Lakeland College Dairy Club

Band in the Sand is coming up fast, April 11th is the date to be in Vermilion for “A Dirty Good Time!”.

This past weekend Lakeland Colleges first year dairy club students got the opportunity to visit four different dairy operations in Saskatchewan! The visits included:

🧀Kielstra Dairy milking 350 purebred Holsteins with around 3400 acres of farmland. The Kielstra family are also beginning to make their own cheese!

🐄R&F Livestock operated by Bryce Fisher and his wife milking 120 cows on two GEA robots, as well as a small tie-stall extension on the barn. Milking a mixture of Ayrshire and Holstein which some include an elite string of high-end show cattle. Bryce was kind enough to treat everyone to meat and sausages which he butchered himself!

📕Rayner Dairy Center at the University of Saskatchewan was the next stop. It was exciting to learn the ins and outs of how the research centre collaborates with the university on special projects. The club also got hands-on experience with cannulated cows by reaching through the cannula and feeling inside of the rumen.

🥛The last stop of the trip was a visit to Hyljohn Holsteins who milk around 1400 cows on two sites. Hyljohn recently built a brand new 60 cow rotary which milks 900 cows. They also installed a state of the art sand reclamation systems that reclaims around 90% of the sand bedding used.

Overall, this trip was an incredible opportunity to see a wide range of dairy operations and innovations first hand. We are greatful to all the producers and staff who welcomed us and shared their time and expertise, making this a memorable and educational weekend for everyone involved!

Quebec Trip 2026 ~ Day 4 🥛📚 We began our day with a presentation and tour at Lactanet, getting a behind-the-scenes look at their laboratory and facilities. Then, we headed to McGill University for a tour of their on-campus tie stall dairy barn. Although photos weren't allowed, it was impressive. We also received a presentation from a professor, which added to the experience.

This concludes our trip to Quebec thank you so much to everyone who helped us make this trip possible 🫶

Quebec 2026 Trip ~ Day 3 🇨🇦🐄

We started off day three at Intermiel a family business of 50 years managing 7,000 hives and 14,000 maple taps. They breed their own queen bees, produce 120 lbs of non-pasteurized honey per hive, provide pollination services, and craft apple- and honey-based products — including alcohol — sold in their on-farm shop.

Second stop was Ferme Laubel a 3-year-old Jersey operation with 45 cows. Built from elite genetics focusing on show calves and embryo breeding, with a great herd averaging 6 years old.

Ferme Blondin was our third stop an 8-generation Holstein farm and 2× Master Breeder, calving 50 head/month and completing 200–300 flushes per year. Known globally for elite genetics, semen sales, and marketing 400–500 cattle annually.

Last but certainly not least was Ferme Ambijoie a progressive family operation milking 3× daily in their 2020-built barn with sand bedding, and milking 60 cows in their renovated tie stall barn.

Quebec Trip 2026 ~ Day 2

Day two was a relaxing day, we drove from Victoriaville to back to Montreal and along the way we stopped at an eco museum. We then had the chance to check out a very large mall in Montreal and finished off the night with a lovely dinner at a unique Quebec restaurant.

Quebec 2026 – Day 1 🇨🇦🐄
~ Ferme Lois D’Or
~ Ferme Lansi
~ Comestar

Quebec 2026 Trip ~ Day 1

We started off our Quebec trip with a visit to Ferme Louie D’Or. We had the opportunity to tour their impressive 2019 barn, where three Lely robots are milking 160 cows. The farm utilizes a state-of-the-art conveyor feeding system that delivers hay, carefully prepared in their advanced drying shed to ensure top-quality nutrition for the herd. Ferme Louie D’Or also manages an astounding 3,000 maple trees, producing their own maple syrup. One of the most unique highlights of the visit was seeing how they transformed an old church into a cheese aging facility. We also stopped by their charming local store, where they proudly sell their homegrown cheeses, maple syrup, and other farm-fresh products.

Our second stop brought us to Lansi Farms, a large-scale operation that left us equally impressed. Between their two farms, they operate 18 Lely robots milking approximately 1,000 cows. In addition to their dairy operation, Lansi Farms runs an extensive crop program spanning 3,300 acres, showcasing the scale and dedication behind their success.

We wrapped up the day at Comestar, a name well recognized in the breeding industry. Established in 1976, Comestar has grown into a highly influential operation. Their newest barn features seven robots milking around 420 cows, reflecting their continued commitment to progress and excellence in dairy genetics.

We want to extand a warm thank you for letting us tour your wonderful farms.

Our 50/50 draw as officially come to an end! 💰

A Huge thanks to everyone who jumped in to support our 50/50! Your energy and generosity keep our club thriving. And an extra‑special shout‑out to Deb and Tim Hofstra for donating their winnings back to the club—your kindness absolutely blew us away!

🐄 Win big while supporting the Lakeland College Dairy Club!!
🎟️ 50/50 Raffle tickets are on sale now!
Every ticket supports our clubs next adventure 🩵