DC 38- Automation in the Dairy Industry - Canceled
Champaign, IL, April 1, 2020 -After careful consideration the 38th  ADSA Discover Conference, Automation in the Dairy Industry , planned for May 11-13, 2020 in Itasca, IL has been cancelled. This decision complies with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Illinois, along with other travel and meeting restrictions.

The conference will not be rescheduled. Registrants will receive a full registration refund. An excellent program was planned. We are working with the conference speakers to share some of their information through interpretive summaries of their planned presentations that will be available on the ADSA website and in S-PAC.

We invite you to make plans to join us for our upcoming conferences. DC39, The Transition Period - From Physiology to Management, that is planned for October 26-29, 2020, and DC40, 2021 Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cows, planned for June 1-4, 2021 both will be held at Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, IL. Go to the Meetings tab at  https://www.adsa.org  for more information about these conferences. 

Please contact  Molly Kelley, Conference Coordinator or Larry Miller, Conference Director, with any questions.
 

Message from ADSA Regarding the Novel Coronavirus
and the Annual Meeting
The ADSA Board and staff are continuously monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We are closely following statements from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). At this time, no federal restrictions are in place to prevent meetings and travel within the United States, and as such we are planning for the ADSA Annual Meeting to take place as planned in West Palm Beach, Florida, June 21-24, 2020. We are working closely with our partners in West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach County Convention Center to ensure that your time with ADSA in West Palm Beach is as safe as possible. As of this time, the Palm Beach County Convention Center has assured us that they are taking the following steps:

ADSA will be extending the early registration discount for professional members to May 15, 2020. Many of our members and meeting attendees work in academia, and as many universities are switching to remote instruction methods and implementing travel restrictions in the coming months, we recognize that your ability to register for the meeting may be restricted. We understand the ongoing uncertainty but hope that you will still be able to attend the ADSA meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida. We suggest that you consider investing in travel insurance when purchasing airline tickets, paying careful attention to the types of cancellation covered in the policy you choose. Policies described as "cancel for any reason" (CFAR policies) are likely the best choice but are more expensive and often must be purchased through an insurance agency, rather than through the airline.

If you cancel your registration for any reason before May 29, your registration fees will be refunded in full. All cancellations must be in writing and sent to ADSA at  adsa@assochq.org.

Again we are working closely with our partners in West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach County Convention Center to ensure that your time with ADSA in West Palm Beach is as safe as possible. Please watch your email and the  ADSA Annual Meeting website for any updates. Should information and restrictions from either the CDC or WHO change, ADSA will act accordingly and update you as soon as possible.

If you have any questions please email  adsa@assoch.org. We look forward to seeing you in June!

Resources

CDC Coronavirus Information
WHO Coronavirus Information

 

ADSA Joins Additional Efforts in Support for Research Funding
While Congress and the country have rightfully continued to focus on COVID 19 control and recovery efforts, needed work continues to move forward in preparation for the FY 21 federal budget. ADSA and FASS have been working with coalitions to highlight the importance of and need for increased funding for agricultural research. An additional letter and testimony delivered by NCFAR to the Appropriations committee have recently been delivered. FASS and ADSA also provided input to USDA NIFA in response to their request for input that highlights current concerns. Visit the "Letters and Statement" area of the Advocacy area of the website to see copies of the information. You may also want to use them as background for contacting your members of Congress to reinforce the value of and need for research funding.

Fourth Edition Ag Guide Public Review
The American Dairy Science Association^® (ADSA^®), the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), and the Poultry Science Association (PSA) are pleased to announce release of the draft of the 4th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching (Ag Guide), for public review and comment. The draft will be available for a 60-day public comment period (ending May 1, 2020).  

General instructions for comments

Development of the 4th edition of the Ag Guide
This edition builds upon and replaces previous versions of the Ag Guide published in 1988, 1999, and 2010. The Ag Guide comprises subject-oriented chapters covering subjects that pertain to all the agricultural animal species (chapters 1 to 5) and species chapters, which fall under the purview of the respective association(s) dedicated to the species (chapters 6 to 13). Each association appointed a senior editor to steer the revision of their respective species chapters and to collaborate with the senior editors from the other associations to guide the revision of the subject-oriented chapters.

Species chapter committees were recruited from the membership of the respective professional associations devoted to the species; in addition, up to two individuals from each association were selected for each of the subject-oriented chapter committees, which thus comprised representatives from the three associations. The individuals recruited were scientists, veterinarians, or engineers with expertise in the species or subjects covered in their respective chapters. Each chapter committee selected a chairperson from its membership to coordinate revisions and interact with the senior editors.

The chapter committees searched the scientific literature to include new research published since the 3rd edition of the Ag Guide. The Ag Guide senior editors reviewed the chapters before accepting final drafts. The board of directors of each association approved final drafts of the general chapters as well as their respective species chapters. After these approvals, the chapters were compiled into the first draft of the 4th edition of the Ag Guide. Although all chapters have been updated, the extent of revision of any given chapter was determined by progress in the academic literature pertaining to subjects covered in the chapter.

The Ag Guide covers agricultural animal species having different phenotypes within species and that are housed in assorted management systems across widely varying climates. The content must be sufficiently broad to cover the diverse research and teaching institutions that use agricultural animals yet be clear enough to give unambiguous guidance to institutional animal care and use committees responsible for the care and use of animals in their respective institutions.

The societies would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to review and comment on the 4th edition of the Ag Guide.

Please note, the Ag Guide is a joint publication of ADSA, ASAS, and PSA; as such, permissions must be obtained from these groups for use of any and all of the material currently presented in this draft. As this is a draft copy, it is being presented for public review, not use. Following the public comment period, the societies will make appropriate changes to the document and publish the final version using an open access, Creative Commons license to allow easy and appropriate use of the 4th edition of the Ag Guide.
 

Travel Scholarship Opportunity
The Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) is offering a travel scholarship to a full-time graduate student focusing on some aspect of dairy cattle reproduction. The DCRC Scholars Program award recipient earns an expense-paid trip to attend the DCRC Annual Meeting, Nov. 11-12, in Madison, Wis. The application deadline is April 30. To apply for the program, applicants must complete the application form, submit an interest statement that details the applicant's interest in dairy cattle reproduction, career goals and research project(s), and provide a letter of recommendation. Applicants may also share additional information, such as awards, honors and scholarships received. Eligible candidates must be a DCRC member and enrolled full time at a college or university in a dairy, animal or veterinary science, microbiology or related program at the time of application deadline, with an area of interest that includes dairy cattle reproduction. Applicants will be notified by June 1, regarding the selection committee's decision. To learn more about the program and apply, go to:  http://bit.ly/DCRCscholar .
 

Would you like to help the animal and dairy science community and attend the 2020 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 Jeremy Holzner, FASS Executive Director at jeremyh@assochq.org .

Help them benefit from the shared resource concept and the 270+ 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, 2020, ADSA will comp your registration to the 2020 ADSA Annual Meeting that will be held June 21 to 24, 2020 in West Palm Beach, FL. It's win-win-win. For more information about services offered by FASS, click here.

 

The Transition Period
- From Physiology to Management
October 26-29, 2020
Eaglewood Resort & Spa

The 39th ADSA Discover Conference will focus on scientific advancements made in the last 10 years and feature discussion of unanswered questions and controversies about the transition period. Small group discussions will be woven into the program, including focused discussions with the speakers. The program will bridge from the fundamental science to its application.

Potential Conference Topics include:

Registration postmarked by September 28, 2020 is $375 for ADSAARPAS members and $425 for non-members, which includes sessions and most meals. After September 28, the registration fee will be $475 member/$525 non-member. Registration will be accepted on an availability basis. Your registration includes 90 days free access to the Searchable Proceedings of Animal Conferences (S-PAC). For details visit https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/39th-Discover-Conference

LDHM is available by the Section
The Large Dairy Herd Management (3rd ed.) book can now be purchased either as a complete book or by the section. The ADSA® Foundation made this change to allow purchase of portions of the book for dairy science classes and for professionals with a particular focus.

You can preview and purchase the Large Dairy Herd Management (3rd ed. e-book) at: https://www.adsa.org/Publications/Large-Dairy-Herd-Management   

This peer-reviewed book was developed to help meet the growing information needs of dairy farmers, service professionals, and students worldwide. It brings dairy science and management information to users in an accessible, easy-to-use format. The full e-book includes 97 chapters in 15 sections; the individual sections listed below can now be purchased in lieu of the full book at rates for ADSA members ($15/section) and nonmembers ($20/section).

Get your copy today! It is available for  purchase  at student and professional (member and nonmember) rates exclusively from ADSA at http://ldhm.adsa.org/purchase .