A widely supported solution for ongoing agricultural labor woes – the Farm Workhouse Modernization Act – was reintroduced in the House Wednesday as Congress again looks to advance immigration reform. The bipartisan bill, which passed in the House in 2019 by a vote of 260-165, makes meaningful reforms to the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and creates a first-of-its-kind, merit-based program specifically designed for the nation’s ag sector.

The National Dairy FARM Program (FARM) has published its “2020 Year in Review.” Serving as the annual summary of the achievements and program developments of the FARM Program, the “Year in Review” showcases successes and challenges during a year of change and uncertainty.

“As the industry shifted with the pandemic, we adapted the program to fit farmer’s and program participant’s needs,” said Emily Yeiser Stepp, vice president for the FARM Program at the National Milk Producers Federation, which administers FARM. “We were still able to provide value, develop helpful resources and provide assurances of on-farm social responsibility for the dairy supply chain despite the rollercoaster of 2020.”

World Dairy Expo (WDE) leadership fired a warning shot at Dane County, Wisc., this week, announcing that while plans to hold the 54th World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison continue, COVID-19 restrictions have led the organization to explore alternative venues for 2021.

“Expo recognizes that uncertainty remains surrounding future health regulations that may govern Madison this fall at the time of WDE 2021. To best understand these factors as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Expo has met with Dane County and Alliant Energy Center officials regarding current and potential future local COVID-19 restrictions. Communication with these officials continues as additional clarity is sought,” the organization noted. 

Have you missed either of the first two webinars in the Journal of Dairy Science (JDS) Author Webinar Series? This three-part author workshop series, presented by Paul Kononoff, Editor in Chief of Journal of Dairy Science, will better prepare you for the publishing process. The first two recordings in the webinar series are now available here. Make your plans now to participate in the third webinar “Reviewers and revisions” that will be held on Thursday, March 18; 9:30 - 10:30 am central time. Information and registration is available at https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/Webinars

ADSA Partner Webinar: Dairy Cattle Welfare Council presents “Cognition and emotion in dairy cattle”

ADSA is pleased to share webinars delivered through our partner, the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council (DCWC). These one-hour webinars are available free of charge, but you must register in advance to attend. The next webinar is “Cognition and emotion in dairy cattle”, presented by Dr. Dan Weary, Professor, University of British Columbia. It will be held March 24 at 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CDT). REGISTER HERE

Extension/academia, and government representatives interested in many aspects of dairy cattle welfare. Professional, undergraduate, and graduate students are strongly encouraged to participate. Continuing Education Credit is awarded on an hour per hour basis. Contact DCWCouncil@gmail.com to request Veterinary CE documentation.

Save the dates! The 2021 Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium will be held virtually on May 25-27, 2021. Program agenda and registration information will be coming. 

·      ADSA joined 47 other universities and science-based organization in requesting full funding for the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA), that was authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. (March 1, 2021)

·      ADSA joined 138 other scientific societies, universities, producer groups and other science-based organizations in congratulating Thomas J. Vilsack on his confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture and urging him to continue supporting increased public investments in agricultural research and development (R&D) programs. (March 1, 2021)

You can find these and past letters in www.adsa.org in the “About ADS/Advocacy” area.

In a related action, FASS provided comments to USDA APHIS on the “Regulation of the Movement of Animals Modified or Developed by Genetic Engineering”. The comments called for the harmonization of the US regulatory approach to genome editing in food-producing species so that both plant and animal breeders have access to genome editing innovations. You can find those comments on www.fass.org in the Science Policy area. 

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA®) will be held as hybrid meeting with a virtual component and a corresponding in-person meeting in Louisville, Kentucky July 11-14. As always it will be the most comprehensive dairy science meeting in the world. The in-person registration fee includes the Opening Reception, coffee and pastries during morning poster sessions, afternoon ice cream breaks in the exhibit hall, our always-popular ice cream social, a meeting with really nice people, and the best dairy science you will find in the world!

The Overall Program Committee is planning to have a robust in-person program AND an in-depth online meeting, including virtual events live from Louisville, that enables scientists from around the world to join us virtually if they are unable to travel to Louisville. We are very excited to be able to plan a hybrid meeting and expand the reach of our science! While the deadline for requesting a ticketed event has passed, there is still time to request a spot for “All Other Events”. The deadline for non-ticketed special events is Thursday, April 1, 2021. Click here for details.

The ADSA annual meeting in Louisville will be directly followed by the ASAS annual meeting at the same location. Make plans now to catch the shared programming day on Wednesday, July 14, and the shared social event later that evening. For more information about the meeting visit the 2021 ADSA Annual Meeting website. Visit often as it will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. 

Just a reminder discounted Annual Meeting registration is one of the many benefits of ADSA membership. The savings on annual meeting registration will largely cover the cost of membership so if you aren’t a member be sure to become one before registering and take advantage of this great benefit.

The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2021.

Procedures: Nominations should be submitted on the FASS Awards website.

Deadline: All nominations must be submitted on the website no later than April 1, 2021, 11:59 pm CDT.

Instructions: Guidelines for the FASS-AFIA New Frontiers in Animal Nutrition Award are posted here. Nominators are encouraged to review the instructions carefully and to follow these guidelines strictly to avoid rejection of the nomination.

If you require any assistance during this submission process, please contact Cara Tharp, FASS awards coordinator, at 1800 S Oak St, Ste 100, Champaign, IL 61820, carat@assochq.org, 217-356-2426.

Join us for the 40^th ADSA Discover Conference on NASEM Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle

American Dairy Science Association^® (ADSA) continues to adopt best meeting practices during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which includes plans for our 40^th ADSA Discover Conference: NASEM Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. It will now be held as a hybrid conference August 30-September 2, 2021. Continued COVID-19 related travel and gathering uncertainties coupled with delays with the NASEM publication brought us to this decision.

Registration options include in-person participation at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, IL, virtual participation, and a non-participation option that simply gives registrants access to the conference recordings. Your registration includes 90 days of free access to ADSA’s Searchable Proceedings of Animal Conferences (S-PAC) and the opportunity to subscribe at ADSA member rates. For complete registration details, visit our web site at https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/40th-Discover-Conference

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM, previously known as NRC) anticipates the 2021 release of the eighth revised edition of “Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle,” the world’s most highly cited reference on dairy cattle feeding. This Discover^SM Conference will focus on the scientific advancements in dairy cattle feeding used to revise the 2001 edition. The NASEM subcommittee members will address the substantive changes in the nutrient requirements and the conceptual approaches used to make those changes. Participants will hear reports on areas with significant knowledge gaps that still prevent more accurate prediction of the nutrient requirements. Emphasizing the interactive spirit of Discover Conferences, the agenda will incorporate structured small group discussions, including a demonstration of the software and focused discussions with the speakers. The program will bridge the fundamental science to applied dairy cattle feeding.

Expanding to a hybrid conference format allows us to offer meaningful collaboration among our colleagues throughout the world in a manner that best meets individual needs. We hope that you will join us for this redesigned event and celebrate our collective resilience and dedication to forging connections without boundaries.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 40^th ADSA Discover Conference in August, and we are here to help you however we can with questions and requests for support. Please contact Molly Kelley, Conference Coordinator or Larry Miller, Conference Director, or visit our web site at https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/40th-Discover-Conference

Start making plans to attend the 41^ST ADSA DISCOVER CONFERENCE^SM ON FOOD ANIMAL AGRICULTURE - Health Management of Calves: From Intrauterine Life to Successful Weaning. It will be a hybrid conference with the in-person meeting being held October 25-28, 2021. Registration options include in-person participation at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, IL, virtual participation, and a non-participation option that simply gives registrants access to the conference recordings.

Your registration includes 90 days of free access to ADSA’s Searchable Proceedings of Animal Conferences (S-PAC) and the opportunity to subscribe at ADSA member rates. For complete registration details, visit our web site at https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/41st-Discover-Conference

A poster session will be included to allow participants to share and discuss research findings. Further details are posted on the meeting site. 

Our ADSA Linked In group now includes 1,944 members from around the world, are you one of them? It’s a great place to get information about ADSA and industry activities as well as to network with other dairy professionals from around the world. Check it out here.

While on “Linked In” check out the ADSA Graduate Student Division (GSD) as well. You can find their page at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12059336/profile