Sustainable Animal Agriculture Study Group - SAA

SPRING 2024

SERIES OF LECTURES 

Introduction to Ag Life Cycle Assessment: a Dairy System Case Study. Dr. Joel Tallaksen, WCROC – University of Minnesota 

February 19, Monday, 12 pm - 2 pm (CST- Chicago)

Potential contribution of insects to sustainable meat production Dr. Kiyonori Kawasaki, Associate Professor for Kagawa University, Japan. Dr. Kiyonori is a visiting scholar in Dr. Pedro Urriola's lab.  

February 26, Monday 12 pm – 1 pm (CST- Chicago)

Animal welfare: a fundamental component of livestock production sustainability  

Dr. Maria Camila Ceballos, Assistant Professor in Beef Cattle Welfare and Behavior, W.A. Ranches at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. 

March 4, Monday

12 pm – 1 pm (CST- Chicago)

Building value in sustainability assessments for dairy farmers and advisors:  A qualitative analysis 

Dr. MaryGrace Erickson, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering – University of Minnesota

March 18,  Monday

12 pm – 1 pm (CDT- Chicago)

Regenerative Livestock Systems Symposium:  The Role of Livestock in Restoring Natural Resources and Agroecosystems

April 5th, Friday

8 am – 6 pm (CDT - Chicago)

FALL 2023

International Online Series of Lectures in Livestock Sustainability

October 9, Monday, 2 pm - 3 pm

Sustainability in Organic Swine Production

Dr. Yuzhi Li, WCROC-University of Minnesota, USA

October 17, Tuesday, 3 pm - 4 pm

Organic Dairy Farming Constraints and Prospects in the European Context with a Focus on Antibiotic Use

Dr. Isabel Blanco-Penedo, University of Lleida, Spain

October 30,

October 30, Monday, 12 pm – 1 pm

Tracking Livestock Sustainability: How do we standardize without overburdening producers?

Connor McCabe, University of California -Davis, USA

November 13, Monday 12 pm - 1 pm

Nutritional and Management Strategies to Improve the Sustainability of the Beef Industry

Dr. Pedro Carvalho, Colorado State University, USA

November 27, Monday, 1 pm – 2 pm

Regenerative Grazing

Dr. Said Hamido, Rodale Institute, USA

December 4, Monday, 12 pm – 1 pm

Circular Economy and Poultry Production

Helen Pluschke, Thünen Institute, Germany

SUMMER 2023

FIELD DAYS

July 6 - Visit to Restoravore and Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN

Visit to the Project Restorave that aims to use grazing animals to help restore natural ecosystems of the Bluff Country in the Southeast of Minnesota. The group also visited the Prairie Moon Nursery, one of the most important producers and sellers of native seeds in the USA.

June 13 - Visit to Foggy Ridge Farm, WI

A small-scale farm in Ridgeland, WI, operates a direct market business, raising organic-fed pasture-raised beef and chicken.

SPRING 2023

April17, 12 pm - 1 pm

Cover crops and Livestock 

Dr. Yoana Newman, University of Wisconsin 

April 3rd, 12 pm - 1 pm

Paper discussion: "Review: Trends for meat, milk and egg consumption for the next decadesand the role played by livestock systems in the global production of proteins" 

March 20, 12 pm - 1 pm

Climate Change and Animal Farming

Miguel Suazo, Department of Animal Science - University of Minnesota, USA.

March 18, 10 am - 3 pm, Osseo, WI

SAA students attended the West Central WI Spring Grazing Conference.

February 27, Monday 2 pm - 3 pm

Manure to Improve Soil Health (Journal Club)

February 20, Monday, 12 pm - 1 pm

Group discussion on several reading materials on the topic: Interconnections between soil and animal health

February 6, Monday 12 - 1pm

Sustainability and Animal Farming

January 23, Monday 12 pm - 1pm

Introduction and scope of the group