Global food security group call for reframing debate

A high-level and international group of food security leaders from across sectors has released an Aspen Institute report on "Public & Private Sector Interventions for Global Food Security," based on a multi-stakeholder roundtable dialogue.

The group was chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, Heirs Holdings chairman and Tony Elumelu Foundation founder Tony Elumelu and former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, who is also the executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program.

The newly released primer recommends six integrating actions that both public and private sector leaders need to know for tackling long-term food security, particularly decision makers who are not necessarily steeped in the broader dialogue on these issues.
Former USDA undersecretary Harden heads to DuPont

After a warm send-off at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recent Agricultural Outlook Forum, DuPont announced that former USDA undersecretary Krysta Harden has joined the company as vice president of public policy and chief sustainability officer (CSO), succeeding Linda Fisher, who elected to retire last month.

Harden, who will be based in Washington, D.C., will have responsibility for leading the company's public policy and government affairs strategies, as well as its sustainability, philanthropy, product stewardship and global regulatory activities.

"DuPont has long been a pioneer in corporate sustainability. In 2004, we appointed Linda Fisher as our chief sustainability officer to lead our efforts, becoming the first publicly traded company to name a CSO," said James Collins, DuPont executive vice president. "Under Linda's leadership, DuPont announced its first set of market-facing sustainability goals in 2006, tying how we invest in (research and development) and grow revenue with sustainability in mind. Her dedication in these areas contributed significantly to both DuPont and society."
Cargill purchasing South Carolina ground beef plant

Cargill announced March 4 the acquisition of the FPL Food LLC ground beef processing plant in Columbia, S.C. Purchase of the 100,000 sq. ft. plant, which employs more than 200 people, complements Cargill's meat processing facilities in Georgia and Pennsylvania and enhances its ability to serve eastern retail and foodservice customers, the company said. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close around the end of March.

"Cargill ground beef customers served by this plant will benefit from closer proximity to supplies and improved transit time for their orders," said John Keating, president of Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Beef. "We are acquiring an excellent facility with outstanding people and capabilities. This acquisition underscores our ongoing commitment to grow our protein business and will enable us to better serve retail and foodservice customers in a region where people love ground beef."

Cargill's North American beef business is one of the largest producers of ground beef products in the world, with numerous processing plants in the U.S. and Canada.
ADSA News and Happenings
Share Your Ideas for a Discover Conference Topic
The DISCOVER conference series is seeking your input for future topics that address important contemporary issues in food animal agriculture. The DISCOVER environment fosters creativity and emphasizes interaction and open discussion among all participants. See the following web site (http://www.adsa.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/docs/discover/DiscoverRFP.pdf) for submitting a proposed topic.
 
ADSA, FASS Sign Coalition Appropriations Letters
The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and FASS continue their active participation in coalitions working to support agricultural research.  ADSA and FASS joined over 50 animal agriculture related organizations in signing the Animal Agriculture Coalition's letters to the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committees.  The letters, which can be found here, urge support for key USDA research programs, as well as important animal programs within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 
ADSA and FASS also signed letters to the House and Senate sponsored by the Friends of the Agricultural Research Service (FARS) Coalition in support of the ARS budget.  The letters highlights a number of key ARS budget initiatives including efforts to address foreign animal diseases and avian influenza.  A copy of the FARS Coalition letters can be found here.
Senate Committee Clears GMO Labeling Bill
On March 1st, the Senate Agriculture Committee met to consider legislation regarding labeling of products with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  The legislation, sponsored by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, would establish a national standard for GMO labeling and prevent states from creating their own patchwork of labeling requirements.  The bill passed the committee by a vote of 14-6, which reflected unanimous support from Republicans plus three of the committee's Democrats.  More information on the Senate bill can be found here.  Committee passage paves the way for full Senate consideration.  The House passed similar legislation last year.
 
Journal of Dairy Science® offers collection on tail docking
The recent announcement by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) that, as of January 1, 2017, tail docking will not be permitted under the National Dairy FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) has ignited debate over the practice. Opinions in favor of or in opposition to the NMPF decision are varied. Groups such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners opposed tail docking for nearly two decades and California banned the act in 2009; however, the practice continues to be used on some farms.
 As a service to all those who work with dairy cattle, the Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), the official journal of the American Dairy Science Association, has compiled a set of articles on the science of tail docking. The collection from JDS includes 10 articles published between 2000 and 2010. Topics addressed include pain, hygiene, and biological responses as they relate to tail docking. These articles are provided free of charge to assist those in the industry who wish to better inform their views on this topic.
 "The practice of tail docking is being hotly debated in the dairy industry, in part because of new guidelines for milk producers. The Journal of Dairy Science is a leading source of scientific information on the health, behavior, and well-being of dairy cattle. To enable the dairy community to better understand the science addressing the practice of tail docking, we have assembled a collection of research articles on the subject and made these freely available to better inform discussion in the dairy community," Matt Lucy, editor-in-chief of JDS, said.
 This special collection of JDS articles regarding tail docking will be hosted by Elsevier and is available online at http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/taildocking. Journal of Dairy Science is committed to publishing scientific research that helps inform industry and maintains special collections on topics that are of interest to the dairy community. For more information, please visit the journal website, http://www.journalofdairyscience.org.
 
S-PAC Continues to Grow
A wide variety of proceedings have recently been added to the Searchable Proceedings of Animal Conference (S-PAC).  They include the:
-           2015 Cornell Nutrition Conference
-           2015 Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference
-           2015 National Association of County Agricultural Agents
-           2015 Herd Health and Nutrition Conference
-           2015 I-29 Moo U - Dairy Conference
-           2015 I-29 Moo U - Dairy/Beef Conference
S-PAC subscribers now have access to 544 Proceedings from 58 Conferences. Visit our website https://spac.adsa.org for a complete list of conferences. If you are not already a subscriber, today is a great time to join. A subscription discount for S-PAC  is another of your ADSA member benefits.
 
USDA NAHMS releases first report from "Dairy 2014"
USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) has released the descriptive report Dairy Cattle Management Practices in the United States, 2014.
Some highlights from the report include:.
  • The overall operation average age of cows at first calving was 25.0 months. Operation average days dry was 57.1 days, while the calving interval was 13.1 months.
  • Almost half of all operations that used a computer to keep records (46.6 percent) entered official identification numbers into the computer.
  • Overall, 56.3 percent of operations participated in the Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA); participation increased as herd size increased.
  • Holsteins continue to be the predominant dairy breed. Holsteins were housed on 89.6 percent of operations and represented 86.0 percent of all U.S. dairy cows.
  • The majority of operations (90.2 percent) sold bull and steer calves, while only one-fourth of operations (26.4 percent) sold heifer calves.
  • The use of a multiple-animal calving area/pen increased as herd size increased.
  • Overall, 94.4 percent of calves born were alive at 48 hours and 5.6 percent were stillborn.
 The report is available at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/nahms

 
Register by midnight, March 15, for the Large Dairy Herd Management Conference and save!
Early registration provides the best value for ARPAS and RACE CEUs.
Don't miss 96 cutting-edge presentations, each made twice, by experts from around the world.
Can't Attend the Entire Conference? One Day Registrations Now Available!
The ADSA Foundation invites you to register now for the upcoming Large Dairy Herd Management Conference May 1-4, 2016, at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook, Illinois. Take advantage of the discounted early registration fees. Save $100 when you register by March 15. Click here for complete conference and registration information.
A total of 96 presentations will be offered within 15 sections over the course of two and one-half days on topics pertaining to the management of large dairy herds. Each presentation will be made twice to allow participants with an opportunity to attend the sessions of most interest, and provide feedback to presenters who are developing these topics as chapters for the Large Dairy Herd Management third edition e-book.
Dairy experts from around the world have been selected to prepare and present chapter papers for this comprehensive and essential resource. The LDHM project is being led by Dave Beede, C. E. Meadows Endowed Chair of Dairy Management and Nutrition, Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. Publication of the e-book is anticipated in early 2017.
Your registration includes all conference materials, as well as the opening reception, breakfast Monday through Wednesday, and lunch Monday and Tuesday. To add even more value, a 90-day free subscription to S-PAC® is included with your registration. Complete registration and conference information including the program is posted on the LDHM website:http://www.adsa.org/Meetings/LargeDairyHerdManagement.aspx
Register today!
        Large Dairy Herd Management Conference
        May 1-4, 2016
        Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, Illinois
REMEMBER: the Early Registration Deadline is March 15, 2016
 
Would you like to help the animal and dairy science community and attend the 2017 ADSA Annual Meeting for free?
Referrals are the most tried-and-true way businesses grow, and the same is true for FASS. Do you know a colleague working with an animal science group that is in need of high-quality, cost-effective support services? Help them out by referring them to Jamie Ritter, FASS Executive Director at jamier@assochq.org .
Help them benefit from the shared resource concept and the 264 years of collective experience the FASS staff have in working with non-profit animal science organizations. If your referral becomes a FASS customer prior to June 1, 2017, ADSA will comp your registration to the 2017 ADSA Annual Meeting that will be held June 25 to 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA.  It's win-win-win. For more information about services offered by FASS, click here.
Are You Part of ADSA® on Linked In
Our ADSA Linked In group continues to grow. We now include 1,512 members from around the world, are you one of them? It's a great place to get information and network with other dairy professionals from around the world.  Check it out here.
Thanks to our Corporate Sustaining Members
                                 We appreciate your ongoing support of ADSA and the Journal of Dairy Science®.
Diamond V Mills 
Kent Nutrition
Grande Cheese Co.
Darling International Research
Quali Tech
Zook Nutrition & Management
DuPont Pioneer
Zoetis
West Central
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Ag Processing
Renaissance Nutrition
Global Agri-Trade Corp.
Masters Choice
Papillon Agricultural Co.
Nutriad 
Western Pacific Oils LLC 
Calendar of Events
Mar 7-8, 2016     NYS Cheese Manufacturers' Association Meeting, Double Tree Hotel, Syracuse, NY, For more information contact  Janene Lucia, Ph 607-227-5833

March 7 to May 8, 2016   Dairy Production and Management MOOC (massive open online course) presented by Penn State's departments of animal science, veterinary and biomedical sciences, plant sciences and agricultural economics. For more information and to register visit the course's website: https://www.coursea.org/course/dairy 

Mar 8-9, 2016  The Southern Dairy Conference*, Atlanta, GA. For more information, click here.
 
Mar 8-9, 2016  NEDPA Conference*, Holiday Inn - Liverpool/Syracuse. For more information and registration, click here.

Mar. 8 - 11, 2016      34th Western Canadian Dairy Seminar*, for more information click here
 
Mar 14 - 16, 2016     Midwest Meeting ADSA® Midwest Branch and ASAS Midwestern Section, Des Moines, IA
 
Mar 22-23, 2016  FRI Better Process Cheese School, Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For registation information, click here.
 
Mar 30-31, 2016     Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Workshop, Cornell University.  For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
April 5-7, 2016     Membrane Filtration, Separation, and Concentration Technologies, Cornell University, For more information contact Steve Murphy, Ph: 607-255-2893 or Louise Felker, Ph: 607-255-709
 
April 6, 2016   52nd Florida Dairy Production Conference*, Alto Straughn, IFAS Extension Professional Development Center, Gainesville, FL. For more information and registration, click here.

April 7-9, 2016 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge & Academy: hosted by the Northeast Region in Syracuse, NY For more information, visit the Dairy Challenge web site
 
April 12-14, 2016     (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop in Association with NYS Agric. & Markets, Cornell University, For more information contact Steve Murphy, Ph: 607-255-2893 or Louise Felker , PH: 607-255-7098
 
April 13, 2016   2016 Herd Health & Nutrition Conference*, Holiday Inn, Liverpool/Syracuse, NY. For registration and more information, click here.

April 14, 2016  2016   Herd Health & Nutrition Conference*, Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, South Burlington, VT. For registration and more information, click here.

April 13-14, 2016   "REAL Sustainability," Real Engagement in Agricultural Livelihoods, Scheman Building at the Iowa State Center in Ames, Iowa. For registration and more information, click here.

April 18 - 20, 2016     Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, Grand Wayne Center,  Fort Wayne, IN, For more information click here

April 25-29, 2016    World of Cheese from Pasture to Plate, Babcock Hall, Room 2015, UW-Madison, Madison, WI. For more information click here

May 1-4, 2016     Large Dairy Herd Management (LDHM) Conference, Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, IL, For more information click here 
 
May 3, 2016   Wisconsin Cleaning & Sanitation Workshop, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, Wis. For more information,
click here.

May 4, 2016    HACCP Workshop, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here. 
 
May 10-11, 2016   Applied Dairy Chemistry, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

May 15-10, 2016  "Membrane & Other Separation Technologies" short course, sponsored by Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. For registration and more information, click here.

May 20-21, 2016  The Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium: Intersection of Best Practices and Sustainability. Ohio Union at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. For registration and more information, click here.

May 24-25, 2016     Basic Dairy Science & Sanitation Workshop, Online and Cornell University,  For more information contact Kim Bukowski Ph: 607-254-3313 or Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
June 7-8, 2016     Science of Yogurt & Fermented Dairy Products Workshop (Basic), On-line and Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
June 7-9, 2016   Cheese Grading Short Course, Babcock Hall, 2605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

June 15-16, 2016     4-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA, contact Jim Salfer, U of MN, salfe001@umn.edu
 
June 20-24, 2016 13th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis*, Nantes, France, For more information click here
 
June 21-23, 2016  Precision Dairy Farming 2016, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. For more information, www.ADGA.org.
 
July 3-8, 2016     World Buiatrics Congress 2016, Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland, For more information click here.
 
July 12-14, 2016     High Temperature Short Time (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop in association with NYS Agriculture and Markets, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
July 18-21, 2016     Certified Milk Inspector's School in Association with NY State Agriculture & Markets, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098, Course Syllabus  , Required Course of NYS-CMIs
 
July 19-23, 2016  ADSA- ASAS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM)*, Salt Lake City, UT, for more information click here
 
July 24-28, 2016     2016 National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference (AM/PIC) Little Rock, AR, For more information click here
 
Aug 2-3, 2016  Milk Pasteurization, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

Aug 15-18, 2016     Food Safety Systems (HACCP) and Implementing SQF, Cornell University, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Aug 17-18, 2016  2016 Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference*, Embassy Suites, Grapevine, TX. For registration and more information, click here.

Sept 11-13, 2016     NYS Cheese Manufacturers' Assoc. Annual Fall Meeting, Harbor Hotel, Watkins Glen NY, For more information contact Janene Lucia, Ph: 607-227-5833
 
Sept 13-14, 2016   Master Artisan Short Course Series, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

Sept 14-15, 2016     Advanced Fluid Milk Cornell University, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Sept 20-22, 2016      NYS Association for Food Protection Annual Conference/FDA NE Regional Update, Doubletree Hotel Syracuse, NY For more information contact Janene Lucia, Ph: 607-227-5833

Sept 21-22, 2016  77th Minnesota Nutrition Conference*, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, MN. For more information and registration, click here.

Oct 3-7, 2016   Cheese Tech Short Course, Babcock Hall Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.
 
Oct 4-8, 2016     50th World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI. For more information click here
 
Oct 11-12, 2016  Dairy Ingredient Manufacturing, Babcock Hall, Room 2015, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here. 

Oct 11-13, 2016     High Temperature Short Time (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Oct 19-20, 2016     Advanced Cheese Making, Cornell University, For more information contact Rob Ralyea Ph: 607-255-7643 or Louise Felker Ph:  607-255-7098
 
Oct 20-26, 2016     120th IUSAHA- AAVLD Annual Meeting , Greensboro Sheraton Hotel. Greensboro, NC, For more information click here
 
Oct 25-26, 2016     Vat Pasteurization/Basic Cheese Making Workshop, On-line and Cornell University, For more information contact Rob Ralyea Ph: 607-255-7643 or Louise Felker Ph:  607-255-7098
 
Nov 1-4, 2016    31st ADSA Discover Conference: Big Data Dairy Management,  Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, IL, For more information click here

Nov 2-4, 2016   Cheese Grading Short Course, Babcock Hall, Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison WI, For more information click here

Nov 10-11, 2016     2016 DCRC Annual Meeting, Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, For registration and more information click here

Nov 14-16, 2016  Symposium on Gut Health in Production of Food Animals*, St. Louis, MO. For more information and registration click here.

Nov 30-Dec 2, 2016   Ice Cream Makers Short Course, Babcock Hall, Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison WI, For more information click here

Dec 6-7, 2016     Food Safety Plans for Artisan and Farmstead Processors, Online & Hands-On Location TBD, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
June 25-28, 2017 2017 ADSA Annual Conference and Tradeshow, Pittsburgh, PA.  For more information click here
 
*An S-PAC Partner Conference
 
If your organization's conference isn't among the ever growing list that contribute proceedings and presentations to S-PAC®, ask your conference organizer to contact Ken Olson for more information about the benefits of participation.
 
If you would like to have an event included in the "Dates to Note," please contact Ken Olson.
 
 
ADSA Membership Benefits                                 
                                           
Did you know that your ADSA Professional Membership provides you with:

*        Electronic access to the Journal of Dairy Science®

*        Joint Annual Meeting at member rates

*        Discover Conferences at member rates

*        S-PAC: Free access to JAM and ADSA divisional abstracts

*        S-PAC subscription at member rates

*        Access to recorded symposia library                                                                       

*        ADSA News (association newsletter)

*        ADSA Dair e-news (ADSA industry newsletter)

*        Access to member directory

*        Peer recognition through ADSA and Foundation Award Program

*        Discounted page charges in Journal of Dairy Science®

*        A strong voice of advocacy for the animal sciences, animal agriculture and agriculture research

*        Broad author recognition through ADSA/Elsevier press release program

*        Linked In and You Tube sites for ADSA

*        Quality networking with academic and industry professionals

*        Travel awards for all graduate students attending Discover Conferences

*        Opportunity to serve peers via committee and officer positions

 
For more information on your benefits please visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
To join now and gain these member benefits, visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
American Dairy Science Association
1800 South Oak St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
Email: adsa@assochg.org