Perth County Holstein Breeders tour modern family dairy farms
- Gary West
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
Dairy farmers from across Perth County and beyond took advantage of the recent mild spring weather to get out, connect with fellow producers and tour some of the region’s most modern dairy operations.
The annual spring tour, organized by the Perth County Holstein Breeders, brought hundreds of visitors to five family-run Holstein farms, each showcasing a different approach to dairy farming. The event was organized by the 2025 Perth County Holstein president, Sjoerd Kemmere, who farms near Russeldale with his wife Lauren and their two young children, Liam and Brynlee.
Five farms, five different systems
The tour kicked off at Darquest Dairy Inc., where the families of Eli, Andrew and Darryl Martin milk 75 cows three times a day in a traditional tie-stall operation.
The second stop was Noordcreek Farms Ltd., home to Marc and Corrine Noordam and Rien and Anja Noordam, who immigrated from the Netherlands in 1989. Their modern free-stall barn uses robotic milking technology.
Next on the tour was Vandenbraak Farms Ltd., where the families of Dave, Jackie and Kelly Vanderbraak, Steve and Kayla Ferguson, and Janine Vanderbraak work together. In 2019, the farm added a free-stall barn with waterbeds and four Lely A5 robotic milkers.
Farm number four was Martinook Farms, operated by Clayton and Miriam Martin, and Darcy and Vicki Martin. They completed their new free-stall barn in 2024, which features a double-eight parallel parlour with rapid exit, waterbeds and a robotic manure collection system.
The final stop was Stardale Acres Inc., where Ken, Vicky and Jeff Stark milk 45 cows in an updated tie-stall barn. Their cows are fed a PMR (Partial Mixed Ration) including haylage, corn, a top-dress of pellets, high-moisture corn and minerals.
All herds featured on the tour use artificial insemination to enhance the genetics of their Holstein cattle.
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