NIFA Invests Nearly $3M in Rural Food Animal Veterinary Medicine Across the U.S.

Jan 19, 2022

NIFA recently announced 17 Veterinary Service Grants Program (VSGP) Awards, seven Education, Extension, and Training (EET) grants and 10 Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants to help mitigate food animal veterinary service shortages in the United States. The goals of the VSGP are to support food animal veterinary medicine through EET funds for accredited schools and organizations and through RPE funds for veterinary clinics that provide services in veterinary shortage situations. This program is designed to support education and extension activities that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians gain specialized food animal skills and practices.

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the establishment of the VSGP as a companion to the Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) to incentivize service in veterinary shortage situations. Ultimately, VSGP will bolster the capacity of private veterinary practitioners to provide food animal medicine in rural veterinarian shortage locations.

Source : usda.gov

Video: What Successful AI Implementation Looks Like in the Protein Industry | Ben Allen, CEO of BinSentry

In this conversation, Ben Allen, CEO of BinSentry, explores what separates successful AI implementation from early experimentation across the protein industry. As producers begin integrating artificial intelligence into their operations, the most effective implementations share common themes: strong data foundations, practical use cases, and a focus on solving real operational challenges. Ben discusses why data quality and integration are essential for AI to deliver meaningful results, and why technology alone is not enough. Successful adoption also depends heavily on people, training, and company culture, ensuring teams understand how to use new tools and trust the insights they provide. Looking ahead, the conversation highlights the steps protein producers can take today—from improving data infrastructure to embracing digital tools—to position their operations for long-term success in an increasingly AI-driven industry.