More than 20 years after the yogurt industry petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to update the standard of identity and more than 11 years since the agency first issued a proposed rule for a modernized standard of identity for yogurt, the agency announced it will issue a final rule to modernize the standard of identity for yogurt. 

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USDA says that it will move to strengthen and protect the country’s food and agricultural supply chain with $4 billion in funding for expanding supply chain resilience allocated in the American Rescue Plan passed earlier in 2021. During a press call following the announcement, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said additional details will be shared in the coming months on how the agency hopes to strengthen the food system, create new market opportunities and support good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain.

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The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) has appointed Martha Scott Poindexter as chief operating officer. As COO, Poindexter reports to USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, effective July 8, 2021.

Among other duties, Poindexter will be Harden's strategic thought partner, provide oversight of USDEC's senior leadership team and lead the organization's efforts to accelerate growth, strengthen operational performance, and foster innovation.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Secure your seat today for the premier virtual global dairy science meeting! ADSA is working to prepare another world-class virtual meeting for 2021! Most live programming will happen between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT/UTC -4), July 11 - 14. Need to miss a live event? Don't worry - most live events will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing.

The meeting will feature 23 Symposia and Workshops during the meeting and six additional webinars later in the fall that are included in your registration. Click here to check out the full lineup of Symposia and workshops.

The meeting will also include a Late-Breaking Abstracts session. The late-breaking abstracts are of original research that highlight a broad spectrum of work, including recently completed cutting-edge, high-tech research that is important to the species or discipline.

The Graduate Student Division (GSD) and Student Affiliate Division (SAD) have also been hard at work adapting a schedule of activities to provide value to graduate and undergraduate students, including career workshops, competitions, mentoring sessions with professional members, as well as social events.

Check the meeting website https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/2021-Annual-Meeting  frequently as additional information and meeting details will be included as it becomes available.

Registration is open and other updates will be coming. Check the meeting website https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/2021-Annual-Meeting  frequently for additional information and meeting details.

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.

Registration is open for the one remaining special webinar in the Journal of Dairy Science author webinar series. Participants will learn about the Journal of Dairy Science, writing a manuscript, and navigating the review and revision process. Webinars are free but you must register to participate.

As a reminder, recordings of the previous webinars in the series (in English) are available at: https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/Webinars

An article in the July issue of the Journal of Dairy Science® reports development of a modified milk calibration sample set to improve accuracy of milk urea nitrogen testing. Present in blood, urine, and milk, the chemical compound urea is the primary form of nitrogen excretion in mammals. Testing for urea levels in dairy cows helps scientists and farmers understand how effectively nitrogen from feed is used in cows’ bodies, with important economic implications for farmers in terms of feed costs, physiological effects for cows such as reproductive performance, and environmental impacts from excretion of nitrogen in dairy cow waste. Thus, accuracy in testing dairy cow urea levels is essential. (MORE)

You can find copies of these and previous letters on the ADSA site in the Advocacy area of the site. We anticipate joining additional letters as discussions continue. They will be posted here as they are delivered.

ADSA Partner Webinar: Dairy Cattle Welfare Council presents “Reimagining the future of dairy – Maintaining our social license by improving animal welfare” - June 14

By: Dr. Nina von Keyserlingk, Professor, University of British Columbia

Date: June 14, 2021

Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

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

Make your plans now 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 1,981 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