Camille Beauchemin and Dany Courchesne have only been working together at Ferme N.C.L. for a few months, but they were teammates long before that—on a dek hockey team. Now, they’re aiming for a new kind of goal: top herd performance.

Dany took up the farming lifestyle in 2017, after his father, Normand, decided to hang up his skates—or at least slow down. Today, Dany owns 50% of the company’s shares and is in charge of dairy, while his father tends to the fields.

With the recent news of the 1% quota allocation starting in September and the incentive days currently permitted, milk producers can earn additional income. Here are some best practices for filling them to make the most of this extra source of revenue for your farm.

“Incentive days are money on the table. You want to try not to leave it lying there,” says Nicolas Marquis, professional technologist and technical and financial expert at Sollio Agriculture.

Dairy farmers often face a dilemma when it comes  to increasing productivity or reducing GHG emissions. But there’s one thing you can do to help with both: work on your forage quality. And Sollio Agriculture’s agri-advisors, and livestock and crop production specialists are there to help you make it happen.

Dairy farmer Mikael Breton and his Sollio & Avantis Agriculture Coopérative agri‑advisor, Caroline Jacques, have a strong trust‑based relationship infused with a healthy dose of humour. Farm performance is no laughing matter, but that doesn’t mean the business partners can’t crack a good joke or two (or three).

“It’s only because Mikael loves it so much,” says Caroline with a smile. Mikael nods in agreement. “Well, it’s also because you’re so... spontaneous and... nice,” he adds, laughing at his own hesitation.

While this year’s 1.77% milk price increase will definitely give Canadian farmers a boost, it won’t make their financial problems disappear. Nicolas Marquis, an agribusiness strategy advisor specializing in dairy, recommends three tactics to help farmers come out on top.

The farmgate milk price increase is calculated based on a number of factors that balance the needs of farmers, processors, restaurant owners, retailers, and consumers.

Through its corporate responsibility process, Sollio Agriculture has developed several tools to help farmers adopt agricultural practices that are more sustainable and just as profitable. Here are our top five wins of the past year.

1) Inaugurating the CRF AgriTech plant

The CRF AgriTech plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, produces controlled‑release fertilizers (CRF).

For dairy farms, sustainable agriculture and animal welfare go hand in hand. Why? Because ensuring cow comfort contributes to a high productivity and aligns operations with consumer expectations.

Sustainable agriculture is commonly associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In winter as in summer, cows are subject to thermal stress. And while you can’t control the weather, you can reduce its impact on your herd and improve milk production efficiency.

“Winter brings its share of herd management challenges,” says Jean-François Lemay, a technical and business strategy coordinator, Ruminant sector for Covris and Novago Coopérative.  “And if the cold isn’t managed properly, it affects productivity.”

Every year, Sollio Agriculture teams up with the cooperatives for the Dairy Performance Awards, which recognize the best dairy farmers in Québec and Eastern Ontario.

What are the Dairy Performance Awards?

These awards are for dairy farms that do business with Sollio Agriculture. They recognize farmers that achieve outstanding annual production results in terms of protein + fat delivered to tanks: 

The road to robotic milking hasn’t always been smooth at Ferme RJM Côté in Hébertville-Station, Québec. In addition to having to learn a whole new production method and set of equipment, the owners had to completely rethink their routine. Luckily, their agri-advisor was there to provide careful advice and help them along the way.

“The hardest part of implementing robotic milking is changing farmers’ habits,” says Mélanie Dufour, Agri-advisor, Ruminants and Crops, Nutrinor Coopérative. “Cows aren’t the only ones who like to stick to their routine.”