Dairy Key to USDA AG Innovation Agenda Research Strategy

Feb 08, 2021

USDA released on Jan. 12 the U.S. Agriculture Innovation Strategy Directional Vision for Research summary and dashboard that will help to guide future research decisions within USDA. The strategy synthesizes information USDA collected as part of the public engagement in 2020 on research priorities under the Agriculture Innovation Agenda.

NMPF, Newtrient LLC, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy submitted a series of comments to USDA on their request for comments on the Ag Innovation Agenda. These wide-ranging comments helped USDA put forth a clear and comprehensive research strategy specific for the U.S. dairy industry under four aspirational goals:

Production Aspirational Goal: Increase agricultural production by optimizing yield and/or quality with higher input use efficiency;
Production Capability Aspirational Goal: Increase agricultural production capabilities of soil, water, and air by developing and implementing sustainable farming tools and practices;

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!