Online Registration Closed!

AgNext Research Summit 2025: June 10 – 13, 2025*
*Bonus Date Added June 13th: Methane Day in Partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture

In-Person Registration Available: $325

Virtual Registration Available: $50

Agenda

AgNext Research Summit 2025 Agenda (June 10-12)

**This agenda is tentative and the AgNext team reserves the right to adjust**

AgNext Research Summit 2025 Agenda: June 10-12, 2025

Tuesday, June 10th – Conference Check-In and Research Facility Tour Opportunity

Location: CoBank Center for Agricultural Education | Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center, Colorado State University

Light refreshments will be served. These tours are an optional opportunity to visit the research facility and see ongoing research. There are three separate tours that will take place.

3:00 Conference Registration Opens
3:15 Tour of the Facilities
4:15 Tour of the Facilities
5:15 Tour of the Facilities

Wednesday, June 11th AgNext Research Summit 2025 Day One

Location: Colorado State University – C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute 2350 Gillette Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80523

8:00 Registration Opens
8:30 Coffee and Continental Breakfast
9:00 Welcome
- Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Director AgNext
- Dean Sue VandeWoude, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
9:15 Innovative Technologies to Reduce Beef Industry Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Presented by C-Lock, Inc.
- Project overview | Dr. Nathan DeLay, Assistant Professor of Livestock Economics
- Emissions and performance in backgrounding | Dr. EJ Raynor, Research Scientist and Anna Shadbolt, Research Associate
- Emissions and performance in finishing | Dr. Sara Place, Associate Professor Feedlot Professor and Marisa Werner, Graduate Student
- Economic considerations and survey work | Dr. Nathan DeLay and Dr. John Ritten, Director of Grazing Land Research and Engagement
11:15 Break
11:30 The Role of Communication in Sustainability and Animal Agriculture Research
- AgNext Communications Showcase | Erica Giesenhagen, Manager of Communications
- Science Communications Panel | Moderated by Erica Giesenhagen
  - Rae Solomon: Rural and Small Communities Reporter, KUNC
  - Nikki Richardson: Head of Corporate Communications, JBS USA
  - Janie VanWinkle: Ranch Owner and Manager, VanWinkle Ranch
12:15 Lunch
1:15 Sustainable Grazing: Rangelands
- Grazing projects updates and overview | Dr. John Ritten, Director of Grazing Land Research and Engagement
- Grazing Management Principles in Action | Anna Shadbolt, Research Associate 
- Producer Principles Panel | Moderated by Sarah Diderikson, Industry Advancement Director, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
  - Anna Shadbolt: Research Associate, AgNext
  - Ray Aberle: Private Lands Program Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
  - Mike Hettinger: President, X7 Ranch Inc.
2:45 Break
3:00 Calf Health and Welfare: Enhancing Early Life Development as a Proxy of Livestock Systems Sustainability
- Effects of extended colostrum feeding on beef on dairy calves’ health and growth performance | Dr. Pedro Carvalho, Assistant Professor and Feedlot Specialist
- Dairy heifer microenvironment, management considerations and animal stress responses | Dr. Diego Manriquez, Dairy Systems Specialist
- Producer Panel: Sustainability challenges for beef and dairy calf raising systems | Moderated by Dr. Diego Manriquez, Dairy Systems Specialist
  - Sarah Raabis: Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University
  - Amber Graves: Assistant Manager, Morning Fresh Dairy
  - Robin Meireis: Owner, Crow Creek Dairy
5:00 Cocktail Hour and Student Poster Competition
6:30 Adjourn Day One

Thursday, June 12th AgNext Research Summit 2025 Day Two

Location: Colorado State University – C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute 2350 Gillette Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80523

8:00 Registration Opens
8:30 Coffee and Continental Breakfast
9:00 Animal Health in the Dairy Industry
- Update on HPAI research | Dr. Jason Lombard, Associate Professor and Dairy Systems Specialist
- Air Quality Research | Dr. Diego Manriquez, Dairy Systems Specialist
- Environmental Impacts of Dairy Operations: Cradle-to-Gate Analysis of Top Decile vs. Average Performance Herds | Dr. Leticia Campos, Postdoctoral Fellow of Agricultural Modeling and Lifecycle Assessment
- Producer Panel: What are the priority animal health challenges for the dairy industry? | Moderated by Dr. Jason Lombard, Associate Professor and Dairy Systems Specialist
  - Mike Katsampes: Veterinarian, Katsampes Veterinary Service
  - Blaine Nicks: Director of Herd Operations, Jager Ag, LLC
  - Richanne Lomkin: Veterinary Medical Officer, USDA APHIS Veterinary Services
  - Jimena Godoy: Veterinarian, Aurora Organic Dairy
11:00 Break
11:15 Developing Worker Education Programs for Enhancing Labor Acquisition and Retention
- Human-animal interaction on the dairy farm | Natalia Herrera, Aurora Organic Dairy Farm Operations Business Specialist
- Multilingual education modules | Dr. Diego Manriquez
12:15 Lunch
1:15 Innovation in Feedlot Systems
- Feedlot Research Overview | Dr. Sara Place, Associate Professor and Feedlot Systems Specialist
- Effects of cattle breed, growth-promoting technologies, and season on cattle growth performance and enteric methane emissions | Dr. Pedro Carvalho, Assistant Professor and Feedlot Systems Specialist
- Determination and evaluation of enteric methane under confined conditions | Dr. Juan Vargas, Research Scientist
- HERDS Platform: Holistic, Environmental, Resilience, & Decision Support | Dr. Fidel Maureira, Lead Modeler
- Key things we have learned and what’s next | Dr. Sara Place, Associate Professor and Feedlot Systems Specialist
3:00 Break
3:15 What’s the beef with agriculture? Examining the impact of an educational intervention on high school students’ knowledge and attitudes about sustainability and livestock production | Jenny Bennett and Katharine Eshelman
3:45 Closing Remarks | Kim Stackhouse-Lawson
4:00 AgNext Research Summit 2025 Concludes

Methane Day Agenda (June 13) in Partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture

**This agenda is tentative and the AgNext team reserves the right to adjust**

June 13th: Colorado Department of Agriculture Methane Day

Location: CoBank Center for Agricultural Education | Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center, Colorado State University

8:30 Coffee and continental breakfast available
9:00 Welcome and introductions
- Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Director AgNext and Cindy Lair, Deputy Director of Conservation Division Colorado Department of Agriculture
9:20 Colorado’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap: Update and Status
- Dominique Gomez, Deputy Director of Colorado Energy and Kristen Boysen, Managing Director Drought and Climate Office Colorado Department of Agriculture
9:50 Regulation 85 and RMNP Initiative: Lessons Learned
- John Ritten, Director of Grazing Land Research and Engagement
- Panel Participants:
  - Robert Sakata, Agricultural Water Policy Advisor Colorado Department of Agriculture
  - Justin Miller, Manager of Environmental Affairs Five Rivers Cattle Feeding
  - Cindy Lair, Deputy Director of Conservation Division Colorado Department of Agriculture
10:50 Break
11:00 Vision for Agriculture Methane in Colorado
- Kristen Boysen, Managing Director Drought and Climate Office and Cindy Lair, Deputy Director of Conservation Division Colorado Department of Agriculture
11:30 Current Barriers and Opportunities Related to Reducing Methane Emissions in Colorado
- John Ritten, Director of Grazing Land Research and Engagement AgNext
12:15 Lunch
1:15 Update on current research and methane mitigations strategies
- Sara Place, Associate Professor and Feedlot Systems Specialist
2:00 Tour of Climate-Smart Research Facility
3:00 Producer perspectives on methane mitigation
- Moderator: Erin Karney, Executive Director Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
  - Steve Wooten, Beaty Canyon Ranch
  - Juan Velez, Aurora Organic Dairy
  - Karissa Isaacs, Superior Farms
  - Tom McDonald, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding
4:00 Concluding Thoughts
- Cindy Lair, Deputy Director of Conservation Division Colorado Department of Agriculture
4:30 Adjourn

Early Bird Registration: $250 (available until April 1, 2025)
General Registration: $300 (available until June 1, 2025)
Day-of Registration: $325
Student Registration*: $100 (Students may be eligible for free registration through the Student Poster Competition. See below for more details)
Producer Registration**: Same as General and Day-of Pricing (Producers may be eligible to be reimbursed for registration cost through the Rancher Resilience Grant. See below for more details)

Pricing

Student Poster Competition - Application Closed

Students were selected to present their research on sustainability in agriculture during our Student Poster Competition at the AgNext Research Summit 2025.

Applications were accepted based on:

Project area
Alignment with AgNext’s mission
Abstract quality

Selected students received free registration to the AgNext Research Summit 2025, held June 10–12, 2025. Please note: AgNext is not covering travel expenses for selected students.

Anyone with questions about the Student Poster Competition can reach out to Erica Giesenhagen at [email protected]

Producer Registration - Rancher Resilience Grant

Producers may be eligible to be reimbursed for the cost of the AgNext Research Summit 2025 through the Rancher Resilience Grant. More information and application can be found on the NCBA website.

Sponsor the AgNext Research Summit 2025

To sponsor the AgNext Research Summit 2025 at any of the levels, go to the registration website, click “Start Registration” and select “Sponsor” as the attendee type.

AgNext is always open to working with new partners. This year, our team is excited to invite partners to sponsor the AgNext Research Summit 2025 at three levels: