The 2015 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) Conference is coming up soon, and organizers are promising it will be a great chance to connect with some of the world’s best calf and heifer raisers. And to keep up on all the happenings during the March 30-April 1 meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, the DCHA team will post live updates and highlights on Facebook and Twitter, using #DCHA2015.

All are invited to follow the online highlights and join the conversation by using #DCHA2015. New this year, any attendee that posts or tweets using #DCHA2015 will be entered to win one of three canvas prints from Farmgirl Photography. Fellow calf and heifer enthusiast Danae Bauer is behind the lens of Farmgirl Photography, while also staying active on her family’s dairy, Sandy-Valley Farms, Scandinavia, Wis. The three canvas prints showcase Danae’s passion for dairy calves and heifers, and will be awarded randomly to three participants who post about the conference using #DCHA2015.

“The conference will present several opportunities for fun and informational posts and tweets,” says Vickie Franken, owner of City View Farms, near Sioux Center, Iowa and 2015 conference committee co-chair. “Our conference committee is excited to live-post on the DCHA Facebook and Twitter pages and to follow what conference attendees are posting.”

Some of the trend-worthy events going on during the conference include:

· Farm tours: An annual highlight of the DCHA conference, the farm tours this year will be hosted by Doerfer Bros., Verona, Wis. and Larson Acres, Evansville, Wis. Doerfer Bros. will discuss their experiences with hutches, groups and indoor pens, and will showcase their 60-by-156-foot calf facility with automated calf feeders, RFID technology, ventilation tubes and adjustable curtains. At Larson Acres, attendees will get to see all-in, all-out calf facilities in five nursery barns, sand separation and cross-ventilation technology.

· Keynote address: Hear why California dairyman Brad Scott of Scott Brothers Dairy took the risk of having Hollywood cameras on their farm and how it built a lifelong relationship with a national brand. Watch clips from the popular TV show Undercover Boss and discover ways you can positively impact consumer confidence.

· Calf manager and owner perspectives roundtable: This roundtable will feature three unique calf and heifer management operations, as presented by the employees and owners that drive their success. The panel of Tracy Loos (Rosy-Lane Holsteins, Watertown, Wis.), Darin Mann (M & M Feedlot, Parma, Idaho) and Aaron Harpster (Evergreen Farms, Spruce Creek, Penn.) will share their perspectives that stretch from coast to coast.

Registration and more information is available at www.calfandheifer.org/conference or by calling 855-400-DCHA (3242).