Southeast Minnesota Forage Field Day and Dairy Tour

Aug 04, 2023

By Katie Drewitz

Forage, beef and dairy farmers are invited to the Southeast Minnesota Forage Field Day & Dairy Tour on Tuesday, Aug. 8 in Spring Valley. With two great farm hosts, Valley Angus Farm and Heusinkveld Farms, the tours will look at grazing fields, fencing, water types, and alfalfa’s role in organic systems, as well as a heifer barn and tunnel-vented dairy barn.

The event begins at 9:45 a.m. at Valley Angus Farm. Prior to a field tour led by Dan Miller, participants will learn about the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) resources for livestock producers and hear from farmers who have benefited from MDA’s cost-share programs. They will also learn about the pros and cons of different fencing and watering options and hear from Tom Cotter on methods to optimize the conservation and economic benefits of grazing cover crops.

After the field tour at Valley Angus Farm, participants will move to Heusinkveld Farms for lunch served at noon. Prior to the tour of the farm’s dairy facilities led by Nate Heusinkveld, participants will hear about farmer resources offered by the event’s co-organizers Midwest Forage Association, Minnesota Diary Initiative, and University of Minnesota Extension, as well as a talk on carbon credits.

Source : umn.edu

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.