Beef Expo real-life learning for students of all ages

Mar 09, 2023

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — For Ty Kenney, his first visit to the Illinois Beef Expo was successful on all levels.

The Illinois Central College student fulfilled all the requirements for his Livestock Production class project. And, his confidence in choosing a good bull was confirmed. For his assignment, after doing research, he chose the bull which sold for the most at the Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale event at the state fairgrounds in Springfield on Feb. 23.

“I was able to find what I wanted,” said Kenney of Brimfield, in Peoria County, near the college in East Peoria.

He and three other students participated in the project designed by their teacher, Grant Grebner, to give them real-life experience at a bull sale.

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Video: How Data Predicts Swine Outbreaks - Swaminathan Jayaraman

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Swaminathan Jayaraman, Research Assistant and PhD Candidate at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, explains how integrated data systems can improve disease surveillance in swine production. He discusses combining diagnostics, animal movement data, production records, and spatial analytics to identify risks earlier and support proactive decision-making for PRRS, PED, and swine influenza. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Disease surveillance remains largely reactive because outbreaks are often confirmed only after transmission has already occurred across multiple connected production sites."

Meet the guest: Swaminathan Jayaraman / swamjay is a Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. With academic training in management information systems and engineering, he focuses on integrating diagnostic, production, and movement data to improve disease surveillance and decision support in swine production systems. Listen to Swaminathan Jayaraman on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.