AltaAdvantage® Showcase NY 2011: Our 10th and most largely attended tour EVER!

Each of the 8 host dairies had 5 stations on various topics, where informative presentations took place during
the 2 hour visit. Farm management and technology was highlighted by owners and managers, Alta products and programs were showcased by Alta staff, and performance pen daughters were featured by Advantage® Consultants.

The 23 countries represented at Showcase NY 2011

This New York event marks Alta's 10th Showcase tour and was the most highly attended tour to date. While the weather provided some cold and rainy moments, the awesome farm scenery as well as the stunning Fall colors kept spirits bright throughout the tour.

AltaAdvantage® Partner Herds – Progressive to the core

The 8 AltaAdvantage® dairies visited; McKnight's River Breeze Dairy, Adon Farms, Stauffer Farms, Venture
Farms, Beck Farms, Twin Birch Dairy, Bergen Farms and Sunnyside Dairy Inc. provided a glimpse into the many Advantage® partner herds from across the United States. These 8 herds account for >12,500 cows combined. The significant numbers of cows on these dairies make up large contemporary groups all housed in commercial environments. This situation is ideal for assessing the genetics of Alta sires, and when combined with DNA verification to ensure accuracy, the proofs obtained from the Advantage® program sires are precise and second to none.

Partnerships with Alta were a focal point of presentations made by herd owners. Andy Danner, herd manager at Bergen Farms, stated "Alta is AWESOME! The best thing about Alta is that they have always done what they say they're going to do – and that goes a long way. The company has been really consistent in my eyes and the Advantage® sires have worked out great here, as you can see in our performance pen."

Andy Danner, Herd Manager at Bergen Farms, speaks about employee relations, managing a team, and his relationship with Alta

The #1 I Thing Learned on Showcase...

When guests were asked what the '#1 thing they learned on Showcase was,' two answers were predominantly given. These answers were 'how to use genomics' and 'Alta people are passionate and enthusiastic!'

The presentations delivered and discussions held about genomics and the Global Advantage® program led many producers to express that they are now confident enough to use genomics in their own herds. Mindy Foster, owner of a herd in Ontario, Canada, summed up her feelings on this new-found knowledge perfectly when she stated, "The tour has definitely opened my up my eyes in terms of genomics. Before, I'll be quite honest; I was purely ignorant about it all and didn't want to jump on the bandwagon until I saw how things panned out. Now I feel more than comfortable with genomics, I understand it much better, and I will most definitely bring this technology home and put it in place."

A group from Canada, the UK, the US and Australia listen to Nate Zwald speak about Genomics

Another very popular answer to the question 'what is the #1 thing you learned at Showcase' was in regards to
the common passion and enthusiasm shared by Alta staff. Larry Simon, owner of a 650 cow herd in Westfalia, Michigan stated in regards to the subject, "Our rep (Tim Benda) brings an enthusiasm and team spirit that we'd never experienced before. That's the one thing I've noticed during my days on Showcase – all Alta employees seem to have that same professionalism and drive that I see in Tim. Not only are the people impressive, but your company's concept of 'we're all going to roll up our sleeves and get in on this thing together' is completely unique in the world of AI."

Performance Pen – Proof in the Daughters

Always a highlight of each herd visit is the performance pen, which when all combined, consisted of 165 daughters from over 45 AltaAdvantage® sires. Standout daughters of long-time Alta favorites included those by AltaIOTA, AltaBAXTER, AltaSPARTA, AltaOTTO, AltaRUSH and AltaROSS. Many impressive daughters from 2011 proven sires were also admired in the line-ups. These newly proven sires included AltaR2, AltaTOYOTA, AltaTRIGGER, AltaTRIANGLE and AltaRENO.

What was of particular note was the consistency of daughter groups in individual performance pens. The uniformity among these groups was clear a testament to the results that can be achieved when you put together, and stick to, a focused genetic plan.

Outstanding performance pen at Sunnyside Dairy Inc. consisted of the following daughter groups: AltaSPARTA (4), AltaBAYSIDE (4), AltaHATLEY (3), AltaJURYMAN (3), AltaROSWELL (4) and AltaALLEGRO (2)

Performance Pen at Twin Birch Dairy: Led off by 5 daughters of AltaBAXTER

Participants of this year's tour are sure to have left with fond memories, new friends and industry contacts, as well as a continuing confidence in Alta's ability to provide genetics that producers can trust and reproductive and dairy management services that create value. 

We are already looking forward to our next Showcase event to be held in California March 21st-23rd, 2012. If you're interested in being a part of this upcoming tour or any future Showcase tour, talk to your Alta representative. After all, Seeing is Believing – just ask any previous Showcase guest!

Article by: Lynsay Henderson, Marketing Specialist