Tag: dairy science

Want to Influence Nutrition? Just Do It, Twigge Says

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Life as an influencer means entering free-wheeling debate with perspectives from all sides. But to advance better nutrition with ample servings of dairy, it’s necessary to do, says social media personality Lauren Twigge.

Twigge, a registered dietician and nutritionist with a degree in animal science, offers “Nutrition at Its Roots,” an online and social media platform she uses to advance the message of dairy’s benefits and high-quality nourishment. Her work has been featured in Prevention, Health, Shape, Good Housekeeping, and other media outlets helping to demystify nutrition and offer sound guidance for families and individuals navigating an often-confusing nutrition landscape.

Anyone seeking a bigger online presence should just get out there and engage, she said. “For farmers or health professionals like me that want to share facts, start putting the content out there. Your themes, your trends, your approach will come as you go, because you’re going to start to get people asking you questions.” And while sometimes the interactions aren’t the most pleasant, in the end it’s worthwhile, she said.

“You’ve got so many great farmers online that are sharing their stories, showing days in their life, and I think that it really helps put a face to the industry, and that’s what consumers need to see,” she said. “My big piece of advice would be, start the content, post the content, share your story, talk about your family, talk about the industry, and talk about why you love it. Connect people with your passion. And that is content that people resonate with, and content that people resonate with is content that people remember and learn from.”

To hear more Dairy Defined podcasts, you can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

NMPF Names Four Dairy Scholarship Winners

Posted on by Jessi-Ryah Cordova

Four graduate students researching in areas that benefit dairy cooperatives and farmers are receiving scholarships as part of the 2025 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program, with one being honored through a scholarship created this year. Recipients include:

Dallas Soffa, a doctoral candidate in Physiology of Reproduction in Animal Science at Texas A&M. Soffa’s research explores the hormonal influence on reproductive microbiota and immune cell signaling in cattle.

Margaret Costello, a doctoral candidate in Animal & Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on integrating emerging sequencing technology and non-invasive sampling techniques with rumen microbiome research to address key industry concerns.

Marina Rocha Dorella, a master’s student in Animal Science at the University of Minnesota. Her research explores enhancing dairy industry sustainability through precision dairy technology, more specifically, optimizing hyperketonemia treatment efficiency and labor allocation.

The committee also selected a student to receive the newly created Dr. Peter Vitaliano Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship, created in March, supports individuals who demonstrate a passion for the industry through community engagement, academic interests and advocacy. This year’s scholarship was awarded to:

Maria Belen Ugarte Marin, a doctoral candidate in Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Florida studying the identification of detrimental milking characteristics and their association with dairy farm performance. Maria’s dedication to mentorship, serving as a teaching assistant, and overall passion for supporting the next generation embodies the vision for dairy leadership by Dr. Vitaliano, who retired from NMPF last year after nearly four decades as an economist with the organization.

“Congratulations to each recipient of this year’s National Dairy Leadership Scholarships,” said NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud. “We are proud to continue to focus on the future of the industry by supporting these young professionals in their endeavors. Farmers can be confident in their investment in education and the next generation of dairy leaders.”

NMPF’s Board of Directors confirmed the recipients as part of NMPF’s Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, VA, June 10-11. To learn more about and contribute to the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program, please visit the scholarship website.

Science Makes the Case for Whole Milk, Teicholz Says

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

You don’t have to be part of the dairy sector to see how important whole milk is for children, best-selling author Nina Teicholz, Ph.D., said in the latest Dairy Defined Podcast.

That’s because nutrition science makes a compelling case for full-fat milk, underscoring the importance of getting whole milk back in schools, the goal of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, she said.

Children who drink whole milk tend to be healthier, she said. “You need the fat in the milk to digest the vitamins that are in the milk, those are fat soluble vitamins. “I’m not a dairy advocate, but it turns out that the science supports the position of those of people in the industry who would prefer to see whole milk back in schools.”

Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,” also discussed how food policy might be shaken up by Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary.

NMPF has a call to action supporting the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act for listeners who want to get involved, here. For more of the Dairy Defined podcast, you can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

Scholarship Fundraising Raffle Live

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF’s annual scholarship fundraising raffle is now live, running through this year’s Joint Annual Meeting and concluding Oct. 23 when winners are announced.

Prizes this year include a $1,000 travel voucher, American Express gift cards, Target gift cards, a Cabot Creamery Ultimate Gift Box, and more. The raffle can be accessed here. Annual Meeting attendees also will have the chance to support the program by participating in a silent auction.

The NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program supports Master’s and Ph.D. students conducting research important to dairy farmers. The scholarship program is largely funded through the raffle fundraiser and silent auction, making ticket purchases essential to its funding. Sustaining this program ensures that critical research benefiting dairy can continue.

Scholarship winners for 2024 selected by the NMPF Scholarship Committee included five graduate students conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers. Scholarships, announced to NMPF’s Board of Directors in June, were awarded to:

  • Agustin Olivo, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Olivo’s research focuses on evaluation and dissemination of system analysis tools and performance indicators to improve environmental outcomes of New York dairies.
  • Ana Beatriz Montevecchio Bernardino, a doctoral candidate in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Montevecchio Bernardino is studying the effect of a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory formulation on welfare of Holstein cows challenged with E. coli.
  • Grant Fincham, a master’s of science candidate in Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Fincham’s research looks at whole animal energy utilization and manure biogas production in feeding dried distillers grains with solubles to lactating dairy cattle.
  • Lynn Olthof, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science-Dairy Management at Michigan State University. Olthof is studying the economic implications of dairy farm management decisions.
  • Megan Lauber, a doctoral candidate in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lauber is investigating an integrated approach to optimize sexed semen in dairy herds.

NMPF Names 2024 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Winners

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors has selected five graduate students researching in areas that benefit dairy cooperatives and producers to receive scholarships as part of the 2024 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipients include:

  • Agustin Olivo, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Olivo’s research focuses on evaluation and dissemination of system analysis tools and performance indicators to improve environmental outcomes of New York dairies.
  • Ana Beatriz Montevecchio Bernardino, a doctoral candidate in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Montevecchio Bernardino is studying the effect of a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory formulation on welfare of Holstein cows challenged with E. coli.
  • Grant Fincham, a master’s of science candidate in Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Fincham’s research looks at whole animal energy utilization and manure biogas production in feeding dried distillers grains with solubles to lactating dairy cattle.
  • Lynn Olthof, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science-Dairy Management at Michigan State University. Olthof is studying the economic implications of dairy farm management decisions.
  • Megan Lauber, a doctoral candidate in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lauber is investigating an integrated approach to optimize sexed semen in dairy herds.

“Congratulations to each recipient of this year’s NMPF scholarships,” said NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud. “Supporting high-quality dairy research benefits our members and cooperatives, which fundamentally is what NMPF strives to do every day. We look forward to the contributions these scholars will make to the dairy community and are thrilled to help these students succeed.”

The recipients were confirmed as part of NMPF’s Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, VA, on June 5-6. To learn more about and contribute to the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program, please visit: www.nmpf.org/programs/scholarship.

Applications Now Accepted for NMPF’s Scholarship Program

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for academic year 2023-2024.

Each year, NMPF awards scholarships to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the US dairy industry at large.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). Scholarship recipients will be invited to present their research via webinar during the summer of 2023. Top applicants are eligible to be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, which was created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 14, 2023.  For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

The scholarship program is funded through the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Fund. If you would like to support the scholarship fund, please consider a donation here.