Kansas State University is joining a new pilot program from Farm Journal Foundation to support veterinary students in their career development and address the national shortage of rural, food-systems veterinarians. The university is one of nine schools participating in the Veterinary Workforce Solutions Program, which seeks to address structural challenges facing the food animal veterinary industry. The program, backed by support from the Zoetis Foundation, supports veterinary students across a number of areas, including tackling student debt and financial planning, developing business management skills, and learning how to engage with rural communities.
Zoetis ended the second quarter of 2024 with a $250,000 contribution to Folds of Honor. This brings the total contribution from Zoetis to $1.55 million over its three years of support to the organization. Proceeds from the sales of select Zoetis products continue to raise funds for Folds of Honor scholarships. Folds of Honor provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of men and women who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the U.S. armed forces or as first responders.
The Public Lands Council (PLC) closed out their 56th Annual Meeting by announcing Colorado rancher Tim Canterbury as the new PLC President. Tim owns and operates his family ranch in Howard, Colorado, where his family has been ranching since 1879. He has previously served as a member of the PLC Board of Directors, President of Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), and chair of the Colorado Public Lands Council.
At the Public Lands Council (PLC) Annual Meeting this week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced winners of the 2024 Rangeland Stewardship and Rangeland Innovation awards to recognize exemplary management and outstanding accomplishments in restoring and maintaining the health of public rangelands.
The National Pork Industry Foundation (NPIF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing research and education within the pork industry, is now accepting applications for the Neil Dierks Scholarship. This scholarship honors Neil Dierks, the National Pork Producers Council‘s (NPPC) former longtime CEO, and his remarkable contributions to the industry. The $5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student enrolled in a land-grant university pursuing a field of study that directly supports the pork industry.
Known as the “Father of the Brand Specifications,” Dr. Bobby VanStavern was committed to improving beef quality. His legacy lives on in the Dr. Bobby VanStavern Award for Beef Quality Research. Established by Certified Angus Beef (CAB), the award was created to recognize outstanding student research dedicated to advancing beef quality. The 2024 recipient is William Boyd for his research titled, “Instrumental Assessment of Marbling and Objective Color Post-Ribbing.”
The American Lamb Board (ALB) is looking for 150 sheep producers to participate in its Climate Smart Sheep program. Producers enrolled in the program will be paid up to $7,000 to develop and implement Climate Smart Sheep management practices and measure and report emissions and life cycle analysis.
National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Ccouncil expressed their strong disappointment with a preliminary ruling by Colombia’s government that unfairly targets U.S. dairy exporters by advancing baseless claims that U.S. milk powder was unduly subsidized.
The dairy checkoff has awarded 12 academic scholarships to students enrolled in programs that emphasize dairy and who have shown potential to become future dairy leaders. The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff, annually awards $2,500 scholarships to 11 students. In addition, the NDB awards a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient.
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting research preproposals from colleges, universities and research facilities through Nov. 1, on further understanding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since the HPAI outbreak began in early February 2022, thousands of cases have been reported in both commercial poultry and backyard flocks, leading to the loss of millions of birds. The H5N1 strain has affected domestic and backyard flocks across 48 states, impacting farmers and communities nationwide. Additionally, the virus has been transmitted to commercial dairy cattle, and several human infections have been reported.
“The Integrated Value of the U.S. Genetic Evaluation System” is the focus when dairy genetic enthusiasts gather on October 2, 2024, for the 10th Industry Meeting of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). This annual meeting will be in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday morning during World Dairy Expo in The Tanbark. All dairy producers, industry professionals and genetic enthusiasts are invited to participate. View the agenda and register online for the in-person or livestream option.
