Recent Happenings

AgNext Hosts MILK Emerging Leaders Program

This month, the AgNext team was excited to host the MILK Emerging Leaders Program presented by Dairy MAX. This program empowers the next generation of dairy farmers with the leadership skills, industry connections, and checkoff knowledge needed to make a lasting impact.

Participants had the opportunity to hear from our dairy research team and Drs. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Diego Manriquez, Jason Lombard, and Bianca da Costa who shared their work on disease tracking, air quality, calf housing, and more, while also engaging in thoughtful conversations about the challenges shaping today’s dairy industry.

Farm Flux Visits the Climate-Smart Research Facility

Earlier this month, AgNext welcomed FarmFlux to the Climate-Smart Research Facility. FarmFlux is a NASA Earth Venture Suborbital mission designed to close key gaps in our understanding of the agriculture–atmosphere interface.

Dr. Sara Place led a tour showcasing how GreenFeed and SmartFeed technologies are helping us measure cattle emissions and advance science-based solutions for sustainable animal agriculture.

Animals, Landscapes & Communities: Building Engaged Research Capacity Seminar Series

Upcoming Seminar:

May 1, 2026: Dr. Amy Ganguli

Professor & Cooperative Extension Specialist | University of Arizona

Dr. Ganguli will explore how supply chain priorities, sustainability frameworks, and evolving customer expectations are shaping decision-making at the producer level. She will also highlight opportunities for alignment across industry, science, and practice.

Seminar details:

Friday, May 1st | 11:00 a.m.
Nutrien Bernard Rollins Knowledge Well Classroom or Virtual

Seminar Recording:

Dr. Mitchell Stephenson

Associate Professor and Range Management Specialist | University of Nebraska - Lincoln

In this seminar, Dr. Stephenson draws from his research in grazing distribution, plant–herbivore interactions, and adaptive rangeland management, sharing practical, science-based insights for managing complex grazing landscapes.

Watch Dr. Stephenson's Seminar

Employers: Join AgNext Experts for a Workshop on Heat Safety

Is your team ready for the heat season? Now is the time to prepare your training resources. Join Dr. Diego Manriquez, Fallon Jiménez, and Rhyse Campion on for a two-hour workshop focused on how to conduct your annual heat illness prevention training with confidence and effectiveness. Seminars will be offered in both English and Spanish.

Registration is Open for the 2026 AgNext Research Summit

Join AgNext scientists and partners as we share cutting-edge research on methane, grazing systems, feedlot and dairy production, modeling, and agricultural economics. Guided by our theme—Advancing Sustainable Animal Agriculture Through Innovation and Insight—this summit highlights how integrated research, technology, management, and communication support productive, resilient livestock systems.

Space is limited, register today!

The hotel block will close on May 4th. Reserve your hotel room here.

Thank You to Our 2026 AgNext Research Summit Sponsors

Sponsor the 2026 AgNext Research Summit

AgNext Team Corner

AgNext Team Attends Plains Nutrition Conference on U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef General Assembly

Our team has been traveling to a number of conferences across the country including the Plains Nutrition Conference in San Antonio, Texas and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef General Assembly meeting in Tampa, Florida. These have been an excellent opportunity for our team to share with industry professionals about our work in sustainable animal agriculture.

New Team Publications

Branine, M., Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R., Schilling-Hazlett, A. K., Carvalho, P. H., Martins, E. C., Amundson, L., Ashworth, C., Socha, M., & Dridi, S. (2026). Expression profile of heat shock proteins,(chemo) cytokines, and tight junction proteins in hair follicles of Bos taurus and Bos indicus breeds reared under two production systems during summer season. Journal of Thermal Biology, 104450.
Drehoff, C. C., Munden, K. C., Ray, C., Martinez, H., Robbe-Austerman, S., & Lombard, J. E. (2026). An Examination of Gross Lesions Associated with Bovine Tuberculosis in the US. Pathogens, 15(4), 350.
Stanley, P. L., Kuhl, A. S., Maciel, I. C., Cotrufo, M. F., Goodwin, D. J., Hodbod, J., Anderson, M. C., Scasta, J. D., Peirce, E. S., Branecky, M., Brokus, S., Clement, R. J., DeLay, N. D., Derner, J. D., MathisonSlee, M., Mitchell, R., Patterson, E. L., Zhang, Y., Asher, J., Gao, F., Manning, D. T., O’Neil, G., Pallickara, S. L., Paustian, K., Raven, M. R., Sacramento, J. P., Wu, Y., Likins, J. M., Bista, D., Colella, F., Congio, G. F. S., Dong, Z., Gordon, E., Gosnell, H., Guber, A. K., Kearney, S. P., Lupi, F., Matin, A., Nimlos, N., Vivas, J., Gergeni, T. M., Smith, A. P. & Rowntree, J. E. (2026). Merging rigor and relevance in grazingland research: a comprehensive social-ecological monitoring approach. Carbon Balance and Management.
Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., Porensky, L. M., Ma, L., Hoover, D. L., Ritten, J. P., Wilmer, H., Kearny, S. P., & CARM Stakeholder Group (2026). Unravelling the Influence of Adaptive Grazing Management with Multiple Paddocks on Cattle Production in Semirarid Rangeland. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 107, 2-9.