AnSci ConnectionNovember/December 2004 |
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Notes
from the Department Head
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By F. Abel Ponce de León
President Lincoln wrote "In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while the theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union." He emphasized that Americans had continued to be productive even in midst of the conflict. He wrote "Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield, and the country rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increases of freedom." President Lincoln also thanked God for the blessings our nation received "It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole of the American people... And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it... to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union." We certainly are not in the midst of a civil war but we are at war. We continue to be productive and blessed with abundance. We have recently shown that we are divided when it comes to politics and policies. And, we also know we need in the words of Lincoln "the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it... to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union." Let us be thankful to mother earth and to the hands that labor to produce the food we all enjoy. Happy
Thanksgiving! |
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News
and Announcements
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Winterfest is December 15th Please join us on Wednesday, December 15 at noon in Room 365 Haecker Hall for the Department of Animal Science's holiday celebration, Winterfest. We're having a potluck meal with faculty bringing desserts; staff, salads or appetizers; graduate students, vegetables (hot or cold). Meat and beverage will be provided by the Department. Please bring a non-perishable food item for donation to a food shelf. See
you at Winterfest on December 15 at noon! |
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Introducing...
Sharon Thielen, Admissions/Advising Counselor
Sharon Thielen is the new Admissions/Advising Counselor in the Department of Animal Science. Sharon received her Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University in December 2002. Following graduation, Sharon worked for K-State's Ag Academic Programs office where she served as the Student Services Representative. She is currently working on her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction through Continuing Education at K-State. When she has free time, she enjoys fishing, spending time outdoors, or scrapbooking. As Admissions/Advising Counselor for the Department of Animal Science, Sharon assists in recruiting prospective students as well as provides additional advising to current students. Faculty advisors and students may contact Sharon with questions or concerns related to advising. She may be reached at 612-624-9786 or sthielen@umn.edu. Sharon
is excited to be a part of the Animal Science team. For those who haven't
met Sharon, stop by to introduce yourself. Her office is located in Room
205 Haecker Hall, St. Paul Campus. |
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New Poultry Multi-State Research Project The committee for a new multi-state research project (NE-1022) met at UW-Madison on October 8 and 9 to discuss research plans. The project is titled "Poultry Production Systems - Optimization of Production and Welfare Using Physiological, Behavioral and Physical Assessments". Participating states and agencies are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi (USDA-ARS), Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Minnesota representative to the project is Dr. Sally Noll. The committee is composed of avian/poultry behaviorists, agricultural engineers, nutritionists, and physiologists. The objective of the project is to characterize physiological, behavioral and performance responses of poultry to their physical and social environments and to various management practices, with the ultimate goal of enhancing animal welfare and ensuring environmental soundness while maintaining viable production profitability. Find
out more about the NE-1022 by visiting the National Information Management
and Support System (NIMSS) Web site at: http://nimss.umd.edu/. |
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Coming Up in December—2004 Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days, planned and organized by the University of Minnesota Extension Beef Team, is the single most important cattle feeder information-sharing session in the state. This year's program will be held at 4 locations over 3 days (December 7, 8 and 9). Nutrition and nutritional management are features of this year’s presentations. The registration fee is $30 for each person representing a family, ranch or feedlot, and $12 for each additional person from the same family, ranch or feedlot. Registration covers meals, refreshments, and a CD that includes proceedings from this year's presentations as well as past program proceedings and research reports dating back to 1993. Topics/Speakers:
Dates/Locations/Local Contacts:
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Get Ready for U of M Dairy Days—2005 University of Minnesota Dairy Days–2005 is an opportunity for dairy producers and dairy advisors to hear the latest research-based information from U of M educators and researchers. The January, 2005 series will include a morning session on Calves and Housing Research as well as information on Compost Barns. In the afternoon, there will be breakout sessions where participants may attend three of six topic presentations as described in the program agenda below. Program Agenda 9:30
am Registration 2005 Dates/Locations
Registration is $25 per person and $15 for each additional person from the same farm. For more information, contact Marcia Endres at 612-624-5391 or miendres@umn.edu. See
you at U of M Dairy Days in January! |
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First and Only Book on Galloway Cattle Now Available The first and only book ever written for the Galloway breed has recently been published. "The Galloway in America" is a chronological history of the breed, as well as an exploration of its origin in Scotland and its development and heritage in America. Over 2 years of research went into the creation of this publication, which tells the story of the Galloway and its breeders from the year of the first importation in 1853 to present times. The book explores breed characteristics, different types within the breed, diseases, casualties, various theories on their origin, show champions, breeders of influence, the conflicts and politics that occurred, and much more. The book's author,
Patricia Anderson Pruitt, has been affiliated with the Galloway for
more than 50 years. She maintains a large collection of Galloway memorabilia
from which she was able to draw heavily for her research. Additionally,
she spent a great deal of time at many land-grant college libraries,
visited with old time breeders, and traveled to Scotland several times
to interview breeders there. For an overview
of the book, please visit http://gallowayhistlib.com.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact
Ms. Pruitt at 406-579-0001 or pruitt@in-tch.com. |
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2004-2005
Carcass Merit Program
The Minnesota Carcass Merit Program provides an opportunity for seedstock and commercial cow-calf producers to evaluate how their genetics perform in the feedlot and on the rail. Producers with genetics that make lean, fast gains in the feedlot and dress out over 60% in a high Select or better USDA Quality Grade with a USDA Yield Grade of 2 will reap the benefits of our changing marketing system and high consumer demand for lean and tender beef. Since its inception, roughly 2,000 steers/heifers have been enrolled in the Carcass Merit Program, which has enabled producers to obtain detailed information on feedlot performance (average daily gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency) and carcass merit (dressing percentage, fat depth, ribeye area, USDA Yield Grade, and USDA Quality Grade), and the true value of their cattle based on carcass traits. Additionally, producers of these cattle have learned how their cattle would function under a "retained ownership" program. The 2004-2005 Carcass Merit Program consists of 138 head of cattle and is taking place at the University of Minnesota's UMore Park in Rosemount. Having the program at UMore Park has allowed for greater student involvement from both the Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. U of M veterinarian Susan McClanahan along with a number of veterinary students helped with initial processing of the cattle and will continue their involvement throughout the duration of the program. Kevin Thielen, Alfredo DiCostanzo, Deb Roeber, and Beka Gill are responsible for day-to-day management of the cattle and feedlot facilities. New this year... the U of M Carcass Merit Program is working with Beef Concepts and Bovitrak to implement an electronic identification system. Premise identification and tracking of cattle is unique to this year's Carcass Merit Program. During initial processing, all animals were given an electronic identification tag. The tag not only allows for tracking of each animal, but it keeps up-to-date individual records. Throughout the program, producers will be able to log on to the Bovitrak Web site where they may review information on their cattle's performance. This year's inaugural
program at UMore Park provides exciting educational opportunities for
students as well as hands-on access for producers, which is not always
possible in larger commercial feedlots. |
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Renovation of Turkey Research Unit at UMore Park Recent renovation of three buildings at UMore Park in Rosemount are giving the Turkey Research Unit a new look and extending the time that the buildings can continue to be used for research and education purposes. Of the six turkey buildings and office area at the unit, three buildings (Turkey Media Barn, Nutrition Research Building, and the Office Building) were selected for repairs and renovations by UMore Park administration this year. The buildings have received roof repairs and have been painted with the color scheme representing "UMore Park" colors—white walls with green trim. The walls first needed spray cleaning prior to the application of the paint. Doors and door frames have been repaired and siding added to cover exposed wood. Approximately $5,600 in repairs went toward the Media Barn and $14,000 to the remaining buildings. The Turkey Research Unit is an important facility for the conduct of research and demonstration projects dedicated to improving and working with Minnesota's turkey industry. The Media Barn was renovated in 1999 by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association-Allied Industry Committee in collaboration with the University of Minnesota with the objective of demonstrating the rearing of turkeys in a commercial industry-like setting. One of the major activities of this facility is "Media Day" held annually in mid-November. Media Day is an opportunity for the media and surrounding community to learn about turkey production and research at UMore Park. Below: Media Barn "before" on the right, and "after" on the left.
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Proceedings of the Minnesota Nutrition Conference Available on CD If you missed the 65th Minnesota Nutrition Conference, you may be interested in ordering the CD proceedings. Order forms are available on-line at http://www.cce.umn.edu/conferences/mnnutrition/proceedings.html. The conference was held at the Holiday Inn East in St. Paul on September 21 and 22, 2004. The first day of the conference was preceded by a pre-conference symposium by Chr. Hanson on the cutting edge of direct fed microbials. The general symposium emphasized feeding programs for maximal vs. optimal economic returns, which explored the impact of milking herd feed efficiency, modeling in swine and poultry production systems, and returns for beef feedlots. The second day of the conference offered concurrent ruminant and non-ruminant sessions. Department of Animal Science faculty, Drs. Jim Linn, Hans-Joachim Jung, Alfredo DiCostanzo, and Scott Fahrenkrug, participated in the program as speakers. Graduate student Jeff Knott (advisor Jerry Shurson) also presented some of his thesis work on yeast co-product feeding of swine. The dates for
next year's Minnesota Nutrition Conference are set for September 20
and 21, 2005 and will be held at the same location. |
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Our Condolences to Terrance Yourchuck and Family Our deepest sympathy goes out to Terrance Yourchuck and family on the recent loss of his wife, Yuriko. May you find comfort and strength in your memories. - Department
of Animal Science |
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Fred Hrbek Expresses Thanks to the Department Thanks to everyone for the beautiful gift sent to my daughter after her knee surgery. Samantha takes the beanie angel with her for her exercises. My son, Timothy, will be attending a student (People to People) research expedition to Antarctica over Christmas. Besides having a vacation from his parents, he will be participating in a 2-week research project. He's very excited about this. He also was picked to have a second poem published this past summer. Thanks for all
the support you have given my family. -
Fred Hrbek
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Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season Purchase $5 and $10 gift certificates good for delicious dairy food products made right here on the St. Paul Campus. Gift certificates are available in the Dairy Food Products Salesroom, open Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and located in 166 Andrew Boss Laboratories for Meat Science (ABLMS), 1354 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul. If the demand is significant, the gift certificates will be available in the administrative office, FScN 225, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about the Dairy Food Products Salesroom, see: http://fscn.che.umn.edu/services/dairy_salesroom.html. Frenatae, the organization of graduate students in the Entomology Department, holds an annual fundraiser where local U of M produced honey and beeswax candles are available for purchase. The 2004 Annual Frenatae Honey Sale is December 1 and 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the St. Paul Student Center and at the EFW Library (Hodson Hall, St. Paul Campus), then again on December 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the EFW Library. Support Frenatae—shop the Honey Sale. Know someone with a green thumb? The U of M Extension Service and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's annual Minnesota Gardening Calendar has several beautiful photos and proven gardening tips for the expert and the novice gardener. The 2005 Minnesota Gardening Calendar is available at U of M Bookstores. Order on-line and receive special U of M savings—only $7 (this calendar retails for $12.99 off campus!). Also at U of M Bookstores, check out the wide assortment of gift items including M wear. University
students and staff receive 20% off purchases during BE DAZZLED Discount
Week, December 2-9, at the Weisman Art Museum store. BE DAZZLED by
their creative selection of holiday gifts. December store hours are Tuesday,
Wednesday, Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and all
major holidays. |
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Bump, Set, Spike! This fall, members of the Animal Science Graduate Club formed an intramural volleyball team. Games have been great fun; they've even won a game. The "Falcons" have only one game left this season—Wednesday, November 23 at 9:00 p.m. on the East Bank in the Cook Hall Gym. Come cheer for the Falcons! Team photo (front row, left to right): Amanda Larson, Nicolas DiLorenzo, Jamie Larson, and Beka Gill; back row, left to right: Jeff Griggs and Brad Heins.  |
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National Poultry Ventilation School "excellent source of info" The National Poultry Ventilation School was held October 5 and 6, 2004 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the U of M St. Paul Campus with 41 people in attendance representing several areas of the United States and Canada. The program was presented by the Departments of Animal Science, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and Veterinary Pathobiology. Participants described the school as “worthwhile”; “an excellent source of info, well worth attending”; “challenges you to consider why you ventilate the way you do”; “this year’s school would be a good investment for managers to send their employees to get a better understanding of ventilation.” The workshop instructors were David Burkel, Burkel Turkey Farms; Mike Czarick, University of Georgia; Carl Heeder and Gary Messer, JennieO Turkey Store; Gary Weckwerth, Gillis Ag; Roland van de Laar, ITB; Hongwei Xin, Iowa State University; and University of Minnesota Extension specialists Kevin Janni, Larry Jacobson, Sally Noll, Jacquie Jacob, and David Halvorson. They did an excellent job of teaching the basics of ventilation, which included ventilation principles, flock performance, air emissions, equipment operation and maintenance, and problem-solving. Program sponsors were JennieO Turkey Store, Sillis Ag, ITB, and Choretime. Their contributions helped make the National Poultry Ventilation School a great success. Many thanks to the sponsors, the instructors, and those involved in planning the program.
Above:
National Poultry Ventilation School "students" |
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Fifth Annual Minnesota Beef Expo Attracted Participants from 5 States and Canada The Minnesota Beef Expo is a yearly roundup for cattlemen, cattlewomen and youth throughout the state, gathering to celebrate and promote the beef industry. The event provides a unique opportunity for cattle producers and beef-specific agribusiness to take part in the largest beef industry event in the upper Midwest. The 5th Annual Minnesota Beef Expo was held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul on Thursday, October 21 through Sunday, October 24, 2004. Breeders and youth from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Canada attended the 4-day event, which included a judging contest, a showmanship competition, cattle sales and a Junior Show with approximately 525 head of livestock competing for over $10,000 in prize money. This year’s
Educational Cattlemen's Workshops were sponsored by the U of M Extension
Beef Team, Minnesota Corn Growers, Farm Credit Services of Minnesota,
and Valley Murray Grey Association. The following workshop topics were
included in the program:
Photo at right:
Participants explore Kids AgLand. Mark your calendar! The dates for the 6th Annual Minnesota Beef Expo have been set for October 20-23, 2005. |
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First Public Auction Hosted by North Central ROC This year was the first year that the North Central Research and Outreach Center in Grand Rapids has hosted a public auction at the South Farm facility. This first annual production sale was a great success and from all indications will continue to grow in the future. The sale grossed $67,000, with an average of $1,718 per lot for 38 lots. Twelve cow/calf pairs averaged $2,378, 9 pregnant cows averaged $1,458, 12 pregnant heifers averaged $1,546, and 5 bulls averaged $1,360. Thanks to all the
buyers and everyone involved who helped make this first sale a success. |
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DDGS Short Course for Canadian Nutritionists Hosted by Animal Science In collaboration with the U.S. Grains Council, the Department of Animal Science hosted and conducted a short course on distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for animal nutritionists from Ontario, Canada, on October 28 and 29. Dr. Jerry Shurson put together a program covering utilization of DDGS in animal feeds. The program included visits to beef and swine farms, and a tour of an ethanol plant in Buffalo Lake, Minnesota. Animal Science faculty Jerry Shurson, Alfredo DiCostanzo and Sally Noll presented information on the nutrient content, quality and feeding value of DDGS in swine, cattle (beef and dairy) and poultry diets. Industry nutritionists and representatives from Land O'Lakes discussed implementation of feeding programs with DDGS as well as pricing and supply trends. The DDGS short course, sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council, Land O'Lakes, and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, was very well received. For more information
about the value and use of DDGS in livestock and poultry feeds, see
the University of Minnesota's DDGS Web site: http://www.ddgs.umn.edu. |
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U of MN Dairy Cattle Judging Team Results North American Livestock Exposition, Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, Louisville, KY, November 7, 2004 UNIVERSITY
OF MINNESOTA INDIVIDUALLY TEAM RANK
MINNESOTA 4-H INDIVIDUALLY First
place team: Wisconsin |
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Summer Tour and Trade Show Hosted by MSCA and the U of M Extension Beef Team The Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association (MSCA) and U of M Extension Beef Team hosted the Annual Summer Cattlemen's Tour and Trade Show held July 14 and 15, 2004. The activities drew over 350 participants from the 4-state area. This is the first year the event was co-sponsored by the U of M Extension Beef Team. Tour headquarters were based out of the U of M Extension Regional Center in Mora, under the direction of Lori Weddle-Schott, Regional Extension Educator, Mora. Tour participants traveled to 8 different beef and industry-related sites in central Minnesota. U of M Beef Specialists and Extension Educators presented educational and research information in the area of reproduction technology, carcass quality, pasture management, feedlot nutrition, and quality assurance.
Above:
International interns and Animal Science graduate students with members
of the U of M Extension Beef Team. Front row, left to right:
Nicole Rittenour, Guilherme Marquezini, Everton Pereira, Roman Irurtia,
Nicolas DiLorenzo, and Jamie Larson; back row, left to right:
Gene Krause, Beka Gill, Lori Weddle-Schott, Alfredo DiCostanzo, Amber
Leif, Dan Brown, and Troy Salzer. |
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Graduate
Student Profile
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Nicolas DiLorenzo Nicolas DiLorenzo was born in City Bell, a small town in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina. Since he was a child he showed interest in agriculture and enjoyed working cattle at his grandfather's beef ranch. That was what likely led him to study Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, where he graduated in 2002 with the title of Agricultural Engineer. When Nicolas was in the last year of his undergraduate studies, he had the opportunity to participate in an abroad experience with the Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee (MAST) program. He spent 9 months as a student trainee working in cow-calf, swine and row crop operations in Lake Park, Iowa. During spring semester of 2001, while still in the MAST program, Nicolas took classes in the Animal Science Department. Once he graduated, in the fall of 2002, he decided to come to the University of Minnesota for graduate studies in the area of beef nutrition. He obtained his Masters degree in October 2004 under Drs. Alfredo DiCostanzo and Cliff Lamb, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree under the same advisors. His focus is on alternative feed additives to enhance beef cattle performance. Nicolas
enjoys almost any type of sport, but especially soccer, broomball (new
development), and softball. Other hobbies include cooking (only with a
good wine and no rush), fishing, and putting up with his beautiful office
mates. |
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Congratulations!
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Chris Buzzetta passed his third and final written preliminary exam for his Doctorate in family education. HURRAY! Asia Lukas is expecting her second child on February 15, 2005. The Lukas family has been told it's a boy; they have already chosen a name—Filip. The Avian
Bowl Team representing Minnesota placed FIRST out of 14 teams at the
National Avian Bowl contest during the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference
on November 18, 2004. From Brown County, the team members are: Aaron Dittbenner,
Andrew Krieg, Joe Piehl, Savanna Schwartz and Cody Ibberson (alternate
team member); coach: Janet Krieg with the assistance of Jacquie Jacob,
Department of Animal Science. |
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Recent
Grants
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The USDA
NRI proposal "Construction, Characterization and Application of a
Bovine Oligo Microarray" (Jerry Taylor, Eric Antoniou, both at Missouri;
Chris Elsik, Texas A&M; Dr. Scott Fahrenkrug, U of MN; Jim
Reecy, Iowa State; and Russ Wolfinger, SAS Institute) was funded for $919,000.
Fahrenkrug will receive $176,000 over 2 years to examine the effects of
selection for milk production on gene expression by comparing liver and
mammary gland profiles from the University of Minnesota static control
(CL, since 1964) and contemporary selected (SL) lines of Holsteins during
the pariparturient period. Dr. Fahrenkrug will be working closely with
Dr. Brian Crooker on this project. |
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Animal
Science Seminars
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Department of Animal Science seminars are held on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in Room 365 Haecker Hall. Everyone is welcome. Schedule of upcoming seminars: December 6
- Kevin
Thielen, graduate student (title TBA)
Spring Semester 2005 3
- NO SEMINAR February 7
- Byung-Whi Kong, graduate student
(title TBA) |
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Tech
Tips
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Aggregated
Purchasing Window Now Open
The University has opened an Aggregated Purchasing window (November 15 through December 31) with Dell that will allow faculty, staff, and students to receive fairly significant savings. This may be either for University purchases OR personal purchases. In the past, the savings have often come close to $1,000 off of a desktop machine. For University
Purchases: For Personal
Purchases: If you have any questions or would like recommendations for your personal or University purchase, please feel free to contact Chris Buzzetta at 612-624-2289 or buzze001@umn.edu. This is a great
opportunity that will only be available through December 31, 2004.
The next window may not be negotiated until May 2005. |
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Calendar
of Events
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- November - 29 - Town Hall Meeting hosted by Provost Tom Sullivan, St. Paul Student Center Theatre, St. Paul Campus, U of M. Find more information at http://www.umn.edu/systemwide/strategic_positioning/. 30 & Dec 1 - Midwest Dairy Expo, St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, MN. 30 & Dec 1 - Chicken Layer Health School, U of MN St. Paul Campus. - December - 1 - Minnesota Dairy Leaders Roundtable Meeting, St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, MN. Held in conjunction with the Midwest Dairy Expo. Contact Ed Frederick at 507-835-3422 for more information. 1 & 2 - Dairy Consortium Conference, Radisson Hotel, Roseville, MN. The conference will begin with registration and check in on Wednesday, December 1 at 4:00 p.m. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will conclude on Thursday, December 2 at 3:30 p.m. Questions about the conference may be directed to Sarah Greening at 612-626-1310 or green009@umn.edu. 7
- 2004 MN Cattle Feeder Days, West Central Research and Outreach Center,
Morris (9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Local contact: Mindy Spiehs (320-589-1711
or spieh0073@umn.edu). 8
- 2004 MN Cattle Feeder Days, Royal Loon Restaurant, Slayton (9:30 a.m.
- 3:00 p.m.). Local contact: Philip Berg (507-825-6715 or bergx034@umn.edu). 9 - 2004 MN Cattle Feeder Days, Brown County Extension Office, Sleepy Eye (9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). Local contact: David Pfarr (507-389-8143 or dpfarr@umn.edu). 9 - 2004 MN Cattle Feeder Days, Rochester Elks Club, Rochester (5:30 - 9:30 p.m.). Local contact: Chuck Schwartau (507-536-6301 or cschwart@umn.edu). 24 & 27 - The U (Twin Cities) is closed (Christmas Day observed). 31 - The U (Twin Cities) is closed (New Year's Day observed). - January 2005 - 4 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, Community Center, McIntosh. Local contact: Deb Pierce (218-463-0291). 5 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, Community Center, Ottertail. Local contact: Shari Schmidt (320-203-6050). 6 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, Padua Pub (near Sauk Centre). Local contact: Shari Schmidt (320-203-6050). 7 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, American Legion, Royalton. Local contact: Shari Schmidt (320-203-6050). 11 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, Pizza Ranch, Edgerton. Local contact: Shari Schmidt (320-203-6050). 12
- U of M Dairy Days-2005, American Legion, Eyota. Local contact: Mary
Jane Stearns (507-280-2863). 13 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, Grandpa's Garage, Cannon Falls. Local contact: Mary Jane Stearns (507-280-2863). 14 - U of M Dairy Days-2005, VFW, Hutchinson. Local contact: Shari Schmidt (320-203-6050). 17 - The U (Twin Cities) is closed (Martin Luther King Day observed) 28 & 29 - Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference, Plaza Hotel and Suites, Eau Claire, WI. For more information, see http://www.rivercountryrcd.org/valad.htm. - March - 18 - The U (Twin Cities) is closed (floating holiday). - April - 2-5 - 10th DISCOVER Conference on Food Animal Agriculture: Improving Health Through Dairy Foods. Stone Mountain Inn, Stone Mountain, GA. Contact: ADSA DISCOVER Conferences 217-356-5146. 25 - W.E. Petersen Dairy Symposium, St. Paul Student Center Theatre, U of MN St. Paul Campus, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Open to the public. For more information, contact Dana Souther at 612-624-7453 or south005@umn.edu. - June - 20-24 - Animal Science Summer Youth Program: Adventures with Food and Fiber, U of M St. Paul Campus - for ages 11+ years. Contact Jacquie Jacob at 612-624-2766 or jacob150@umn.edu. - July - 18-22 - Animal Science Summer Youth Program: Adventures with Food and Fiber, U of M St. Paul Campus - for ages 9-10 years. Contact Jacquie Jacob at 612-624-2766 or jacob150@umn.edu. 25-29
- Animal Science
Summer Youth Program: Adventures with Food and Fiber, U of M St. Paul
Campus - for ages 7-8 years. Contact Jacquie Jacob at 612-624-2766 or
jacob150@umn.edu. |
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©2004
by the Regents of the University of Minnesota.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. |
Perusing
the web, I found President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 proclamation establishing
the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Until then, the Thanksgiving
holiday had not always been on the same date and some years had not been
celebrated altogether. What was interesting to me, and I want to share
with you, is the message given in the text of the proclamation, which
was relevant then and is still, in my view, relevant today. 
