Ottawa, Ontario (Rural Roots Canada) – Canadian dairy farmers now have a new digital tool designed to make research easier to access and apply. The Canadian Dairy Hub, launched by Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) in partnership with Lactanet and other industry groups, brings together a wide range of practical, science-based resources in one place.
The bilingual website is organized around four key themes: herd management, animal health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. It serves as a central point for tools, videos, factsheets, and webinars.
Fawn Jackson, DFC’s Chief Research and Sustainable Production Officer, says the idea for the Hub was a response to changes in how farmers were getting information.
“We know that certain stakeholders who have previously done knowledge transfer to our farmers have pulled back from those areas of work in the last number of years,” says Jackson. “We wanted to make sure that we had a one-stop shop for Canadian dairy farmers, as well as their advisors, to really support the adoption of best management services on farm.”
Jackson says the Hub is meant to be practical, not theoretical, and to reflect the day-to-day realities of running a dairy operation.
“No matter what management practice they’re thinking about on their farm, we have the resources here,” she says. “If we don’t have them, we have a form that they can fill out and say, Hey, I’d really like to learn about this.”
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The site includes detailed information on herd productivity, reproduction, milk quality, housing, and manure management. It also connects users to live webinars and in-person events where they can ask questions and share experiences with other producers.
To make sure the information was easy to digest and easy to use, DFC consulted with farmers, provincial organizations, and experts during the Hub’s development.
“We certainly worked with a lot of experts in this area,” she points out. “As well, we had a guidance committee that helped us develop our priorities. Of course, we listened to farmers and then worked with our provincial organizations to help inform the site. But this is going to be an ongoing, evolving tool.”
Before its public launch, DFC conducted test sessions and webinars with farmers and advisors. Jackson says the reaction was positive, confirming the Hub fills the gap for producers looking for concise, credible, and directly applicable information.
“We did some test launches and have done webinars and sessions, and we’ve had really great feedback,” she says. “You can really see that there was a need out there for this tool. Having short, easy-to-disgest information that’s been reviewed by experts, and presented as practical tools on key topics, is what’s important to farmers, and that’s where the Dairy hub is focused today.”
While the Hub already covers four major themes, DFC plans to expand the content and explore new ways to share information.
“We’re really just getting started,” Jackson says. “While there is some content, there’s not all of the content that there could be. We’re looking forward to digging further into some of these topics and getting those resources available to farmers.”
Future add-ons could include more interactive tools and forums to exchange ideas and experiences.
“Where we might traditionally have seen articles, we’re asking, can we turn this into a tool?” Jackson says. “Can we turn this into an interactive chat so that they can discuss with other farmers how they’ve applied those practices on farms?”
You can learn more by visiting the Canadian Dairy Hub website.
