On Friday, May 27, 2022, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet visited Colorado State University’s Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC) to meet with various agricultural programs to discuss current climate issues in the agricultural industry. AgNext leaders had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Senator Bennet about our mission toward developing sustainable solutions for animal agriculture. Additionally, members of the AgNext Industry Innovation Group advocated for the importance and relevance of AgNext’s research and industry presence across global agricultural realms.
Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson emphasized the significance of AgNext’s work by addressing the current agricultural issues affecting billions of people across the world, including the agricultural industry’s contribution to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and the increasing rate of global hunger.
To further demonstrate the capacity of AgNext, Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson highlighted our areas of expertise in researching sustainable solutions within academia and communicating our unique insights to the individuals in the agricultural industry and the general public. Senator Bennet listened attentively to our goals across research and implementation, as well as the challenges we face due to the lack of federal funding for innovators in the agricultural industry.
As the leading research group in the sustainability sector of agricultural research, AgNext’s work carries a heavy impact throughout the industry. To that end, Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson explored the following topics with Senator Bennet:
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- Methane Mitigation Strategies: In discussing AgNext’s research in methods of methane mitigation, Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson described the process of methane production that occurs within ruminant systems. She went on to describe the effect that methane has on the levels of greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.
- Research/Funding: Dr. Stackhouse Lawson emphasized the importance of government funding in AgNext’s research to accelerate the process of research and reach feasible solutions sooner.
- Economic Feasibility: Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson advocated for the importance of economic feasibility within our solutions so that farmers, producers, innovators, and distributors can all implement sustainable practices within their specific sectors.
Following our meeting with Senator Bennet, he joined our team for a tour of AgNext’s Climate Smart Research Pens, which include both GreenFeed and SmartFeed Pro measurement systems. Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson gave Senator Bennett a tour of the equipment and an in-depth overview of how the machines function and aid in our research surrounding the measurement of gases produced by cattle while digesting. Senator Bennet viewed the demo in action, observing the research cattle feed out of the C-Lock measurement systems.
CSU AgNext is grateful for the opportunity to share the importance of our work with key legislators in Colorado in order to promote positive change on a large scale, as one of our immediate goals is to get government support to make real progress and innovative change in the agricultural industry.
Rebecca Crook
Undergraduate Communications Intern