AnSci Connection
The newsletter of the Department of Animal Science

March 2006

  
As readers of our newsletter, you are probably aware that Abel Ponce de León has been appointed Associate Dean for Research in the New Expanded College. Abel was Department Head for eight and a half years. He provided steady, dynamic and excellent leadership during this period. The Department has grown and flourished in many areas of research and undergraduate student enrollment during this time. Today, we are fortunate to have outstanding faculty and staff in the Department who are dedicated to our mission of teaching, research and extension. From all of us in the Department, Abel, we thank you for your dedicated leadership, wish you well and look forward to working with you in your new position.

Paraphrasing the laws of physics, with one change comes another change. As Abel moved to a new position, so did I. After 26 years of dairy extension, research and teaching in the Department, I accepted the position of Interim Department Head. I will serve in this position until a new Dean of the New Expanded College is named and initiates a search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Ponce de León. For those of you who do not know me, my position in the Department has been as Extension Dairy Specialist in Nutrition over the last 26 years. Over the years, my position has gradually changed from primarily extension to a combination of extension and research to, more recently, extension, research and teaching.

The remainder of 2006 will bring exciting times with many changes occurring in the New College. First, the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences combined with the College of Natural Resources. The Board of Regents has approved College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) as the new name for the expanded, combined colleges. Look for announcements and an unveiling of this new name in the coming months. Second, the search is underway for a Dean of the new college and the goal is to have a person in the position by July 1. Third, at a department level, we will be exploring opportunities to “cluster” with Food Science. Animal Science is uniquely positioned to be a central hub in the College and Presidential initiatives. We have the largest undergraduate enrollment in the College. Our animal research programs cover the range from the production of healthy quality food products to using animals as models in understanding and developing solutions to some of the most common health problems affecting our population today. The production of energy (gases and electricity) is another area where the Department will be actively engaged in research and extension programs in the coming months. Our breadth of faculty expertise is a strength and positive asset as we go forth bringing basic research to application and providing education programs on implementation.

I look forward to the next several months and the opportunities presented during this time. I welcome all of your comments and suggestions as we move through some new and exciting times in the Department of Animal Science and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.
  

Name Approved for New U of M College

The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences will be the name of the new, expanded college being created at the U of M. The new college will also be known by its acronym, CFANS. On March 10th, the U of M Board of Regents officially approved the name for the college that combines the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Natural Resources and the Department of Food Science and Nutrition.

The focus of CFANS will be to enhance the University's natural biological and social science contributions to the environment, production agriculture, human health, food systems and natural resources. CFANS will officially begin operation on July 1, 2006. A national search is currently underway to select a new dean to lead CFANS.
  

Fahrenkrug Contributes to Diabetes Research

The law of supply and demand will play a crucial role in the potential development of islet replacement therapies into a viable and widely available cure for millions of people with Type 1 and potentially Type 2 diabetes.

The demand has been significantly heightened since Dr. Bernhard Hering, Scientific Director of the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation at the U of M, and his team recently documented a medical milestone—using pig islet cell transplantation and immune therapy to achieve prolonged diabetes reversal in monkeys (Nature Medicine, Feb. 19, 2006).

This comes at a time when critical tools for monitoring and manipulating the pig genome have become available, the focus of research in the laboratory of Scott Fahrenkrug, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Functional Genomics in the U of M Department of Animal Science. "With these tools available, and the sequence of the pig genome coming in the next year, we are in a position to engineer pigs with islets not recognized as foreign by a patient's immune system" said Dr. Fahrenkrug.

The critical component now shifts to supply. Specifically, abundant supplies of safe, healthy pancreatic islets suitable to begin clinical trials.

At the urging of Drs. Hering and Scott Fahrenkrug, a team of grassroots, venture philanthropists have formed a non-profit group called Spring Point Project to solve the problem of pig islet supply. Spring Point Project will establish facilities to raise Food and Drug Administration-compliant pigs to provide suitable islets that can be used in clinical transplant trials.

"We've assembled a motivated, passionate, intelligent group of people with the talent and the resources to see this project through," said Thomas Cartier, president of the Spring Point Project board of directors. "With these breakthroughs in science and Spring Point's relentless pursuit of the supply source, we are moving from hope to a cure."

Spring Point Project was established for the sole purpose of solving the pig islet supply shortfall to expedite a cure for diabetes. Philanthropic gifts will be the sole source of capital for Spring Point Project.

"Now that we know that pigs are a viable alternative to human donors," said Dr, Fahrenkrug, "We must now solve the supply side of this problem in order to quickly translate Dr. Hering's compelling results into an available diabetes therapy."

It is well established that transplanting healthy islet cells prepared from deceased donor pancreases to a human recipient can reverse diabetes. But the availability of human organ donors is severely limited, and it often takes transplants from two to three deceased donor pancreases to cure one diabetic person.

"Our success in monkeys suggests it is feasible to use pig islet cells in the not-too-distant future to reverse diabetes in people," Dr. Hering said. "While research focused on improving the safety of immunosuppression to prevent pig islet transplant rejection continues, Spring Point Project will raise suitable pigs meeting all safety requirements with the eventual goal of bringing this treatment to patients".

Representatives at Spring Point Project, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, say that completion of the stringent tasks required for FDA approval to use pig islets in clinical trials can be accomplished within three years. Estimates are that about $20 million will be needed to establish and operate Spring Point Project's biosecure facilities where high-health pigs will be raised.

"We are engineering highly sophisticated systems for animal production that emphasize islet-product efficacy and safety, as well as animal welfare," Dr. Fahrenkrug said. "The ability of this group to raise substantial funds will accelerate the translation of Dr. Hering's results from the bench to the bedside."

There are 20.8 million people in the U.S., or 7 percent of the population, who have diabetes. Diabetes alone represents 11 percent of the nation's health care expenditure. The collaboration between the U of M and Spring Point Project will be critical for the translation of promising research into widely available and superior treatment options for people with diabetes. Given the magnitude of the problem, this strategy will likely result in a fairly large niche market for pigs and pig cells. 
  

Former U of M Student Recognized for Professional Achievement
SOURCE: Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, Kansas City, MO

Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) Fraternity recently announced that Mr. Wayne Worthley, a former Science in Ag student advised by Dr. Jerry Shurson, was chosen as one of four Grand President’s Award winners for Professional Achievement. AGR presents the award to members under age 40 who have achieved outstanding success in their professional careers. These young, emerging leaders will serve as role models for our undergraduate members and those just starting their professional careers. The award will provide opportunities for interaction with AGRs at Leadership Seminars and visits with chapters. The award was presented at the Leadership Seminar in Philadelphia, PA, held February 10 and 11, 2006.

Wayne Worthley became a member of the Lambda Chapter at the U of M in 1989. He earned a B.S. in agriculture and biology in 1992 at the U of M, a M.S. in science education in 1997 at the Florida International University, and a specialist degree in science education from Florida State University in 2001.

During his collegiate years as a Lambda Chapter member, Wayne served as noble ruler, vice noble ruler of alumni relations, editor of the Lambda Crescent, summer recruitment chairman, and chaired 2 years of spring quarter recruitment scholarship weekends for high school senior membership prospects.

After graduation, from 1992 to 1994, Wayne served in the U.S. Peace Corps as an animal husbandry volunteer near Latacunga, Ecuador. After his service as a volunteer in 1995, he then worked as a contractor for the U.S. government as an Animal Production Trainer for the Peace Corps-Ecuador. While working as a trainer, Wayne designed a 7-module, 4-month training format for the new Animal Production program for Peace Corps-Ecuador, and authored a 5-year project plan for the Animal Production program.

Wayne has worked to improve animal production practices and markets for animal products in the Andes of Ecuador through teaching indigenous and rural farmers hands-on management techniques in pasture improvement, animal health, disease control, genetic improvement, nutrition, and commodity marketing. Currently he works to expose and prepare the seemingly disenfranchised youth of south Florida for challenging career opportunities in agriculture.

Since 1995, Wayne has been the Agriscience instructor and FFA Advisor at Redland Middle School in Homestead (Miami-Dade County), Florida. He teaches nearly 200 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in a bilingual setting with a very diverse student population from migrant labor camps, tropical fruit and vegetable farms, government housing projects, and others from suburban families. In the 10 year’s under Wayne’s advisement, the Redland Middle FFA chapter has produced several national winners in the area of Agriscience research, and over 20 state-winning FFA teams in the areas of Horticulture, Floriculture, Nursery-Landscape and others. His parliamentary procedure knowledge, learned and acquired while serving AGR as an undergraduate student, has assisted him in preparing his students for FFA parliamentary procedure competitions at the state level for each of the past 10 years, and 13 of his students have passed the examination for membership into the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Wayne has been honored as the Redland Middle School Teacher of the Year, Miami-Dade County Agri-Council Agriculture Teacher of the Year, is a lifetime member of both the Florida and National Association of Agriculture Educators and has been named Outstanding Young Member. He is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Science and has recently served on the national committee to revise those national standards. He is a member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Homestead, FL, and has served as secretary, vice president, church council member, and Sunday school teacher.

Wayne has been married since 1994 to his wife, Cristina Moreno-Coba, who he met while serving in Ecuador. They have two children, John (10) and Jared (8).

AGR is the national agricultural fraternity with 72 chapters. Membership exceeds 60,000 men in 50 states and 54 countries. The fraternity’s goal is to make better men and to promote the increasingly important and versatile field of agriculture.
  

Stern Receives Distinguished Teaching Award

Dr. Marshall Stern is the 2005-2006 recipient of the U of M Alumni Association Horace T. Morse Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. This Distinguished Teaching Award is one of the U of M's most prestigious awards for excellence in teaching.

Marshall is a dedicated teacher and highly deserving of this award. In 2005, he received the COAFES Student Board Outstanding Teacher Award, and the COAFES Alumni Society Distinguished Faculty Award; in 2003, he was the recipient of the Animal Science Graduate Student Club Award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member, the COAFES Distinguished Teacher Award, and the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teaching Award of Merit.

Marshall, along with 14 other award recipients, will be honored at a ceremony on Monday, April 24th from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis.

Congratulations Marshall!
  

Livestock Hall of Fame Inductees Honored at MLBA Awards Banquet

The Minnesota Livestock Breeders' Association (MLBA) held their 110th annual meeting at Farmamerica in Waseca on March 9th. Along with the association's business meeting and election of officers, approximately 85 people attended the Awards Banquet. Four new inductees to the Minnesota Livestock Hall of Fame were honored at the banquet.

Dr. Robert Appleman was an extension dairyman in the Department of Animal Science at the U of M from 1973 until his death in 1992. During his tenure, he was recognized as one of the significant scientific authorities on stray voltage, milking equipment, and mastitis. Bob also gave leadership to the construction of several new dairy facilities, including the St. Paul Teaching and Research Center, the Minnesota State Fair milking parlor, and the Rosemount and Crookston experiment stations.

Kent Thiesse has served the livestock industry and the youth of Minnesota since 1975 through his many years in the Extension Service and his involvement with an extensive number of committees. Kent has been a member of the 4-H auction committee since 1987 and served as its Finance Committee Chair since 1993. He’s been the chairperson of the 4-H beef show for 26 years and helped transition the market show into the State Fair in 1980. Kent also helped initiate the Minnesota Beef Expo.

Dr. Gerald Kennedy has been in the sheep breeding business since 1972. Gerald developed a nationally respected flock of Suffolks and won many State Fair and national championships. In 1988, he dispersed his flock of Suffolks and built an elite flock of Rambouillets. He won many national awards with that breed as well and dispersed that flock in 1997. Gerald established a flock of Dorper sheep in 2000 and has consigned several of the top selling Dorpers at the past two national sales.

Loren Olson has been a life-long breeder and promoter of Holstein cattle. His Raylore Farm has done very well in the show ring, winning numerous awards and championships at the McLeod County and Minnesota State fairs. The farm has had 58 cows score Excellent by Holstein Association, USA. Loren has also been very active with the Minnesota Holstein Association, holding several offices over the years.
  

Graduate and Professional Student Career Fair: Explore Your Future!

Representatives from corporations, non-profits, and government agencies will be available to meet with U of M graduate and professional students to discuss employment opportunities at the inaugural Graduate and Professional Student Career Fair on Thursday, March 23. "Explore Your Future", will be held from noon to 4:00 p.m. on the main floor of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs on the West Bank campus.

Graduate and professional students can view the list of participating employers and register for Explore Your Future online at http://www.grad.umn.edu/career/careerfair/index.html. Registration is free.

The Graduate and Professional Student Career Fair is co-sponsored by the Graduate School; the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs; the St. Paul Campus Career Center; the School of Public Health; and the Career Center for Science and Engineering.

Questions about the event may be directed to Karen Starry at starry@umn.edu.
  

Get Your Nominations in by March 31st

There are many faculty and staff deserving of recognition for their exceptional contributions to the College. Consider submitting a nomination for one of the following six COAFES college-wide awards. The deadline is March 31, 2006.

• Distinguished Teaching Award (Tenured and Non-tenured)
• Distinguished Academic Staff Award (Academic and Scientific)
• Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Staff Award (Administrative and Scientific)

Award winners receive a certificate of recognition as well as a cash award. For details on the awards and nomination procedures, visit: http://www.coafes.umn.edu/awards.

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at the Dome

U of M faculty and staff, and their family and friends, are invited to the Metrodome on April 8th for Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. The Gopher baseball team faces Michigan in a double header that starts at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the game, starting at 12:00, Coach John Anderson and his staff will hold a free baseball clinic for children 7-17 on the Metrodome field. The kids are also invited to join their favorite Gopher on the field during the national anthem. Gopher players will also be signing autographs and handing out team posters before and after the game. Please RSVP for the children's clinic by email to: baseball@umn.edu.

Special discounted tickets are now available for faculty and staff for $3.00 and can be purchased at the U of M Bookstore or at the ticket office in Mariucci Arena.

This event is being offered to the University community through a partnership with the University Governance Advisory Committee on Athletics (ACA) Subcommittee on Campus and Community Relations, and the Gopher Baseball team.

In the spring of 2004, the ACA and Community Relations initiated "Touchdown on Campus", a program that focused its efforts on football. This year, the program has been expanded to include baseball, soccer, and women¹s gymnastics. The primary goals of the program are to build and enhance community on campus with faculty, staff, students, U of M departments, alumni, and Gopher fans, and increase fan awareness of the contribution that Gopher athletics provides to campus and the community.
  

Minnesota Royal: A 90-year Tradition Continues

"Celebrating 90 years of Royal Fun" is the theme of the 2006 Minnesota Royal event, which will be held April 3-8 on the U of M St. Paul campus. Minnesota Royal began in 1916 when it was known as Ag Royal. For years, Ag Royal consisted entirely of Saturday livestock showmanship contests designed to "acquaint the student body with the many problems involved in conducting a livestock exhibition."

Minnesota Royal has changed and evolved since it began, but it is still dedicated to learning through the cooperation and friendly competition of St. Paul campus students. The event is for everyone including students, faculty, staff, alumni and the surrounding community.

For additional details, take a look at the 2006 Minnesota Royal Schedule of Events.
  

3rd Annual Gopher Dairy Camp Coming in June

The 3rd annual Gopher Dairy Camp will be held June 8-10, 2006 on the U of M St. Paul campus. The Minnesota 4-H Dairy Committee and the Gopher Dairy Club at the U of M have teamed up again to sponsor this event for young people who want to increase their dairy cattle expertise. Participants are required to have completed sixth grade and not to have started twelfth grade. Registration will be limited to the first 100 who apply. Campers from all states are welcome.

"Gopher Dairy Camp will provide youth a chance to learn grooming and fitting from the pros," said Gopher Dairy Club member Missy Mussman of Owatonna, MN. "We're planning a fun event that will also help junior and senior high school students develop their dairy project skills," she said.

Highlights of the Gopher Dairy Camp include:

• Show ring preparation of cattle (feeding, grooming, showmanship)
• Hands-on fitting demonstrations
• Workshops
• Gopher Gold auction
• Friday evening baseball game at the Metrodome (Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles)
• Dairy cattle judging clinic

Lodging for two evenings will be in Bailey Hall, the dormitory on the St. Paul campus. All participant costs (dorm, meals and materials) are included in the $75 registration fee. Donations cover about half of the actual cost of the dairy camp. Registration materials are available online at http://www.ansci.umn.edu/gopherdairycamp, or call 612-625-9294 to have the registration materials mailed.

The Gopher Dairy Club, a co-sponsor of the event, is the largest student organization at the U of M and is involved in many activities to promote the dairy industry--including the Dairy Bar at the Minnesota State Fair.
  

Stern Invited Speaker at SW Nutrition and Management Conference

Dr. Marshall Stern was invited to present a paper at the 21st Annual Southwest Nutrition and Management Conference held in Tempe, AZ on February 23 and 24. Marshall's invited talk was entitled "New Concepts in Protein Nutrition of Ruminants".

While at the same meeting, Marshall also gave a presentation entitled "Effects of Soy Gums Application to Soybean Meal on Protein Degradation by Ruminal Microbes and Intestinal Protein Digestion" at a luncheon sponsored by Soybest.
  

Gophers Triumph at Midwest Regional Meeting of Dairy Science Clubs

Five van loads of members of the Gopher Dairy Club traveled to Madison, WI, for the annual Midwest Meeting of Dairy Science Clubs held February 24-26, 2006. Drs. Les Hansen and Tony Seykora accompanied the 52 student members of the club. Here are the highlights:

• 1st Place -- Senior (Junior/Senior) Dairy Bowl Competition
• 1st Place -- Junior (Freshman/Sophomore) Dairy Bowl Competition
• 1st Place -- Nutritional Knowledge Competition
• 1st Place -- Karaoke Competition
• 1st Place -- Website Competition
• 1st Place -- Most Club Members Attending
• Regional Vice President for 2006-07 is Luke Olson of the Gopher Dairy Club

The Gopher Dairy Club has 100 student members. The members who attended the regional meeting represented the club extremely well.
  

Check Out GoldPASS!

GoldPASS is a new online job posting and resume search system available to all undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent alumni from all colleges across the Twin Cities campus. GoldPASS has replaced the Job and Internship Listing (JIL) service for current job postings.

For many years, career services offices on campus have used multiple paper or software systems for job posting, resume search and on campus recruiting coordination. In keeping with the University’s goal of making ourselves more accessible to the community, GoldPASS provides employers with a single entry point for recruiting U of M Twin Cities students. GoldPASS makes reaching students more efficient for employers and will result in students having access to a greater variety and number of job postings.

Check out the GoldPASS system at https://goldpass.umn.edu/goldpass/Initialize.do. Any questions or concerns about GoldPASS should be directed to the St. Paul Campus Career Center at 612-624-2710 or via email at spccc@umn.edu.
  

John Rodgers

John is a native of Luverne, MN, in southwestern part of the state. Following graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Natural Resource Management, John worked for a civil engineering firm designing rural water projects. In 1983, he graduated from the U of M, College of Veterinary Medicine, and began his veterinary career in Fairmont, MN.

After 13 years as a partner in the Fairmont Veterinary Clinic, John moved into industry as a Technical Service Veterinarian for three years with Purina Mills, Inc. The last 7 years, he has been employed by Pfizer Animal Health and is currently a Senior Veterinarian in the Beef Cow/Calf Group.

John is presently pursuing a Masters degree in animal science under Drs. Cliff Lamb and Alfredo DiCostanzo. His major interest is estrous synchronization programs and artificial insemination in beef herds and their impact on production and economics.

John and his wife Mary live in Fairmont. They have four daughters, two are graduates of the U of M, one is a sophomore at the U of M, and one is a junior in high school. For leisure, John enjoys pheasant and turkey hunting, landscaping, running, traveling, and watching his daughters participate in fine arts and sports.
  

Kelsey Campbell, Animal Science undergraduate, received a Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Ranelius Scholarship of $750.

Cliff Lamb and wife Margo are the proud parents of a new son, Jack Jeremiah Lamb (7 lbs, 8 oz), born March 18, 2006, at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth.

Blake Van Denburgh, Animal Science undergraduate, also received a Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Ranelius Scholarship of $750.
  

No new grants.
  

Department of Animal Science seminars are held September through May on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in Room 365 Haecker Hall. Everyone is welcome. Please join us.

March 2006

7-10 - 24th Western Canadian Dairy Seminar, Capri Centre, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Telephone: 780-492-3236; email wcds@afhe.ualberta.ca.

8 - Manure Management Workshop: Manure Management III-Developing a Plan, Best Western Victorian Inn, Hutchinson, MN. Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

8, 15 & 29 - Successful Dairy Systems, Ramada Hotel, Rochester, MN. Contact: Chuck Schwartau 507-536-6301.

9 - Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet, Farmamerica, Waseca, MN. For more information, contact: Steve Pooch at 651-288-4400.

9, 16 & 30 - Successful Dairy Systems, Travelodge, Worthington, MN. Contact: Chuck Schwartau 507-536-6301.

13-17 - Spring Break

17 - U of M (Twin Cities Campus) Floating Holiday.

21-23 - 2006 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN.

23 - Manure Management Workshop: Manure Management II-Phosphorus, Best Western Victorian Inn, Hutchinson, MN. Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

22-23 - 2006 Central Plains Dairy Expo, Convention Center, Sioux Falls, SD. Contact: Kathy Tonneson 218-236-8420.

22-24 - 10th National Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference, Visalia Convention Center, Visalia, CA.

27-28 - MN-WI Dairy Policy Conference / Dairy Directors Leadership Conference, Radisson Hotel, LaCrosse, WI. Contact: Lori Weaver 608-258-4414.

31-April 1 - North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, hosted by University of Idaho and Washington State University, Twin Falls, ID. Contact: Ryan Weigel 608-224-0400 or email: naidc@udexpo.com.

April 2006

3-6 - 2006 NIAA Annual Meeting, The NEW Galt House Hotel and Suites, Louisville, KY. Contact: NIAA 270-782-9798.

3-8 - Minnesota Royal, U of M St. Paul Campus.

12 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval CURRENT User Training, Holiday Inn, St. Cloud, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

19 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval CURRENT User Training, Cabela's, Owatonna, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

13-14 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval NEW User Training, Stearns Env. Service Office, St. Cloud, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

20 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval CURRENT User Training, Best Western, Mankato, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

26 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval CURRENT User Training, Courthouse, Worthington, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

27-28 - Manure Treatment and Open Lots: FLEval NEW User Training, Courthouse, Worthington, MN (NO FEE; DOES NOT INCLUDE MEALS). Contact: David Schmidt 612-625-4262.

May 2006

7 - COAFES Commencement Ceremony, 2:00 p.m. at Northrop Auditorium, U of M Minneapolis Campus.

16-18 - Ag Awareness, Livestock Pavilion, U of M St. Paul Campus. Contact: Beka Gill 612-624-3073.

June 2006

8-10 - Gopher Dairy Camp, U of M St. Paul Campus. Contact: Brad Heins 612-625-9294.

14 & 15 - 4-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA. Contact: Wisconsin Agri-Service Association 608-223-1111.