About Us

The Western Canadian Dairy Seminar (WCDS) was started in 1982 by Dr. John Kennelly from the University of Alberta, in collaboration with other founding organizations with a shared vision to support the growth and success of the Canadian dairy industry. The WCDS now draws more than 800 delegates from across Canada and the world (USA, Europe, and Asia) and is recognized as one of the premier dairy conferences in the world.

This seminar is designed for dairy producers, extension specialists, researchers, and dairy service and supply representatives who want to improve their knowledge and decision-making abilities in dairy production and management. Each year a wide variety of topics are presented ranging from nutrition and reproduction to dairy policy and challenges facing the dairy industry.

The dairy industry looks to this seminar for solutions to emerging issues, and for information about recent research results. The design of the conference is such that timely and relevant issues are the focus of the presentations. In addition to the formal program, there is ample opportunity for networking and one-on-one discussions between the speakers and participants.

If you would like to learn about the history of the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar please see the following papers, previously published in the WCDS proceedings: