system disorder called Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) and has spent time at the London Children’s Hospital. The fundraising auction aims to help other young patients in need of care in the area.

Youth events

April 2 is dedicated to youth, with many special events, including a resumé blitz, a scavenger hunt, a youth dairy showing clinic presented by Kelly Reynolds of Mill Wheel Show Clinics and a colouring clinic.

Daily schedule

The show kicks off both days with the complimentary producer pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

A hoof-trimming demo will take place on both days at the hoof trimming corral.

Blondin Sires will be presenting a calf clipping clinic with Jonathan Lehoux on both days at 1 p.m.

Other events and demonstrations to watch out for include the John Deere Kids Zone, the Genetics in Motion display of live cows in the WeCover Cow Coliseum and the Dairy Farmers of Canada Blue Cow Shop and international pavilions from Germany and the Netherlands.

Dairy business summit

On the day before the CDX, dairy business farmers will gather for the third Canadian Dairy Business Summit.

The professional development event will take place at the Rotary Complex in Stratford this year, and will focus on issues important to dairy farmers including trade, succession, artificial intelligence and industry outlook.

Follow all of Farmtario’s coverage of the Canadian Dairy Xpo.

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I am passionate about the dairy community and the dairy cattle dairy producers care for every day to help feed the world. I am proud to have been part of the Canadian dairy industry for over 20 years – beginning with Holstein Canada, to Ayrshire Canada, to Progressive Dairy, to where I am now with Glacier FarmMedia (click here to read my full biography).

Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing industry people over the years and I am excited to have this platform with Farmtario to share my stories, industry happenings, and dairy insight right here with you.

I’m sure this blog will evolve as time goes on, but my plan is to keep it simple. With everything going on in the world and with everyone’s busy schedules, I look forward to sharing what, or who, has caught my eye and why it may be of interest or important to you. The goal is to bring you a lighthearted, enjoyable, and informative column to help you keep your pulse on the wonderful world of dairy.

The dairy industry is one big part of the agriculture eco-system, and what I like is that everyone in ag shares the same goal: producing what needs to be produced to fuel the future. Growing nutritious quality products to support global food systems in a sustainable way is how I see it and I am happy to play a role in one way or another!

Speaking of sharing knowledge, have you recently visited our DairyPlus resource online? This is a one-stop shop for everything dairy from Farmtario. The editorial content is categorized into different themes, so you can easily find all dairy related articles in one spot, written by our talented editorial staff and contributors.

Being part of the Glacier FarmMedia family has broadened my perspective on the vast and diverse world of agriculture, and I’m excited to share my journey with you, through a dairy lens. This reminds me of my early days in the dairy industry, when I had my first real “aha” moment while working at Holstein Canada (especially since I grew up on an apple orchard and miniature horse farm). This is also where I built some of my earliest connections, including my friendship with Greg Dietrich.

Greg and I worked together in 2006 and have stayed in touch ever since. Over the years, it’s been interesting to compare our careers paths – mine in my newer role as Sales Consultant, Dairy and Eastern Cattle with GFM, and his as the new CEO of Holstein Canada.

During a recent conversation, we were talking about connections and their importance. So, I asked Greg to share his thoughts and he said, “With all the change we’re having in the dairy industry, it’s important more than ever, for industry partners to work together for the interest of dairy farmers.” And I couldn’t agree any more.

I’m looking forward to the connections and conversations this spring, such as at the upcoming Canadian Dairy XPO. Or perhaps I already bumped into you the other week at the London Farm Show or Ottawa Valley Farm Show. Everyone I spoke with were happy to be at the show exhibiting or visiting with excitement in the air about to learn what’s new in the industry while reconnecting with each other.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog. I’m already looking forward to writing my next one where I plan to interview some familiar dairy faces and keep you in the dairy loop with what’s been catching my eye!

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An Agriculture Canada spokesperson said the $265 million reduction in international and domestic marketing of Canadian agriculture and agri-food products. can be attributed to a $131 million decrease in the Dairy Direct Payment Program, the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program and the Youth Employment and Skills Program.

As well, another $135 million decrease is from the end of Wine Sector Support Program and the Local Food Infrastructure Program, along with planned reductions to the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund.

Why it matters: Agriculture Canada provides farmers with research and funding for programs, so cuts could affect their businesses.

The dairy and poultry programs were part of funds the government committed to the supply management sectors after part of the domestic market was given away to imports over several trade deals, including CUSMA.

Employment cuts confirmed

In the next three years, Agriculture Canada will eliminate about 665 positions.

Most of those job losses, possibly 494, will be in the department’s science and innovation branch.

Those figures come from Agriculture Canada’s 2026-27 departmental plan, which was released in March.

The 494 estimate comes from the Agriculture Union, which represents department employees.

Agriculture Canada is planning the following cutbacks, the plan says:

• 2026-27: $112,248,000

• 2027-28: $80,083,097

• 2028-29: $154,721,097

“It is anticipated that these spending reductions will involve a decrease of approximately 665 positions by 2028–29.”

The job losses are part of budgetary reductions at Agriculture Canada announced in late January.

At first glance, it seems like a high percentage of the job losses are directed at the science and innovation branch. The jobs being eliminated include lab/field technicians and the other staff who support the work done at the department’s research centres and farms across Canada.

Milton Dyck, national president of the Agriculture Union, confirmed that the majority of reductions are happening within the science division, but there’s a reason for that.

“Science and technology, by far, it’s the biggest group. It’s the largest holder of people in the branch.”

Therefore, if the federal government wants to cut costs at Agriculture Canada, it must reduce the number of employees working on science, research and innovation.

In 2024-25, Agriculture Canada employed 5,134 full time staff, says the departmental plan. Those people worked in four sectors:

• Domestic and international markets (563 staff).

• Science and innovation (2,621).

• Sector risk (412).

• Internal services (1,538).

By 2028-29, Agriculture Canada plans to have 2,125 people working in science and innovation, a loss of 496.

Most of the affected people will be support staff rather than scientists. The jobs eliminated will include technicians and field staff.

“(By) axing them, you’re ensuring that there’s no more science being done (in specific programs or locations),” Dyck said.

“You get rid of that middle group.… They’re not doctors, but they do a lot of the lab work and technical work and do the work for the scientists.”

As for cutting managers and administration and bureaucratic jobs, a bit of that is happening at Agriculture Canada.

The department plans to reduce the workforce in internal services from 1,465 this year to 1,297 in 2027-28, a loss of 168.

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Why it matters: The annual Best Managed Herds rankings help dairy producers gauge where they stand compared to other successful operations across the country.

“I feel kind of like I went to the Olympics as a spectator and came home with a gold medal,” said tie-stall operator Edgar Kaelin of Clarence Creek, Ontario’s Sunrise Holsteins — the top-ranked 2025 herd based on national dairy data and milk recording organization Lactanet’s annual Best Managed Herds assessment.

He said sets his family’s farm apart is a focus on udder health and herd health, including a longstanding status as a closed herd that has prevented the arrival of potentially damaging infections like strawberry footrot.

Meanwhile Sarah Sache, who manages the business affairs of Rosedale, B.C.’s West River Farm — the second-ranked robot Best Managed Herd and top overall in Western Canada — said Lactanet’s six factors address a range of goals.

The Saches are most proud of their ability to grow when there has been opportunity for growth, and what they hope is their farm’s contribution to helping B.C.’s dairy industry grow as a whole.

“We’ve always managed for efficiency,” she said, adding that this has typically meant feed efficiency and butterfat per cow, but is now shifting to a focus on protein production as the consumer marketplace evolves. “And profitability has always been a key metric for us.”

Based on numbers compiled from farms using Lactanet’s DairyComp herd management software and milk testing programs, the Best Managed Herds rankings combine the scores for Milk Value, Udder Health (based on somatic cell count testing), Age at First Calving, Herd Efficiency (average percentage of cows that are not dry on milk test days), Longevity (average percentage of all cows in the herd in their third lactation or higher), and Calving Interval. Altogether, they yield a Herd Performance Index (HPI) total — with Sunrise Holsteins’ top-ranking 2025 HPI coming in at 978.

When the Kaelins started at the Clarence Creek location in 2003, they used milk testing, breed registration and classification for their Holstein herd.

They have since stopped registering and classifying, however, because they believe advancements in genomics have given the industry sufficient potential to accurately assess genetics without farmers needing to pay for those services. They continue to use milk testing and data collection through Lactanet, though, because they like being able to compare where they are now to where they were in the past, and to compare to other farms across the country.

“We need Lactanet so it can give us back information about udder health,” Kaelin said. He’s proud about his farm’s achievements in that area, but added “we’re not looking to get any public recognition.”

“We want to have cows with healthy udders.” He believes they accomplish this by keeping things clean in the barn and sticking to a daily routine that sees the cows up and active mostly while people are working in the barn, and lying down in their stalls when the people aren’t in the barn.

The Sunrise team doesn’t feed in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. And there’s no pushing up of feed. “It works with a tie-stall,” Kaelin said.

Like Sunrise Holsteins, Alexerin Dairy of Manotick — the 2025 top-ranked parlour operation in Canada and second overall among all types of dairy farms — prides itself on maintaining excellent herd health through keeping a long-time closed herd. They also put a strong focus on udder health.

“We’re really proud of our team” — including Ron, Judy, Todd and Erin Nixon as well as four non-family employees — “for maintaining consistency to achieve reproductive success, maintain good production, and we’ve made good progress on improving our udder health this year,” said Todd Nixon in a video released during the recent Lactanet announcement.

He added that the farm uses DairyComp for everyday management, “and then our vet and nutritionist use it to dig deeper into whatever issue or opportunities we take.”

In other provinces, the New Rockport Colony in New Dayton was the top-ranked parlour dairy in western Canada and the top-ranked farm overall in Alberta.in Western Canada. Sierra Colony Farms in Shaunavon achieved the highest HPI among Saskatchewan dairies, and Isaac Dairy in Kleefeld was the number-one tie-stall in Western Canada and tops overall in Manitoba.

The number-one robot herd nationally was Lansi Holsteins in Saint-Albert, which was also tops among all Quebec dairies. Willie A. Leblanc and Sons in Memramcook ranked highest in New Brunswick, Sunny Point Farms in Densmore Mills topped the Nova Scotia rankings, Tenslotte Dairy in Stanchel was the Best Managed PEI herd in 2025, and Brophy’s Dairy in Daniel’s Harbour ranked highest in Newfoundland.

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The Canadian dairy sector has given up 18 per cent of the domestic market over several trade agreements, says Dairy Farmers of Canada’s president.

That recent history of increased access is why Dairy Farmers of Canada is looking to the federal government to hold the line at any more access to the market during the upcoming CUSMA review process.

“There seems to be a fair bit of attention being paid to Canadian dairy, for some reason,” said David Wiens, president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, who farms in Manitoba.

“It’s interesting that in light of the trade balance being in favour of the U.S., that this keeps coming up.”

The American administration has claimed a lack of fairness in the dairy relationship between the two countries, but has not, to this point, targeted the dismantling of the supply management system.

The concern is around the administration of Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs), which help manage how products are imported into a country.

Canada originally allocated its U.S. import TRQs to domestic processors, but a 2021 U.S. appeal to the tribunal that oversees CUSMA disputes ruled in the U.S.’s favour, and the processor pool was changed.

The U.S. continues to have concerns with TRQ administration, but after a second appeal in 2022, the tribunal ruled in favour of Canada’s updated TRQ system.

Dairy farmers hear lots of rhetoric from the American administration, and Weins recommends that they listen to diverse sources of information about dairy and trade.

“It’s important to also listen to what others are saying,” he said, including other people in the American dairy industry.

“Most industry feels that there’s quite a good trade arrangement between Canada and the U.S., and they don’t want to see that disrupted in a major way. And that sentiment is on both sides of the border,” he said.

Economists Aleks Schaefer of Oklahoma State University and Chris Wolf of Cornell University completed a study published last year showing Canadian imports of U.S. dairy products rose from $524.9 million in 2021 to $877 million in 2024.

Wiens says trade agreements aren’t perfect, “but they’re something”.

“The government has very much supported that there will be no further concession.”

Updated to include attribution of a statistic.

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