As the spring months come to an end and summer comes into full swing, the AgNext Team is staying busy delivering presentations and strengthening industry connections. AgNext values community outreach and public collaboration, which is why we are excited to be a part of so many speaking engagements. Last week, Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Dr. John Ritten, and Dr. Pedro Carvalho all gave presentations to various industry groups and events across the United States.
Director of AgNext, Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, recently attended the Southeast Milk, Inc. Leadership Experience (SMILE), in which she served as a keynote speaker. Southeast Milk, Inc. is a dairy cooperative based in Belleview, Florida that integrates sustainable practices into each of their dairy operations.
Her audience consisted of many 2nd or 3rd generation dairy producers, most of whom are located in Florida or Georgia. Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson spoke about common challenges within the American dairy industry and opportunities for incorporating climate-smart practices.
Dr. John Ritten attended the Western Region Meeting for Extension Agents this week to connect with other agents and tour various farms in Montrose, Colorado. The group toured agricultural facilities such as Secret Creek, Billy Goat Hops Farm, Ute Indian Museum, and the Museum of the Mountain West. Dr. Ritten got the chance to introduce himself, as well as AgNext’s mission to connect with local producers to communicate sustainable ranching practices.
Dr. Pedro Carvalho met with one of the committees he is a part of, known as the Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group. This group of more than 20 researchers from 17 different universities in the U.S. focuses on “addressing nutrition and management issues related to performance, carcass value, and environmental sustainability of feedlot cattle operations.” For additional information about this committee, click here.
According to Dr. Carvalho, “We meet once every year to talk about our past, present, and future research.” He presented an update about his ongoing research effort in California, as well as some of the ongoing and future research that AgNext is conducting. He then announced that CSU AgNext plans to host the next annual meeting for the Multistate Research Committee in 2025.
The AgNext team is excited to be a part of these industry events to communicate the importance of incorporating sustainable practices throughout the industry. Stay tuned for more speaking events led by our faculty members.
Rebecca Crook
Senior Communications Intern