Smart Calf Rearing ConferenceCremona 2027
Fifth edition · First time in Italy
A series, not a one-off
Since 2017 the Smart Calf Rearing Conference has brought calf researchers and the people who rear calves into the same room, in Germany, Canada and the United States. Cremona is the fifth stop, and the first in Europe's densest dairy region.
Where the series began, in June: talks, a farm visit, and a day on Lake Constance.
University of Guelph. The first edition outside Europe, and the origin of the visual identity still in use.
Hofgut Neumühle. Calf Practice Day drew more than 200 participants alongside the scientific programme.
University of Wisconsin–Madison. Sold out: 230+ attendees, 18 speakers.
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, with farm days in the Po valley.
2017 · Engen
2017 · Engen
2017 · Engen
2017 · Engen
2019 · Guelph
2019 · Guelph
2019 · Guelph
2019 · Guelph
2023 · Neumühle
2023 · Neumühle
2023 · Neumühle
2023 · Neumühle
2025 · Madison
2025 · Madison
2025 · Madison
2025 · Madison
2025 · MadisonProgramme
The week is built to move between the two audiences it serves. It opens on a working farm, spends two days on the science, and ends back among the animals.
A full day for farmers, herd managers, vets and consultants, held on a working dairy. Practical sessions, guided visits in small groups, and simultaneous interpreting.
Pieve Ecoenergia s.c.a.Cingia de' Botti, Cremona
One organised afternoon for those already here — food and culture in Cremona, with an English-speaking guide. It is an optional add-on, and it is followed by the official opening dinner in the evening.
CremonaDinner venue to be announced
The scientific programme opens: nutrition and physiology of the young calf, from colostrum through weaning.
Aula MagnaUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Cremona
Health, welfare and sustainability, including the poster session and the closing discussion.
Aula MagnaUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Cremona
Departing from the university's experimental farm, then commercial dairies of the Po valley, chosen for their housing, technology and rearing practice. Lunch on the road, back in Cremona by late afternoon.
Po valleyCoach transfer included
The science
Colostrum and transition milk, milk feeding strategy, rumen development and individualised weaning, growth efficiency and its effect on lifetime performance.
Calf metabolism and biomarkers, developmental programming, heat stress and resilience, plane-of-nutrition effects.
Respiratory disease diagnostics including thoracic ultrasound, antimicrobial stewardship, on-farm intervention trials and benchmarking.
Cow–calf contact systems, wearable sensing and automated feeder alerts for early disease detection, dairy-beef management.
Speaker line-up. Our speakers are confirmed, from British Columbia, Wisconsin–Madison, Penn State, UC Davis, Guelph, Ghent, Berlin, Munich, the FBN, the EAAP, Trouw Nutrition and Università Cattolica — with their presentation titles and their own biographies: meet the speakers. Any further names are published here as each confirmation arrives in writing; we would rather announce late than announce wrong.
Venue
The conference is hosted by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, whose Cremona campus sits at the centre of the Po valley — the densest concentration of dairy farming in Italy, and one of the densest in Europe. The university runs its own experimental farm, which opens the final day's tour.
The city is small enough to cross on foot, and is best known outside agriculture for something else entirely: it has been making violins since the sixteenth century, and still does.
Getting there
Accommodation is not included and is yours to book: the places that have agreed a rate with us are on the where to stay page.
Partners
The Smart Calf Rearing Conference has been carried since 2017 by the companies and universities behind the series. The fifth edition comes to Italy, hosted by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Cremona and organised on the ground by Pro Farmer. The companies at the end support this edition.
Organised by
Hosted by
Event organisation
Global sponsors
Registration
The five days, the packages and what each one costs — see them and book here. The questions and answers cover what people ask us most.
Not booking today? Leave your address below. Between now and March we write about the programme as it fills in, who is speaking and on what, and the practical side of coming to Cremona. Nothing else, and never your details to anyone.
Registration
Get ready for several days of expert insights, fresh ideas, practical knowledge and valuable connections, all focused on the future of calf rearing.
Secure your place today — we can’t wait to see you there!
See tickets Cremona · 6–10 March 2027