Semex is pleased to have been selected as a World Dairy Expo (WDE) Virtual Farm Tour sponsor in 2012.

Since 2001, World Dairy Expo's Virtual Farm Tours have become a producer favorite, allowing them to visit a variety of dairies from around the U.S. without leaving the show. Presented free of charge each day during the show, the 2012 Virtual Farm Tours will focus on a variety of management topics including optimizing nutrition, environmental stewardship, mating decisions, financial management, unique marketing, automation, expansion and milk quality.

Semex's Virtual Farm Tour is slated for Wednesday, October 3 at noon and features long-time Semex customer Golden Oaks Farms of Wauconda, Illinois.

The Golden Oaks Farm was started in 1948 by the Crown Family of Chicago and since then, has grown to a 720 cow herd with a rolling herd average of 27,965 pounds. Located just 45 minutes from Chicago, Golden Oaks goes above and beyond to partner with their urban neighbors. In recent years, they have worked hard to positively respond to growing concerns for the rapidly encroaching urban community. In response, Golden Oaks recently established Midwest Organic Recycling, a composting site that mixes farm and compost waste, turning it into compost. This vibrant business helps to provide the community with a positive perception of dairy farming and its practices.

Additionally, last fall the cows at Golden Oaks were outfitted with the ai24™ SCR HR-Tags™. These tags measures cow movement, providing valuable information for both heat detection and rumination. In return, Golden Oaks is able to identify sick cows more quickly, utilizing a more natural approach to heat detection. Golden Oaks was honored in 2010 with the Illinois Environmental Stewardship Award and has received numerous recognitions for their herd's superior genetics.

ai24™'s SCR HR-Tag™ is a revolutionary technology that combines rumination, incredibly accurate heat detection and cow identification functionality in one unit, giving dairymen a tool to monitor their cows 24 hours a day. This technology changes the way dairymen manage and interact with their herd, providing value through reduced days open, early detection of health problems, increased pregnancy rates and much more.

For more information on all of the WDE Virtual Farm Tours visit www.world-dairy-expo.com