Written By David Gomez
WOODSTOCK – Dairy producers gathered at the Woodstock Fairgrounds on Feb. 19 for the 41st annual South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium, where speakers explored current issues shaping the industry, from nutrition and market trends to the financial management of modern dairy farms.
Among the presentations, Dr. Chris Church of Central Dairy Solutions focused on a topic that resonated with many producers in the room: the business side of dairy farming and how farmers can make better use of their advisory teams.
Church, who spent years working as a dairy veterinarian before shifting toward farm business consulting, opened his talk by reflecting on his early years in practice. At the time, much of his work involved responding to problems on farms. Over time, he said, that experience led him to question whether the industry could focus more on prevention and long-term improvement rather than simply treating issues as they arose.
“I always liked the big picture,” Church told the audience, explaining that his interest gradually expanded from individual animal health to the overall performance of the farm.
His later work with large dairies across North America also shaped that perspective. In one example, he described how process-improvement teams working with a large dairy operation were able to identify significant annual savings by closely examining workflows and efficiency on the farm.
That experience eventually led him to pursue further education in business, where he began studying the relationship between milk production and financial performance. His research, based on financial and production data collected from dozens of Canadian dairy farms over several years, suggested the connection between production levels and profitability is not always as straightforward as many assume.
“Production and profit were very poorly linked,” he said while discussing the findings.
Church explained that many farmers are highly knowledgeable about production metrics, such as milk output or herd performance. However, financial indicators—including operating costs or the expense of raising replacement heifers—are often less familiar.
In informal polling conducted during industry meetings, he said nearly all producers could identify key production figures, while far fewer were comfortable discussing financial benchmarks.
The presentation also examined how farmers seek information when making decisions. Surveys indicated that most producers turn first to existing advisors such as veterinarians, nutritionists, accountants or lenders when discussing operational changes.
Church suggested that bringing those advisors together in more coordinated discussions could help reduce blind spots and improve decision-making.
“These meetings help improve communication and minimize blind spots,” he said, referring to advisory team models used on some farms.
Throughout the day, the symposium also featured technical presentations on dairy nutrition and market outlooks, along with a trade show and networking opportunities that brought together producers, researchers and industry partners from across Southwestern Ontario.
