Ag Forward
Thank you for attending the 2024 Ag Forward event!
Information about 2025 Ag Forward will be available this fall — stay tuned!
Ag Forward was a success! Attendees learned about the latest university research, engaged in meaningful discussions, and asked questions of faculty in the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. A recap of the event is available to read here and some photos are below.
(right) Evan Cole Diepersloot, a grad student in the Luiz Ferraretto Lab at UW–Madison shows some of the lab’s research tools during a presentation about applied ruminant nutrition and management.
Photos by Michael P. King/UW–Madison CALS
Past event information
On-campus training in advanced production and management topics for farmers, farm managers, ag professionals, and other current practitioners. It’s your opportunity to get in-depth training on new research and connect with world-class CALS faculty.
Ag Forward is open to farmers, farm managers and ag professionals already engaged in agriculture, as well as anyone interested in starting a career in the dairy industry. It will take place during winter break, so that students in the UW–River Falls residential FISC program can participate, as well as other interested university and tech college students.
When: January 16-19, 2024; attend individual days or the whole program
Where: Center for Dairy Research
Theme: “The Dairy Industry in an Everchanging Landscape”
Speakers
Tuesday, January 16 – “Ag Economics”
“Understanding farm profitability”
Paul Mitchell, professor and extension specialist, Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics
In this session, Mitchell will go over the strengths and weaknesses of different measures of farm profitability. He will also cover partial budgeting as an essential tool for thinking about changes to farm operations to improve profitability.
Wednesday, January 17 – “Dairy Diet & Nutrition”
“Roaming the rumen – from field to milk”
Luiz Ferraretto, assistant professor and extension specialist, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
Ferraretto will provide an overview of multiple aspects of dairy nutrition. Participants will learn about forage production and management and describe its impact on cow digestion, behavior and productivity. Ferraretto will also discuss and show how the rumen of a lactating cow works.
“Forages for Sustainability – A Systems Approach”
Marta Moura Kohmann, assistant professor and extension specialist, Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Forages are typically grown for animal feeding – but what other services can they provide? This session will look at how forages can fit in different production systems, and the advantages of using them to increase production while protecting our natural resources. Kohmann will go over production potential of different forage crops under various management systems, both harvested and grazed, and explore how they are contributing to a healthier environment.
Thursday, January 18 – “Reproduction, Genetics & Genomics”
“Developing a foundational reproduction program”
Paul Fricke, professor and extension specialist, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
In this session, Fricke will cover strategies to achieve excellent reproductive performance; the high fertility cycle; approaches to optimize heifer growth; and how to optimize the use of sexed semen in dairy herds.
“Improving dairy cattle through genetic selection”
Kent Weigel, professor, chair and extension specialist, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
Weigel will cover the latest advances in genetic selection programs for dairy cattle, including UW-Madison’s role in developing a national genetic evaluation system for improved feed utilization efficiency as well as current work on genetic selection for reduced methane emissions. Participants will also learn about the role of genomic testing in commercial dairy herds, as well as strategies for maximizing the genetic potential of replacement heifers while capturing added value from crossbreeding genetically inferior cows and heifers.
Friday, January 19 – “Animal Welfare”
“Showing how much you care: The importance of animal welfare to dairy cows, farmers, and the public”
Jennifer Van Os, professor and extension specialist, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
Van Os will cover the role of animal welfare science in the dairy industry, including information about how national standards for animal care are established as well as an overview of industry and public perceptions and expectations for animal care. She will also cover examples of research studies that “give cows a voice through science” – the motto of Van Os’ research group – to better understand impacts of management practices on animal welfare. Finally, participants will have a chance to experience Mooving Cows, an innovative, interactive new tool to practice handling cows in a virtual setting.