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An Introduction to Solar Grazing With Inverter Cattle

Inverter cattle are a specialized composite breed combining Dexter, Belted Galloway, Pineywoods, and American Milking Devon genetics for optimal solar site performance. Inverter cattle possess several key traits necessary for grazing around solar arrays including small stature, hardiness, docile temperament, and efficient foraging. Inverter cattle can produce a product the consumer wants - less fat and meat with flavor. This presentation will introduce participants to inverter cattle and make the case for grazing inverter cattle in Michigan solar projects.

Jess Gray is the CEO of Gray’s LAMBscaping, LLC, overseeing the company’s financial management, policy development, logistics, and reporting. She is crucial in guiding the company towards sustainable agriculture and solar grazing goals. As a 2023 Nuffield International Agricultural Scholar, Gray has represented her company in over half a dozen countries, focusing her research on integrating solar energy with livestock grazing. This innovative approach has drawn interest from various sectors looking at the environmental sustainability and economic viability of ranching in the context of climate change and shifts in land ownership. Gray has been a board member for the American Solar Grazing Associationsince 2024. 

Source : msu.edu

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How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Video: How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape pork production, and longtime pork producer Duane Stateler believes the industry is only getting started.

Recorded at World Pork Expo 2026, Stateler shares how technology has already transformed modern hog farming—from automated barn climate control and feed monitoring to real-time alerts—and explains why AI will play an even bigger role in improving animal care, efficiency, and decision-making.

As a fifth-generation hog farmer, he also discusses the importance of family farms, succession planning, labor, and how technology is helping today's producers care for more animals while maintaining high welfare standards.

In this interview:

The future of AI in pork production

How smart barns improve pig care

Feed bin monitoring and automation

Labor challenges and family farming

Why technology is shaping the next generation of producers