2024 September Board Book

FELLOWSHIP KEEPS QUALITY WORKERS EMPLOYED IN CALIFORNIA DAIRY

Researcher: Dr. Heidi Rossow, UC Davis VMTRC

of dairy cow production data that will be posted online through the NANP website, www.animalnutrition.org. Complementing this research, the second fellow exam ined how feeding a lactobacillus probiotic to dairy calves at a commercial dairy farm impacted their growth and rumen development. They also analyzed follow-up milk production data from dairy heifers that had growth data available from years prior. At the end of their fellowship, the students had a better understanding of the day-to-day challenges of a dairy operation, including evaluating cow performance, ordering feeds, understanding commodity pricing, and formulating rations. In addition to this practical experi ence, the fellowship also emphasized the importance of communicating the results of their research with fellow researchers, dairy producers, and industry leaders. Both fellows presented their research results at the California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) and the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) meetings. At the CANC, one fellow gave a podium presentation and received a scholarship and the other won an award for their poster presentation. Most recently, one fellow is completing their thesis and has been hired by Tulare County as a farm advisor. The second fellow took on an internship with an investment group that explores investments in methane reducing feed additives. This fellow is also finishing their thesis and working with a start-up incubator to open their own calf consulting company. Fellowships ensure that the California dairy industry gains a more educated workforce that has experience in many aspects of the feed industry Fellows gained important networking contacts with nutritionists, dairy producers, and investors in methane reducing feed additives while also participating in on- farm research on dairy feed management. To understand the success of the Feed Industry Fellow ship program, consider the current employment of the program’s 15 former fellows. Two fellows have continued to pursue a Ph.D., three have become technical service consultants, seven are nutrition consultants, two are working in the dairy feed industry, and one is a farm advisor. Importantly, seven years after its inception, 87% of fellows continue to work in California’s dairy industry.

The Feed Industry Fellowship, led by Dr. Heidi Rossow of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, helps meet the needs of both industry and academia by partnering university educated interns with leaders in the feed industry. These fellowships are a win-win; graduate student fellows gain practical knowledge about feeding systems and nutrient management in a large dairy herd environment while the dairy feed industry gains future leaders who can leverage both real world experience and scientific knowledge to make informed recommendations. “The feed Industry Fellowship has given graduate students the opportunity to do their research and internships in the heart of the dairy industry of California in Tulare,” said Rossow. “This has given them the opportunity to be involved directly in the industry and make invaluable contacts with future employers.” Fellows provide important research on Holstein- Angus cross calves In 2023, the Feed Industry Fellowship supported two graduate students from the UC Davis Animal Biology program in conducting an on-farm research project and an internship in an industry related to their research project. This year, both fellows were interested in under standing the effects of feeding probiotics to pre-weaned Holstein-Angus cross calves. This research is timely and important because dairy is now a major supplier of beef as Holstein crossed with beef breeds, but little is known about the feeding and performance of these cattle. The first fellow sampled prebiotics and probiotics to assess their antimicrobial gene content and then interned with the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP) for six months conducting meta-analyses on prebiotic and probiotic use in calves. The fellow organized a database NEARLY 90% OF FEED INDUSTRY FELLOWS ARE STILL WORKING IN THE CALIFORNIA DAIRY INDUSTRY MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE PROGRAM’S START

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