MADISON, Wis. — The 57th annual World Dairy Expo is on in Madison, and if the long lines outside the grilled cheese tent are any indication, it’s a full crowd.
Organizers say they’re expecting roughly 2,500 cows and 50,000 guests this week at the Alliant Energy Center. The trade and cattle shows are among the best in the world and attract visitors from across the nation and around the globe to America’s Dairyland.
Sylvia Johnson and her dad, Seth, traveled from Vermont to show their five-year-old Jersey cow in Madison. Prior to the World Dairy Expo, Johnson had shown her cow at exhibitions in Vermont and New York.
“It’s like way bigger. It’s just a different level of cow show,” she said of the expo.
Watch: Step inside the World Dairy Expo in Madison:
For farmer Ryan Griffin, the World Dairy Expo has become a family tradition. He brought four red and white Holsteins from his farm in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, to be shown on Thursday morning.
“We’ve been exhibiting here for the better part of two decades, and it’s our way to get our herd out to the world,” he said. “Where we’re at, we’re kind of remote, so we don’t get a lot of foot traffic through our farm. So, this is our advertising. We bring our product to the world and get to see a lot of friends we’ve made over the years.”
In addition to experienced farmers, the dairy expo attracts thousands of students. According to communications manager Lisa Behnke, more than 1,500 Future Farmers of America members turned out for the youth day on Tuesday, and classes from public schools in Madison have field trips planned throughout the week.
Jeffrey Cerveny, 13, visited with the Gresham FFA Chapter and said his favorite part of the expo was the tractors and dairy technology.
Stoughton student Olivia Sutkay had a more specific goal in mind for her trip to the World Dairy Expo. “I’m watching other people show to learn tips on how to show my calf,” she said.
The expo runs through Friday, when the International Holstein Show takes the ring and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack plans to tour the grounds.
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