Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) 2020 Dairy Research Highlights is now available for download on Dairy Farmers of Canada’s website in the Dairy Research section at: https://dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/en/dairy-research.  The publication contains relevant information on DFC’s investments in dairy production and human nutrition and health research, its research funding partners, a list of research projects in progress, as well as some of the main outcomes resulting from research and knowledge translation and transfer activities in 2020. A new section of the document includes a list of ..read more

Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) My Dairy Research Student Competition was launched on June 21st and is receiving keen interest amongst students working in Canadian dairy research. This new online competition is targeted to all graduate students (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) involved in a research project funded by DFC in a Canadian university. The objective of the competition is to engage students in the creation of innovative content for research users, which features their project’s results, new knowledge and the impacts/benefits of their research for the dairy sector and Canadians. This nationwid ..read more

After seven years and 185 published articles in English and French, today’s posts are part of the final edition of the DairyResearchBlog.ca. Effective August 1st, 2021, the Blog will be progressively shut down. The URL for the blog will remain live until the process of migrating content from the blog to the knowledge transfer section of Lactanet’s website at lactanet.ca is complete (Fall 2021). Recall that DFC is partnering with Lactanet to include DFC KTT materials on the Lactanet website. Content like extension articles and factsheets currently found on the DairyResearchBlog.c ..read more

Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) My Dairy Research Student Competition is an online competition for all graduate students (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) involved in a research project funded by DFC in a Canadian university. The objective is to engage students in the creation of innovative content for research users containing their project’s results, new knowledge and the impacts/benefits of their research for the dairy sector and Canadians. This nationwide online competition will provide opportunities to graduate students: To apply their science communications and knowledge transfer skills in developing ..read more

A new Dairy Research hub was launched on Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) website at: https://dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/en/dairy-research. The site contains key information on DFC research investments, governance, My Dairy Research Student Competition and research partners. As a part of the DFC corporate site, the new look and feel of the research content enables easier navigation, a better user experience on all devices and enables quick and easy page sharing across social media platforms. Video on DFC research investments and impacts Watch the video featuring DFC’s investments and impacts ..read more

Dairy farmers of Canada has initiated the process to update the National Dairy Research Strategy to guide investments in science over the next five years. The process, under the oversight of the Canadian Dairy Research Council, involves an online survey developed for broad consultation on research topics and facilitated focus groups with technical and scientific experts to determine key research orientations for each of the priorities identified from the survey results. The survey, targeting Canadian dairy farmers, industry stakeholders as well as the scientific and professional ..read more

Two factsheets were developed and made available on the DairyNutrition.ca website. A total of 8,000 copies were distributed to dietitians (both factsheets) and high school teachers (Calcium factsheet only) as part of DFC’s 2021 Nutrition Month Campaign in March. The factsheet Calcium: A Nutrient of Concern in Canada highlights data from the most recent national dietary survey on the status of calcium intakes amongst Canadians and the contribution of milk products to calcium needs. It demonstrates the widespread calcium inadequacy intake in all age groups, which is mainly re ..read more

David Fraser, Dan Weary and Nina Von Keyserlingk at the University of British Columbia have been the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) – Industrial Research Co-Chairholders in Dairy Cattle Welfare since 1997. For more than 20 years, this team has been leading the science of animal care and welfare practices in the Canadian dairy sector and internationally. DFC and a number of other sector partners have financed the Chair since it was created in 1997 and in 2019, the Chair was renewed for another five years with DFC support and several other partners. The scientif ..read more

There is still time to have your say in Canadian dairy research! Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) online survey about future priorities for Canadian dairy research is open until April 23, 2021. Click here to access the survey DFC invites dairy farmers, industry stakeholders as well as scientific and professional communities to complete the survey to help identify research priorities as part of the organization’s process to update its National Dairy Research Strategy. The updated strategy will be used to guide investments in science over the next five years.  Your participatio ..read more

The week of April 9th marked an important highlight in the history of dairy cattle improvement services in Canada as Lactanet introduced the first genetic evaluations for Feed Efficiency in the Holstein breed. Feed is a major expense on every dairy farm and represents more than half of on-farm production expenses. Some animals are more efficient at converting feed at the bunk to milk in the tank – the primary source of income for dairy producers. Lactanet’s new Feed Efficiency evaluation focuses on selection for improved biological efficiency without affecting production levels or b ..read more