On May 17, Dr. Sara Place traveled to Clovis, New Mexico to teach at the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium alongside Dr. Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo from Elanco Animal Health to discuss the intersections of sustainability and animal welfare. This outstanding animal science duo set the stage for this young group of collegial scholars to extend their knowledge about dairy system sustainability in the classroom and then in the field with the addition of visits and tours of large commercial dairies in the region.
The U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium (USDETC) was established in 2008 as a multi-university organization to help train and educate professionals in the dairy industry through a combination of classroom lectures and field experience. Located at Clovis Community College in Clovis, New Mexico, the USDETC houses 50 herds of over 2,200 cows within a 20-mile area for students to learn about large herd dairy management.
This year’s U.S. Dairy Consortium takes place between May 15 – June 23, with speaking engagements from professionals in the industry. The USDETC is described as a “pillar of U.S. dairy sustainability,” and presented an exciting opportunity for a visit from Dr. Place, who recently co-authored the article: Defining a pathway to climate neutrality for U.S. dairy cattle production. The United States Dairy Industry has set a goal of achieving NetZero by 2050, and it’s important for up-and-coming students in the dairy production field to have all of the resources necessary to knowledge meet this goal. In addition to being an Associate Professor of Feedlot Systems at CSU, Dr. Place is also an expert in livestock systems sustainability at AgNext, where she speaks and builds connections with current and future industry experts, such as the students at the USDETC.
The three-day visit also included teaching from Dr. Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo, who is the Chief Animal Welfare Officer at Elanco Animal Health and an expert in livestock welfare. Dr. Calvo-Lorenzo’s work has helped develop strategies in the field of animal welfare, specifically in the livestock industry. Welfare is also a focus of the curriculum at the Dairy Consortium, where students learn related skills such as facility/stress management and herd health.
Sustainability must work hand in hand with welfare in the field of animal agriculture because animals are the root of our research, and their health and safety is incredibly important. We hope that Dr. Place and Dr. Calvo-Lorenzo’s visit and talk at the USDETC showed students how vital the relationship between animal welfare and sustainability is. AgNext is grateful for the opportunity to be represented at this exceptional program, where the future of dairy production is bright.
Sydney Jansen
Communications Intern