Peter Gould to be inducted into Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in June

February 01, 2023

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) Board is thrilled that DFO’s nomination of Peter Gould, DFO’s former General Manager, to the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame has been accepted. Peter’s many contributions to the Ontario and Canadian dairy industry have helped shaped the sector into what it is today. He was a dedicated advocate for the industry and for supply management and his legacy has been far-reaching and profound.



Throughout Peter’s career, he developed and nurtured numerous relationships both within the organization and in the dairy sector. His qualities, experience, passion and vision have served the industry well, and we are forever grateful.

Peter will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, Ont.
 
To read the full press release on Peter’s induction, please click here.

Southwestern Ontario Dairy Symposium

January 27, 2023

The 2023 Southwestern Ontario Dairy Symposium (SWODS) will be held on Feb. 22
at the Woodstock Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The SWODS committee is working on providing an excellent program for dairy producers
and a great tradeshow for exhibitors. Keynote speaker will be Michael Barrett, president and
chief executive officer of Gay Lea Foods. Tickets cost $25 and include lunch. There will be a
full line up of speakers starting at 10:15 a.m. in the main auditorium.

The symposium is planned and sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, through the dairy
producer committees in Essex-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Huron, Perth, Oxford,
Waterloo, Wellington, Brant, Norfolk, Wentworth, and Haldimand and Niagara, and in cooperation
with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Visit www.dairysymposium.com for more information.

DFO Board elects 2023 Board Executive

January 19, 2023

Board Executive Election
 
At a Special Board meeting held on Jan. 19, 2023, following Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) 2023 annual general meeting (AGM), DFO’s Board elected its 2023 Board Executive. Murray Sherk, Board Member for Region 8, was re-elected as Chair; Mark Hamel, Board Member for Region 11, was elected as Vice-Chair; and Adam Petherick, Board Member for Region 4, was re-elected as 2nd Vice-Chair.
 
Regional Elections
 
On Jan. 19, 2023, immediately following the adjournment of DFO’s 2023 AGM, the following producers will each begin their four-year term on the DFO Board: John Wynands, Board Member for Region 3; Albert Fledderus, Board Member for Region 7 and Mark Hamel, Board Member for Region 11.

DFO honours industry achievements and delivers Annual Report

January 19, 2023

 

TORONTO, January 19, 2023 – During a celebration earlier this evening at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) Board recognized producer commitment to the production of high-quality milk and industry leadership at its inaugural DFO Recognition Dinner. The organization also delivered its 2021-22 Annual Report.



Five Ontario dairy producers with the best quality scores were recognized for their outstanding commitment to quality, and the first-ever DFO Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Glen McNeil (Heather Holme Holsteins, Goderich, Ont.).

• Citilimits Farms Inc., Jordan Dietrich and Nicole Dietrich
• Zethill Farms Ltd., Russell Zettler
• Ontowa Farms Inc., Martin Family, Ralph Martin and Judy Martin
• Elliottdale Holsteins Ltd., Andrew Elliott and Nicole Elliott
• Slits Dairy Farms Ltd., Pedro Slits and Jolanda Slits

 
Juanita Echeverry-Munera, Ph.D candidate in the Trouw Nutrition Ruminant Research Centre at the University of Guelph, received the 2023 DFO Doctoral Scholarship of $100,000 to explore methods to raise dairy-beef calves to improve productivity, sustainability and economic return on Canadian farms.
 
“Ontario dairy producers meet some of the most stringent milk quality requirements in the world and these Quality Award recipients have demonstrated the passion and commitment it takes to be the best of the best,” said Murray Sherk, DFO's chair. “It’s a true reflection of what we do to support our Canadian dairy system. I commend these producers for their leadership.”

“Glen McNeil’s contributions to the dairy industry as a producer, mentor and advocate have been immense,” said Sherk. “He is kind and generous in giving back to dairy producers and his community, and the sector has benefitted from his commitment to quality, advocacy and goodwill. His is truly a lifetime of achievement, with much more to come, and DFO's board is proud to present this award to acknowledge that.”
DFO also released its 2021-22 annual report demonstrating a continued focus on supporting a dynamic, profitable and growing dairy sector. You can find the Annual Report on DFO's website on the Industry Resources page on the top right navigation.

“We set an ambitious growth target and put all our efforts toward meeting it. In the face of high inflation, rising interest rates and increasing costs to produce the food Canadians need, we were able to move the needle for Ontario producers,” said Cheryl Smith, DFO's chief executive officer. “Dairy is the largest agricultural sector in Ontario, contributing almost $8 billion to the provincial gross domestic product and supporting 100,000 full-time jobs and, as an organization, we remain committed to delivering for Ontario producers.”

Early Winter issue of Milk Producer magazine available online

January 09, 2023

The online version of the Early Winter Milk Producer magazine is available at www.milkproducer.ca.

• Innovation Integration: Innovations in dairy farming help producers like Laurie Stanton keep animal health and well-being a top priority, while increasing production efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

 
You can also catch up on previous issues by clicking here. 

DFO is title sponsor of Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's Future Stars & Top Prospects games

December 13, 2022

The Ontario Junior Hockey League has announced the return of the 2022-23 All-Star Celebration, with tremendous support from Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) as the presenting sponsor.

The two-day event is scheduled for Jan. 13 and 14, 2023, in Collingwood, Ont., and includes a celebration of hockey, including games, skills competition and community activities. The game will feature the best players from across the OJHL.

“We are a proud and long-time supporter of youth hockey and highlighting the benefits of milk in a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Cheryl Smith, DFO’s chief executive officer. “We have partnered with the Ontario Hockey Association, and through that with the OJHL for two years. We are thrilled to showcase our commitment to the league’s young athletes as this season’s presenting sponsor for the All-Star Celebration for the first time.”

To read the full news release, click here.

DFO launches popular Milk and Cookies campaign

November 28, 2022

DFO launches popular Milk and Cookies campaign

Giving back to and supporting local communities has always been important to Ontario dairy farmers. This holiday season, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is making its fourth consecutive holiday donation of $500,000 to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and other Ontario children’s hospitals in Hamilton (McMaster Children’s Hospitals), London (Children’s Hospital) and Ottawa (CHEO). Since 2019, DFO has donated more than $2 million through the Milk & Cookies campaign to initiatives that support patients and families spending the holidays in Ontario children’s hospitals.

We kick off­ this year’s campaign with a new TV commercial, Home for Christmas. The ritual of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa means hope, excitement and, above all, … magic. The ritual of milk and cookies is the inspiration behind our TV commercial. The objective is to generate awareness of DFO’s donation to Ontario children’s hospitals and strengthen consumers’ perceptions of the dairy industry, while driving consumption by reinforcing the importance and tradition of milk during the exciting holiday season.

To further amplify the donation and generate consumer engagement, the magical pairing of milk and cookies will be used to spread joy to kids spending the holidays in Ontario children’s hospitals. DFO is providing these kids with a custom Santa’s Milk-O-Gram kit. Each kit includes everything a child needs to decorate a unique and festive milk bottle for Santa’s milk to leave out on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), including milk coupons. To encourage consumer participation, DFO is inviting families across Ontario to get involved by posting their own messages of support on social media right through the holiday period. The first 300 individuals to post a message will receive a Santa’s Milk-O-Gram kit of their own. Consumers can visit DFO's social channels to learn more.

The campaign launches on Nov. 28, with 30- and 15-second ads on TV, online video ads, social media, influencers, public relations, billboards, digital advertising, radio ads and broadcast segments on CP24. Our media buy and PR eff­orts will reach all Ontarians and invite them to join us in showing support for kids who are in children’s hospitals across the province this holiday season.

Read the press release here: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/annual-milk-amp-cookies-campaign-from-dairy-farmers-of-ontario-supports-ontario-children-s-hospitals-this-holiday-season-with-500-000-donation-847330161.html 

Watch the TV commercials here: https://youtu.be/F7t_HXLocnk 

DFO’s annual general meeting returns in person on Jan. 17-18

November 17, 2022

 

Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is holding its annual general meeting in person this year at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto, Ont., on Jan. 17 to 18, 2023.

Click on this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dairy-farmers-of-ontario-2023-annual-general-meeting-tickets-453899544757

Late Fall issue of Milk Producer magazine available online

November 11, 2022

The online version of the Early Summer Milk Producer magazine is available at www.milkproducer.ca.

• The Top of Their Game: Researchers from the University of Guelph manage some of Canada's largest dairy research programs including at The Ontario Dairy Research Centre at the Elora Research Station.

 
You can also catch up on previous issues by clicking here. 

DFO launches 10-foot milk tower in Toronto on Nov. 4 and 5

November 04, 2022

 

Consumers and media are invited to join Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) at an interactive experience at Yonge-Dundas Square from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Watch the segment on Breakfast Television showcasing the event: https://www.breakfasttelevision.ca/videos/dairy-farmers-of-ontario-launch-everybody-milk-campaign-at-yonge-dundas-square

The event features a nearly 10-foot tall 'Everybody Milk Tower' that is a true ode to milk. Guests will also enjoy a glass of fresh Ontario milk served from a customized vintage trailer, take fun and unique photos and are encouraged to share them on Instagram and TikTok with the #Everybodymilk and tagging @OntarioDairy. To kick-off the celebration, the creator behind viral TikTok recipe channel @Everything_Delish, Jamie Milne, will be on-site capturing content and sharing her own love for milk.

The new Everybody Milk communications platform and marketing campaign is live in market from Oct. 10 to Nov. 27. Building on the strong foundation established through ongoing marketing efforts, this campaign reminds everyone of their love for milk in a celebratory, fun and meaningful way with the goal of increasing consumption.