Dairy Innovation Hub to host Dairy Summit Nov. 20

The Dairy Innovation Hub will hold its fifth annual Dairy Summit conference on November 20, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

Formatted for a general audience, the Summit features the Hub’s newest projects. Anyone unable to attend in person can participate through a live virtual option. Sessions will also be recorded and posted to YouTube after the event. Hub events are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

In addition to research presentations, there will be a session dedicated to on-farm implementation highlighting farmers and service providers using Hub research outcomes. One project features Jennifer Van Os, an assistant professor and extension specialist in animal welfare, who has partnered with Jordan Matthews from Rosy-Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis. on an educational video game called “Mooving Cows”. The game gives dairy workers, and anyone interested, the opportunity to practice cow handling skills. Van Os will provide an overview of the project and Matthews will share his experience participating in the research and development phase and then using the finished product as a training tool. This session demonstrates the Hub’s efforts to showcase research that is having an impact for Wisconsin farmers and related professionals.

After lunch, guests will select from two tour options – Arlington Agricultural Research Station or UW–Madison, CALS campus research facilities. Door-to-door transportation is provided via coach buses returning to Union South by 4:30 p.m. Tours include diverse research experiences such as artificial intelligence, methane emissions, water quality, beef x dairy carcass traits, lactose free dairy products and more.

“CALS is very excited to host this year’s Dairy Summit, and we are especially excited to show attendees the facilities where ground-breaking agricultural research happens at Wisconsin’s flagship public university during tours of these critical facilities,” says Glenda Gillaspy, dean of UW–Madison, CALS.

Register and view the complete schedule, including a listing of all speakers, at dairyinnovationhub.wisc.edu/dairy-summit

DETAILS:

DAIRY SUMMIT AGENDA – Nov. 20, Varsity Hall, Union South

• 9 a.m. – Registration, posters, and continental breakfast
• 9:45 a.m. – Welcome comments, UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin
• 10 a.m. – Farmer and end-user impact stories
• 11 a.m. – Research “lightning sessions”
• 12:30 p.m. – Lunch, posters, networking
• 1:30-4:30 – Off-site tours (two options, transportation provided, field trip style!)
• 4:30 – adjourn, brought back to Union South

In just five years, this unique initiative has funded more than 230 research and outreach projects across three campuses and four priority areas.

The Dairy Innovation Hub, is supported by a $7.8M annual state investment to drive research and development across the UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls campuses, ensuring that Wisconsin’s $45.6 billion dairy community remains a global pacesetter in producing nutritious dairy products. This is all accomplished with a keen focus on economic, environmental, and social sustainability.