University Of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Partners With Dairy Farmers Of Ontario

Aug 18, 2023

Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, have partnered to enhance the Dairy Herdsperson Apprenticeship (DHA) program to reach more students interested in a professional career as a herdsperson.

Ridgetown Campus will use $300,000 in provincial government funding to develop virtual learning modules and increase program accessibility to produce highly trained graduates while addressing a labour shortage faced by dairy farms.

“As a long-standing partner, we are proud to support the University of Guelph’s commitment to the dairy industry through programs such as the Dairy Herdsperson Apprenticeship,” said Murray Sherk, board chair at DFO. “We are thrilled to work alongside Ridgetown Campus, who will use the Skills Development Fund to virtually expand the program, reach more students and meet the needs of Ontario’s dairy producers.”

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Video: Biosecurity Compliance - Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt, professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal, discusses the human side of biosecurity compliance. He explains why protocols often fail when people are tired, unconvinced, undertrained, or working with impractical systems, and how leadership, employee input, technology, feedback, and small incentives can make biosecurity more consistent on swine farms. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Biosecurity only works when people repeatedly do the right thing, and that means the system has to support compliance every day."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal. His work focuses on biosecurity, infectious disease control, and practical risk reduction in animal production systems, with experience across swine and poultry health. Learn more from Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.