Elora Research Station - Dairy Facility Overview Transcript

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The first time time anybody enters the facility here

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I think they're really impressed.

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The resources and the capabilities,

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it's equipment, and it's technical staff,

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the number of cows that we have here,

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really the envy of a lot of dairy researchers.

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A platform that will serve the industry well

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because this is like no barn you've ever seen before.

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The center here was established in May of 2015. It's a state of the art facility that allows us

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to follow a dairy herd literally from the time that their conceived, right through to when they're producing milk.

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The importance of agriculture, and specifically the dairy industry

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is significant to the province.

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It generates jobs and tax dollars.

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As well the research is important to the wider dairy industry both Ontario, Canada, and the world.

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This facility really does a number of things for the dairy industry,

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but probably first and foremost, it allows us to do practical, cutting-edge but applied research.

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We know the public is increasingly concerned about where their food products come from.

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They want to ensure quality production,

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they also want to ensure that the food products are sourced from animals that are raised ethically.

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So with our research the main goal is to identify things that are win-win.

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Good for the cow but good for the dairy producer at the end of the day.

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This dairy facility is really a powerhouse of knowledge.

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With the new technologies and new sensors that are currently available

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we can precisely measure the biology of the cow.

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And that allows me to address questions that are timely,

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that are important for our producers, and that are important for our genetic advances.

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The High Immune Response technology, allows dairy producers to identify

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which of their animals are most resistant to disease.

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It's a great way to produce high-quality healthful foods that Canadians have come to expect.

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Whether you're looking at a robotic milking unit, whether you're looking at the state of the art feeding bins that we have,

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the way it can monitor feed intake and look at efficiencies is very important.

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The data that we generate here is allowing us to do things that we haven't been able to do in the past,

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and a lot of other institutions aren't able to do.

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Well the dairy facility here at Elora is really quite a unique facility in that involves this tripartite partnership.

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We have the opportunity for students to participate in the research enterprise

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allowing them to engage in real research that is going to make a difference, an impact

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in the dairy sector going forward.

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To be able to have my project at one facility allows me to individually house my calves

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in isolated calf nurseries.

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And it gives me a lot of data on the feed intake, drinking speed of the calves,

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and everything I need to look into their weening and their behavior.

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Ultimately the research is for the producers.

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of course, it's necessary here to make their lively hoods better down the road.

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This is a key space to provide leadership and excellence and training

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in order to support the growth and efficiency of the dairy industry.

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We can bring together processors and producers to translate knowledge across the value chain

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about what they're doing right, and how we can do things better.