Risk pays off as Canadian Dairy Xpo celebrates 10 years in Stratford

The Canadian Dairy Xpo owner always admired the prestigious, multigenerational dairy operations around him while growing up on a beef and cash crop farm in Ayr. He knew what challenges producers faced, and it gave him a head start when he created the industry’s largest event in Stratford, which was in the heart of the country’s biggest dairy producers.

“Risk is necessary and that’s what got us here,” he said Wednesday as the show celebrated its 10th operating year. “The biggest risk was the concept of trying something new. You can either think outside of the box or think about a new box, and this was a new box for the industry. There was a lot of uncertainty when we made the announcement. As it came together and producers showed up, it just grew its own legs.”