Real Science Exchange-Dairy

Guests: Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California Davis CLEAR Center and Rethinking MethaneDr. Mike McCloskey, Co-Founder and CEO of Select Milk Producers & CEO of FairlifeThe topic today is our carbon footprint, methane, and the dairy industry's environmental impact on dairy producers, the industry, consumers, and lawmakers. In this week's pubcast, a podcast from the pub, we dive into all of these topics and more with two experts. From the research perspective, Dr. Frank Mitloehner shared what he sees at the macro level, and Dr. Mike McCloskey, Co-Founder and CEO of Select Milk Producers and CEO of Farlife Milk, discussed his view as a dairy farm leader and processor. Joining the doctors are our cohosts Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman.The deep dive on this topic started with a presentation by Dr. Frank Mithloehner from UC Davis on the Real Science Lecturer series. You can find his presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hnysEBuWNY&t=2030s.Dr. Mitloehner discusses the differences between net zero and net neutral and what net neutral could look like for the dairy and beef industry. 6:32In California, they have already set stricter restrictions for the dairy industry, but Dr. McCloskey explains why they have worked because they are incentivizing the mandate. 13:03Agriculture and forestry have a unique place in the carbon discussion. As Dr. Mitloehner explains, they are the only industries also reducing carbon out of the air through photosynthesis. Therefore, it's not just a discussion on methane. 17:03The lecture presented by Dr. Frank Mithloehner discusses how feed additives can reduce the amount of methane a cow produces up to 30%, so nutrition is also part of the discussion. 21:23Since the discussion around carbon footprint is not just a problem in the US dairy industry, Dr. Mitloehner discusses the need to help developing countries increase their efficiency through veterinary, feed, and genetics to help their herds. More efficient cattle mean a natural decrease in numbers and a decrease in carbon output. 31:44Dr. McCloskey talks about the U.S. dairy industry goal to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and believes great strives have already been made, and with all the elements in play, that marker is achievable 45:33Since this is podcast is set in the virtual, Mike McCloskey shared a refreshing drink that will have you wishing you were on a beach: One shot of Don Q Gold rumOne shot of Don Q coconut rumOne shot of coconut waterOne shot of fresh grapefruit juiceA sprinkle of coconut shavingsLots of ice. Don Q can be substituted with other runs but at your own risk. Note from Mike: Coconut water should be fresh from the McCloskey Puerto Rican farm as well as the grapefruit, so again, you are at your own risk but do your best to get this fresh! If you have questions about net carbon emissions, feel free to email [email protected].

Guest: Dr. Brian Aldridge, University of IllinoisThe crew is gathered at the Real Science Exchange again this week. We feature our guest Dr. Brian Aldridge who works in Rural Animal Health Management at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois. Hosting the discussion is Scott Sorrell, joined by Dr. Clay Zimmerman and Dr. Ken Sanderson from Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.Listeners who enjoy the Real Science lecture series heard from Dr. Aldridge earlier this year. You can check out the presentation here: https://youtu.be/JoQl6NE-SZM.A central theme for the discussion is Dr. Aldridge’s way of thinking; when we see an issue, such as intestinal problems, we think of bugs rather than thinking about the animals themselves. Pathogens very often are the manifestation of poor health rather than the cause of poor health. 0:52Dr. Aldridge introduces the idea of a healthy phenotype and a resistant phenotype. 5:42While learning about genetics and discussing various factors, Dr. Aldridge brings it back to the basic formula of phenotype = genetics x environment x time. 9:13The group discussed natural stressors from a changing environment. Dr. Aldridge dove into research that examines the need to build the relationship between human caretakers and, in the case of the discussion, cattle. 16:35While the industry often seeks out standard protocols or key performance indicators, KPIs, it’s not always as easy as a set approach to management that works across the industry. 19:10Diets play a big part in animal health, but Dr. Aldridge discusses how your dietary approach can also support the resistant phenotypes. 36:51Dr. Aldridge answers questions from the lecturer audience, and the discussion includes diving into the outcome from a disease is determined by the extent and duration of the pathology. 52:36If you have questions about maintaining health in the ruminant digestive tract or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email [email protected].

Guests:Dr. Mike Hutjens, University of IllinoisScott Brenner, Hunter Haven FarmsThe Real Science Exchange is back this week and we are joined by Dr. Mike Hutjens from the University of Illinois and Scott Brenner with Hunter Haven Farms in Pearl City, Illinois. The evening discussion centers around Maximizing Dairy Return on Investment (ROI).Real Science listeners might recognize Dr. Hutjens from his lecture with the Real Science Lecture Series in July 2020. Here is a link to his presentation: https://tinyurl.com/y4axw967.Dr. Hutjens’ research and broad experience paired with the practical day-to-day experience from Scott paint a great picture of the reality of the ROI for today’s dairies.Dr. Hutjens looks back on 2020 to highlight key areas where the industry pivoted to match the changing demand from COVID effects. 5:58Scott talks about his focus on his feed input costs and understanding the value they will see from locking in lower-cost soybean meal. 8:03Also, in the area of feed costs, Scott discusses the importance of figuring the value and costs of your individual ingredients—amino acids, for example. 17:37Dr. Hutjens reminds us of the need to keep an eye on global supply and demand for the corn and soybean markets when you evaluate the potential costs for the feed ingredients. Brazil and Argentina harvests play into the cost for the Illinois dairy. 20:45On the output front, Dr. Hutjens discusses the need to understand maintaining optimal peak milking to garner the most you can from each cow and gallon of milk. 35:32Automation continues to be on the mind of dairies as they balance hurdles with the workforce and the cow care needed to continue to increase outputs. Scott discusses what automation looks like on his farm while Dr. Hutjens discusses industry-wide trends. 45:50If you have questions about how to maximize your dairy ROI or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email [email protected].

Guests: Dr. Barry Bradford, Michigan State University Dr. Turner Swartz, Michigan State University We are back at the Real Science Exchange, and this week Dr. Barry Bradford and Dr. Turner Swartz, both from Michigan State University, join us. This week the pub table discussion is focused on The Evolving Field of Nutritional Immunology. Dr. Barry Bradford presented as part of the Real Science lecture series. His presentation, “Feeding the Immunity Defenders; The Evolving Field of Nutritional Immunology. You can find the link to that presentation here: https://youtu.be/UdcPNhrZk_o.The conversation at The Exchange kicked off discussing that you can’t ignore the immune system and its integral involvement in day-to-day physiology. The dialogue continues to come back with the focus on micronutrients & trace minerals, including selenium, choline and vitamin E. Both Dr. Bradford and Dr. Swartz discuss how they play into their research and the day-to-day work on the dairy farm. 6:57 Dr. Swartz has focused his research on mastitis, and he discusses the transition period and how one disease can lead to another in a domino effect. He talks about what role trace minerals play in cow health during this period. 10:01 We circled back around to Dr. Bradford, discussing that hundreds of receptors are expressed by cells appearing to be designed by nature to respond to nutrients. He shares that it dramatically changes the ways we can think about using nutrients. 14:25 As the discussion continues, both Dr. Swartz and Dr. Bradford dive into how the decisions made related to each other and what that means for your nutrition and health planning. 29:06 If you have questions about nutritional immunology or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email [email protected].

Dr. Kohl presented in the Real Science Lecture series, Transitioning a Black Swan to a Phoenix in the Global Dairy Markets. Here is a link to that presentation: https://youtu.be/myhTpyBJzKE. Today's discussion dives into a quick look back at what happened in 2020 and critical learnings for the 2021 outlook. 10:36 When Dr. Kohl takes a look at an individual dairy farm or the larger industry, he discusses the importance of Business IQ and what that means for the business's overall health. Additionally, he discusses the change in consumers' outlook on agriculture's importance through food shortages at the grocery store. 12:51 As a calf consultant working with farms across the globe, the changes to travel and transition to virtual meetings, Dr. Bob James discusses how that can help dairies. 15:11 With any sector of the agriculture industry, data overload can be a struggle. It's not different in the dairy industry, and Dr. James and Dr. Kohl discuss the role data plays on the farm and tips for drilling down to the critical data sets to make decisions. 21:55 In 2020 many collegiate courses went virtual, and with that, it allowed both Dr. Kohl and Dr. James to lecturers in the classroom. They stress the importance of folks entering into the dairy industry to diversify, take classes outside of animal science, and even outside of agriculture to broaden their perspective and become more adaptable. 29:42 The two guests shared their perspectives on two key aspects for 2021 and beyond: virtual assistance/expertise and further niche diversification by dairies to set themselves apart. 40:31 Thanks for joining us for another discussion around the table at the Real Science Exchange. To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email [email protected].

Guests:Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State UniversityStacy Nichols, Vita PlusThe table at the Real Science Exchange is filled once again with great conversation and learning on the topic of supplemental fatty acids- much more than just fat and energy. Co-hosts Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman are joined by Dr. Adam Lock of Michigan State University and Stacy Nichols from Vita Plus. Dr. Adam Lock had previously presented on this topic during the Real Science Lecture series and has been one of the most popular topics discussed so far. You can find the lecture here. To counter and/or complement Dr. Lock’s research perspective, Stacy Nichols brought to the table real-life field experience. Dr. Lock shared his overarching key presentation take away with a phrase he borrowed from a friend, “A bag of fat is not a bag of fat”. He then dives in to describe what that means for dairy producers. 8:38With Stacy’s practical application, he stressed the importance of maximizing production and this includes high production cows. 18:05The discussion shifts to discussing oleic acid, the role it plays. Stacy also discusses how producers are able to include oleic acid through the production of high oleic soybeans on their farm or from neighbors. 25:45After changing his mind about fatty acid feeding over the last 10 years, Dr. Lock shared his outlook on how that may continue to shift through the next decade. 36:22Stacy’s practical outlook discussed the importance of protecting CLA in milk and also the practicality from an economics standpoint for fat inclusion in rations. 43:51Questions that followed the lecture series were answered by Dr. Lock and Stacy. Topics included what polyunsaturated fatty acids mean for NDF digestibility, how quickly do you see a response in milk fat after starting to feed palmitic acid and with sustainability concerns growing with palm oil, where does that leave it for a palmitic acid source? 52:14Thanks for joining for another discussion around the table at the Real Science Exchange. To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email [email protected]

Guests:Dr. Scott Dee, Pipestone HoldingsDr. Gordon Spronk, Pipestone HoldingsThe Real Science Exchange is open again for a great discussion this time shifting to the swine industry. The host Scott Sorrell was joined by Dr. Eric Altom, a technical nutritionist with Balchem’s Companion and Monogastric segments. Scott and Eric are joined by Dr. Scott Dee and Dr. Gordon Spronk, both of Pipestone Holdings. Dr. Dee and Dr. Spronk both have extensive experience with African Swine Fever and they discussed their experience viewing the virus from the research lens and the practical use lens.Dr. Spronk’s experience in China with African Swine Fever also closely aligns with his experience with COVID-19 in China. 7:06Even before we were talking about African Swine Fever, we worried about PED virus and the damage it can do to a pig herd. Dr. Dee and Dr. Spronk discuss the value in having the field day-to-day knowledge to pair with the research when it comes to virus spread, identify and isolating the cause. 12:32Dr. Spronk dives into why they pushed for research related to feed and the tie to virus spread. 18:40Since it’s been identified African Swine Fever can spread through feed, Dr. Dee discusses what happens if the virus is identified in a feed mill. 27:02Not only can African Swine Fever spread through domestic pigs or feed, but it is also spread by wild boar populations. 33:39The group discussed the most likely way that African Swine Fever could get into the United States. 38:10Dr. Spronk shared his ah-ha that it’s important for us to remember that the world’s worst swine virus entered into the world’s largest swine herd. That is a game changer. 48:49Dr. Dee added that, in his experience, it’s pivotal that scientists do field observation. It can be uncomfortable, but researchers need to get out of the lab. 49:58Thanks for joining for another discussion around the table at the Real Science Exchange. To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email [email protected]

Guests:Dr. Heather White, University of WisconsinDr. Joseph McFadden, Cornell University Dr. Maya Zachut, Volcani CenterDr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University Dr. Laura Hernandez, University of Wisconsin Dr. Larry Miller, Director, DISCOVER ConferencesHosts Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman were joined around the pub table by a crew from the 2020 DISCOVER Conference. The team of five industry experts presented a session on the Transition Period-From Physiology to Management at the conference and wanted to continue that discussion at the pub to dive deeper into some of the key presentation topics.Kicking off the discussion, each specialist highlighted their area of expertise and showed how they fit into this larger discussion. 2:07To dive into controversial conversation the first topic the team discussed was insulin resistance: friend or foe? 11:19With science and technology these days, Dr. Hernandez discussed if there is a way to predict which cows will suffer from hypocalcemia pre-partum. 23:47Also understanding the opportunities pre-partum, the group discussed if they could predict the amount of lipolysis postpartum for the cows. 27:01Since the experts span different geographies, spreading even to the desert with Dr. Zachut in Israel, they discussed how the diets play into this discussion as well. 31:56Many times, research is only as good as its practical use in the field, the panel added their input how practicality played a role in their research focuses. 36:59The discussion transitioned into how fatty acids also play a key role in transition cow nutrition. 39:28Biomarkers in the transition cow was a big discussion at the conference and continued around the table 54:12The panel recapped their takeaways from each of their disciplines 1:10Dr. Larry Miller, director of the DISCOVER conferences joined the group at the table and highlighted how the conference transitioned to a virtual setting in 2020. 1:22The 40th conference will be a special one where the new NACM nutrient requirements of dairy cattle will be released and discussed. The conference will most likely sell out, so you can register today here before it’s too late! https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/40th-Discover-Conference 1:25

The second episode of the Real Science Exchange focuses on feeding for increased milk protein production. The host Scott Sorrell is joined by his co-host Dr. Clay Zimmerman for this round-the-table discussion. Clay brought with him Dr. Mike Van Amburgh from Cornell University and Dr. Buzz Burhans with the Dairy-Tech Group. The two guests bring both the academic and research perspective along with practical on-the-farm reality. Dr. Mike VanAmburgh in his role at Cornell University lead the development of CNCPS. 2:38 Dr. Buzz Burhans has been an independent consultant for more than 35 years and was one of the first adopters of CNCPS. 4:50 Here are highlights of the discussion, make sure to tune in to hear each topic discussed: Previously, on one of the Real Science Lectures Dr. Mike Van Amburgh presented on how to increase milk protein and customer profits. He shared the key points from that lecture. This includes the current challenging times to figure how to get protein levels up and the importance of accurately knowing the cow you are feeding. 8:56 Dr. Burhans went on to talk about practical experience when he and Mike worked together previously on an industry field day and discovered that most nutritionists did not have an accurate understanding of the cow weight. Some got it close, give or take 400 pounds 20:04 Discussions shifts to NDF characterization and the importance of diet differentiation based on available economical feedstuffs. 28:39 A follow-up discussion from the Real Science lecturer series focused around whether or not crude protein should be the focus or if it should be instead on amino acids 34:49 Dr. Burhans highlighted the importance of rumen ammonia as an indicator in formulation management. 41:34 Dr. Van Amburgh brought up the importance of honestly knowing your cows' availability to feed vs. assumption. Trail cams can prove the truthfulness from your assumptions 43:26 With Dr. Burhans experience both in the west and in the northeast, he discussed the sugar levels in diets 46:13 Dr. Van Amburgh reminded the table the importance of looking at the cows to understand what’s going on there, not just looking at the data on paper 51:57 The chat then shifts to talk about Dr. VanAmburgh’s current outlook on the push to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Some supplies are discussing the push to a “voluntary” mandate and the discussion for what role does nutrition play into this move. 52:39 Looking ahead to 2050, both guests admitted they shouldn’t be worry about where the dairy industry is at that point, but they will probably still be involved. Dr. Van Amburgh dives into the need to retain the carbon in the soil and the potential for a different structure of the dairy production and integration. He also discusses how CNCPS will evolve to help with the future changes. 57:75 Dr. Burhans' looked ahead and indicated that in the future as the nutrition model gets more complex, the background and education of the nutritionists will need to align. 1:06 Please subscribe for future episodes where it’s always happy hour, the conversations are sometimes spicy and usually satisfying. But most importantly, you’re always among friends.

Grab a drink and enjoy getting to know one of the Real Science Exchange podcast hosts, Scott Sorrell. While Scott did not grow up on a dairy farm, he's spent his career working in the dairy nutrition field and has a great passion for the dairy industry. Scott provides a preview of what listeners can expect from future podcasts. The episodes will dive into hot topics in the dairy industry. Think of each podcast episode as the conversations around the table over a few drinks after the industry meetings. You know, the chats where all the real work gets done. Each episode, you'll hear from industry-leading scientists, topic experts and nutritionists that will bring perspectives from bench-top research to the farm level. To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email [email protected]