Lifestyle

World Dairy Expo – The Annual Pilgrimage

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The InBarn team just returned from Madison Wisconsin, and the World Dairy Expo. For some of us it was our first WDE experience, and for others an early October trip to Madison is just part of the yearly calendar. This year marks trip number 9 for me to Madison for WDE, and I often joke that it feels like an annual pilgrimage to the Meca of the dairy industry. Every year, the trip to Madison is compromised of three main activities. Meeting up with old connections, establishing new connections, and eating more cheese than I want to admit.world dairy expo event

The first is finding time to meet up with past acquaintances and business partners. These are great conversations where we talk about past projects, and the potential for future projects. Given that the dairy industry is built upon personal and business relationships, these moments where we can catch up face to face are invaluable. Many of these relationships span years or even decades, yet sometimes a few minutes in the booth at WDE is just what is needed. While traveling across the county to Madison Wisconsin every year may seem overrated and outdated, there is nothing that can replace the value that comes from face-to-face meetings.

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While meeting up with past acquaintances is something that I love to do, it is also important to meet new people and companies and expand our network. Walking the trade show and taking stock of all the new companies and technologies that are on display, is an essential part of attending the Expo. There is always a plethora of new concepts, ideas, and products to take in, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Yet, seeing new products and ideas is a great way to get an overview of industry trends and directions. Showcasing new products and ideas to potential customers is a great way to build interest and drive momentum.

One thing that you cannot escape as you wander the halls and exhibits in Madison is just how small and connected the dairy industry is. Sometimes it seems like everyone knows everyone. It always amazes me how many people came through our booth looking for someone specific. It seems to be the people that draw attendees in, not the flashy product displays. “Is Eugene at the show?”, or “Is Brian around today”, were probably the top two questions I was asked while working our booth. I was ready and prepared to discuss all things ventilation and cow cooling, yet people wanted to talk to people they knew.  It seems the connectedworld dairy expo eventness of the dairy industry is inescapable. That’s one of the things I love about our industry; it still functions based on relationships. Personal relationships and connections are what keep our industry thriving. It’s been said many times, but it rings true for the dairy industry as well, “People buy from people.”

Those behind the World Dairy Expo understand this idea well, as the motor for World Dairy Expo is “Where the global dairy industry meets.” They understand and appreciate that while we do need sales to recover the costs associated with attending the show, the main focus of the show is meeting like-minded dairy enthusiasts, industry professionals, and producers from all over the world. There is no other forum or venue that facilitates this like world dairy expo.

Spending time with coworkers in our booth is a quick way to build comradery. When you get people outside of the office environment, it’s easier to build relationships and a team environment. For InBarn, with a largely remote sales staff, getting everyone together in one space does not happen very often. Taking advantage of having everyone together is important. We use the time to have face to face meetings and discussion, plan for the future, and also look fondly upon the previous years. As with our other industry colleagues, face to face time is irreplaceable when it comes to building lasting relationships.

The plans are already in motion for next year’s pilgrimage to Madison for World Dairy Expo 2024, and I am sure it will be an exceptional time like it always has been. Until then, I will have to wait for my cheese curds and grilled cheese sandwich.

 

 

 

Beer and Dairy – Synergistic Drinking Buddies

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Who doesn’t love a cold beer after a long day on the farm?

As great as a cold beer is, depending on who you ask, its not the primary relationship between the Dairy and Brewing industries.

I know. Crazy.

inbarn members drinking beer in a barnThe relationship between Dairy and Beer likely extends back to the beginning of dairy and beer. According to feedpedia.org, monasteries in Europe fed their animals leftover grains from the process of making beer, so it’s likely that dairy cows have been eating brewers grain from the very beginning of beer. Despite this, the relationship between Dairy and Beer is pretty obscure to anyone who is not part of this incredibly symbiotic relationship.

It goes something like this:

Breweries create a significant amount of spent grain waste as a result of the brewing process. In fact, about 85% of the waste (or by-product) that is created by the brewing process is spent grain, and It adds up to about a pound of brewers grain per 6-pack. More on that in a minute.

Without getting too deep in the weeds on this process, brewers grain is a wet, perishable byproduct that would otherwise be considered waste. While spent brewers grain is now used in several ways including making baked goods, treating waste water, turning it into a biofuel and compost for gardens. This is all super fantastic, BUT for the purposes of this story, we don’t care about any of that!

So in walks a dairy farmer……. 

Many breweries & dairy farmers have embraced this centuries old circular economy in repurposing this “waste” successfully into cattle feed. This is a particularly important economic relationship between craft brewers and smaller dairy farms where the savings on the cost of disposal of the grains on the brewers side, and the cost of feeding a herd on the farmers side creates that wee bit more margin that can add up to a more successful business.

As you can imagine, for dairy farmers who face the constant challenge of providing nutritious and cost-effective feed for their livestock, brewers grain if very often a welcome addition to their feed program. It serves as an excellent source of supplemental nutrition and can reduce their overall feed costs by up to 20%. In return, this helps breweries manage their waste efficiently while supporting dairy farmers in maintaining healthy and productive herds.

cattle feed wasteBeyond the economic benefits, the reciprocity between breweries and the dairy industry also presents significant environmental advantages. The repurposing of spent grain as cattle feed reduces the volume of waste produced by breweries, diverting a substantial portion away from landfills and composting sites. As an example, Bells Craft Brewery in Michigan produces 16 million pounds of spent grain per year. That is just a single craft brewer. According to spentgoods.ca Canadian breweries created 1,010,458,099 pounds or 458,336 tonnes of spent grain in 2019.  explosion 3d emoji

The brewing and dairy industries’ collaboration extends beyond spent grain recycling. Many breweries are embracing sustainability by reimagining their waste management strategies and implementing innovative approaches to reduce environmental impact.

For instance, some Dairy Farms have developed partnerships with breweries to handle their organic waste, such as leftover yeast and other brewing byproducts. This waste, when properly treated, can be converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion. Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be utilized to power dairy farm operations, and on a bigger scale add power to the grid.

The relationship between breweries and the dairy industry showcases the power of collaboration and sustainability. Both sectors have found economic advantages and reduced their environmental impact through the symbiotic exchange of waste and resources.

These Synergistic drinking buddies have a partnership that serves as a reminder that sometimes the most unexpected relationships can lead to powerful and positive changes that can benefit both business and environment.

Happy International Beer Day, CHEERS!