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Welcome to Field Notes; the newsletter aiming to bring you the latest news and updates in agriculture, agri-food science, and One Health research.

Where You’ll Find Us This Fall

As we say goodbye to summer, ACER is heading into fall at full speed! We have a busy few months lined up and we hope to see you at some of the exciting events and conferences our team members will be attending this season:

Canadian Agri-Food in a Sustainable World Conference

October 2nd & 3rd | Ottawa, Canada

This conference is focused on the current state of Canadian agricultural and environment policy, how it contributes to improved social, environmental, and economic outcomes, and opportunities for new approaches. Key sessions will include global perspectives on sustainable agriculture; lessons learned from other sectors; sustainability as a competitive advantage in Canada; and the roles of policy and politics. If you are attending the final day of the conference today, make sure to keep an eye out for ACER’s Erin Wynands! Check out more on the conference website here. 

Animal Health Canada (AHC) Forum 2024

October 8th & 9th | Ottawa, Canada

The annual Animal Health Canada (AHC) Forum allows those involved in Canada’s animal health and welfare system to gather, learn, and network. Attendees can learn about AHC’s activities and priorities, hear from experts on relevant topics, and share their own actions and initiatives. The theme of this year's forum is conference Coordination - Collaboration - Communication -> Action. The forum is also approved for 8 hours of Continuing Education (CE) credit! Julia Saraceni and Laura Zehr will be in attendance and hope to see you there! Visit the forum web page here.  

International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit 2024

October 15th - 18th | Paris, France

The IDF World Dairy Summit is one of the globe’s most anticipated dairy events, and serves as an important opportunity for the sector to demonstrate its ability to feed a growing population while maintaining high standards of safety and sustainability. Sessions of this year’s summit will focus on IDF's four strategic pillars, including standards, safety and quality, nutrition, and sustainability. Attendees will learn about some of the latest research and advancements in the dairy industry globally while marking the IDF’s 120th anniversary! In exciting news, Steve Roche will be facilitating the 2nd IDF Animal Welfare Forum, which will bring together international representatives of dairy quality assurance programs to discuss the design, implementation and sustainability of animal care quality assurance. Learn all about the 2024 summit on the conference website here.

Sustainable Agricultural Summit

November 20th - 21st | Minneapolis, United States

The Sustainable Agricultural Summit brings together those in the agriculture and food value chain to learn and advance a shared vision for a sustainable food system in the United States. This summit is an important opportunity for farmers, processors, suppliers, brands, researchers,  environmental organizations, and the public to network, discuss actionable insights, and share their own perspectives and experiences. We are very excited to have Laura Zehr and Erin Wynands attend and participate in this event! You can register and learn more about the program here.

October Article of the Month

Breakfast on the farm: farm tour impacts on public perceptions of dairy cow welfare and sustainability

Published in EurSafe2024 Proceedings

Citation: Smid, A.M.C., Roche, S.M., Barkema, H.W., Ruiter, W., & Ventura, B.A. (2024). "Breakfast on the farm: farm tour impacts on public perceptions of dairy cow welfare and sustainability". In Back to the future: Leiden, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004715509_035

Summary: Understanding societal expectations for sustainable dairy farming is essential for the sector to maintain its social license. This study examined how farmer-led tours influenced visitors' perceptions of the Canadian dairy industry, comparing two communication styles: one-way education versus an open, discussion-oriented approach. Conducted during "Breakfast on the Farm" events in June 2022, the study involved 30 farmers and 301 visitors, who completed surveys on cow welfare and environmental stewardship before and after the tours, with some providing follow-up responses two weeks later. Initial results showed that nearly half of the participants had a more positive view of cow welfare after the tours, but about one third reverted to negative perceptions by the follow-up, mainly due to concerns about cow-calf separation and outdoor access. Similar patterns were noted regarding environmental perceptions. The study found no significant difference in outcomes based on tour delivery style, suggesting that engagement strategies may need to be reconsidered to ensure lasting impact on public perceptions.

Resource Round-Up: Lets Moove Cows Using Outdoor Access

As part of ACER’s work with Dairy Farmers of Canada to share Cluster 3 research findings, our team produced this video on movement in dairy cattle, including describing which characteristics and conditions of access promote locomotion. This important work was conducted by a team led by Dr. Elsa Vasseur from McGill University. Watch the full video here!

Are there other topics or questions you are interested in?

Email us at [email protected]. We always welcome your questions and feedback!

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