The 2024 Australian Dairy Conference aims to challenge dairy farmers to find the purpose and inspiration for what they do.
The conference, to be held in Melbourne from February 12-14, features an array of international and Australian speakers.
"There is an underlying tone for ADC 2024 of getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how we can make true change and impact by challenging ourselves and defining what we really want to achieve," programming chair Hunter Valley, NSW, dairy farmer Michael Rood said.
"Dairying in today's climate we need to be able to dairy beyond the comfort zone for businesses to grow and prosper and importantly also for our mindset and belief.
"In 2024 we have scaled the globe to find trailblazers who have overcome adversity and can demonstrate to Australian farmers the true meaning of purpose and resilience.
"We are privileged to have one of our strongest international representations ever with eight keynotes joining us from across the globe."
Conference speakers
The conference will feature a range of international speakers, including:
- Ukrainian dairy farm manager Andrii Pastushenko, who farms under constant shelling, managing a 75-strong workforce and the normal farming routine, while having to deal with the harrowing challenges of war. His second-in-charge was abducted three times in 12 months by Russian forces, returning to work each time to support the farm's commitment to nourish the local war-torn community with dairy foods.
- Dr Amy Jackson, from the United Kingdom, who is a specialist crisis communications consultant with a passion for understanding what the UK public thinks about farming.
- Farm consultant Mike Brady, from Ireland, who will discuss the new European restrictions that have prompted the Dutch government to mandate herd reductions and the Irish government to impose nitrate limits.
- Former Colombian Brown Swiss dairy farmer turned entrepreneur Juan Moreno, who will explain what he saw would be the legacy of converting the science of flow cytometry into the world-wide commercial adoption of sexed semen technology through his company Sexing Technologies.
- New Zealand dairy and beef farmer Chris Falconer, who farms next to a wetland of international importance and has built a farming model based on his values.
- Mechanical engineer and the son of a NZ dairy farmer Craig Piggott, who was just 22 when he established game-changing pasture management and virtual fencing company Halter in 2016. Eight years later he has 150 staff and a technology changing the way dairy farmers think and operate.
- Ben Loewith, from Canada, who farms 40 minutes from the heart of Toronto, surrounded by nearly 3 million people. He shares how he has earned and kept the respect of his city neighbours.
- Tom Rawson, from the UK, who supplies ARLA co-operative, will discuss how his processor has changed the way he farms.
Farm tour to head to northern Victoria
The conference farm tour will head to northern Victoria, starting on Sunday, February 11, and finishing on Monday, February 12.
The tour includes a visit to Australia's largest cut flower farm, a farm with a new calf-rearing facility and a large family farm with the first robotic compost barn in Victoria.
To register for the conference and farm tour, go to website https://www.australiandairyconference.com.au/.
