It’s 7 a.m. My boys are helping me feed calves. We take a quick peek in the parlor to see how Dad is coming with the milking.
Three little boys are all a-buzz because they get to miss school today. Our goal is to be on the road by 8 a.m.
An hour later, we come into a traffic jam, and then we see our exit. We wait a little at the red light, pull up to the booth, pay to enter, and then it’s time to park. We get out of the minivan, grab the backpack loaded with bottles of water, throw our sweatshirts on and click the lock.
There are lots of trucks and trailers, company vehicles, the sweet smell of cows, and then over the loudspeaker we hear, “Welcome to World Dairy Expo,” in many different languages.
World Dairy Expo (WDE) has not always been a part of my life, but since 2000, I have made the little over an hour drive east every fall to attend this world-class event. Because of my various activities at WDE, it is not uncommon for me to head to Madison multiple days.
Growing up in northern Illinois on a vegetable farm, I had heard of the great gathering of dairy enthusiasts but never attended.
It wasn’t until I fell in love with a dairy farmer in southwest Wisconsin and landed my first job right out of college as the agriculture instructor and FFA adviser at Fennimore High School that I experienced WDE for the first time.
That first experience involved loading a bus of high school students bright and early so we could get to Madison for the FFA dairy judging contest. While a handful of students were judging, about 30 others were walking around the grounds, trying to complete the scavenger hunt I had put together for them.
Once the judging contest was over, I got to walk around for a bit and enjoyed a delicious grilled cheese sandwich and shake. It wasn’t until the weekend when my then-fiancé, now – husband went that I really got to visit with exhibitors.
I was just in awe that first year at the cattle show, talking with commercial exhibitors and attending educational sessions. Little did I know this was only the beginning of a yearly ritual.
Over the next few years, going to WDE twice, once with my students and once with my family, was our routine. The year of 2002 brought a new experience for us.
Pushing a stroller through crowded aisles, trying to visit while calming a crying baby, locating the elevators and not having to carry all our free items when we went as a family posed new challenges for us as we tried to navigate around WDE.
By the time the 2005 WDE arrived, we were pushing a double stroller with a newborn and a toddler in tow. We soon learned that cute little kids encourage exhibitors to pull out some hidden freebies. The boys still snuggle with those stuffed cows from Accelerated Genetics.
I made a decision at this point in my life to leave the teaching profession and stay home on the farm.
This decision allowed us to attend WDE during the week and attend the Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America annual meeting.
As one of the largest breeders of Dutch Belted cattle in the Midwest, we felt it is important to attend this meeting and become involved with the association.
Come 2007, I was pushing the double stroller and my husband was pulling a wagon.
You guessed it, we were now working our way around WDE with three future dairy farmers. It can be a challenge maneuvering around with all that in tow, but at least we had something to carry all our free stuff.
The year of 2009 brought a change in my involvement at WDE. I was now employed as an adjunct instructor at Southwest Tech in the dairy herd management and agribusiness programs. Scavenger hunts were no longer the lesson plan for these students.
It was time for students to attend educational seminars and virtual tours, talk to exhibitors and gather information for a larger project back on campus, and volunteer around the grounds.
This new job allowed me the opportunity to visit with potential students, parents and dairy industry leaders as I spent time on the other side of a table in the commercial exhibits.
My connection to WDE goes even further. I had the privilege of working with many talented young leaders the five years I taught at the secondary level.
Only in my wildest dreams could I imagine that one of my students would go on to be the trade show manager at WDE.
But today you will find Susan Orth in that position. She was a great influence on me when she was younger, and I hope I was an influence on her as well.
It’s time for the 2013 WDE. What color will the shavings be this year? What cool items will businesses hand out? Who will I meet at the annual meeting? What former students will I catch up with? What cool new idea will I pick up to bring back to the home farm?
How long will I have to wait in line for a grilled cheese sandwich? Only a few days away and those questions will be answered, and the good thing is when we go as a family, everyone walks now. PD
Christina Winch
Dairy Producer
Fennimore, Wisconsin
