A Year of Momentum, Growth, and Purpose at ACER Consulting

As another fast-paced year comes to a close, reflection becomes more than a pause—it becomes a way to learn, recalibrate, and move forward with intention.

In our last thought piece, the ACER Consulting Team looks back on 2025: how our team grew, what the numbers reveal, and why the most meaningful outcomes weren’t just deliverables, but the conversations, collaborations, and shared learning along the way.

𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥:
🧭 Growth is about direction, not just scale. Expanding the team and geographic footprint strengthened ACER’s ability to work across disciplines while staying anchored to shared values.

📊 The numbers tell a story (but not the whole one). Projects completed, presentations delivered, and podcasts produced reflect momentum, but the real impact comes from how that work connects people and ideas.

💬 Learning in public matters. Steady growth on LinkedIn wasn’t about rankings, but about meaningful engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and showing up honestly.

🤝 Good work is collaborative. Trusted partnerships across research, industry, and education made a demanding year deeply rewarding.

🌱 Reflection fuels what comes next. Pausing to take stock creates space for curiosity, clarity, and more intentional work in the year ahead.

What Are We Reading This Month?

Effects of supplementing colostrum beyond the first day of life on growth and health parameters of preweaning Holstein heifers

In a nutshell: This study tested whether feeding dairy calves additional colostrum replacer (beyond the first day of life) affects their early growth, immunity, health, and survival. The researchers found that calves given extended colostrum supplementation had better weight gain early on and were less likely to experience diarrhea and death before weaning compared with calves fed only milk replacer. Serum IgG levels didn’t differ across treatments, but the health outcomes suggest practical benefits of extended colostrum feeding. The authors suggest future work to refine supplementation strategies and understand how the benefits occur.

Real-World Resources

Podcast
“One cough is enough”: Rethinking respiratory health and antimicrobial use

Have you been following the podcast episodes over in Calf Care Corner? In one of the most recent episodes, Steve Roche sits down with Dr. Bart Pardon from the University of Ghent to explore recent insights in prevention, detection, and treatment of respiratory illnesses. Tune in to hear about the benefits of lung ultrasounds as part of detection and treatment, and the importance of good antimicrobial stewardship.