Ag-icon influence endures

Sep 21, 2023

The influence of George Shook won’t stop anytime soon, given the countless number of students he taught and advised during his 40-year career as a professor of dairy genetics in the University of Wisconsin-Department of Dairy Sciences – now the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Many of those students are currently leaders in the dairy industry.

Kylene Cook Anderson is a senior marketing manager for ABS Global of DeForest, Wisconsin. Shook was her adviser for her entire undergraduate experience in the early 2000s. She also took one of his classes focused on animal-science genetics and breeding.

“I learned (from him) a passion for how quickly we can make genetic progress in cattle, and I believe it strongly helped foster my enthusiasm for genetics,” she said. “This passion for genetics led me to a now-15-plus-year career working for ABS Global.

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Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.