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- Field Notes Issue 40
Field Notes Issue 40
October 2026
ACER Consulting
October 01, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
Registration Opens Oct 19: ACER’s Inaugural Communications Training Course
Our team has been working behind the scenes for some time now, and we’re excited to officially announce a new training opportunity launching January 2027: Making Your Message Matter: Practical Skills for Communicating Agricultural Science.
Communicating technical information clearly is harder than it looks. Knowing your subject is one thing; deciding what your audience needs to know, why it matters to them, and how to communicate it simply is another. Our upcoming six-week online course is designed to help agricultural professionals build practical, repeatable skills for turning complex information into clear, audience-focused messages.
The course will run from January 18 - February 24, 2027, and will combine flexible self-paced learning, hands-on exercises using participants’ own work, and live interactive sessions with ACER instructors.
General registration will open on October 19th, so make sure to keep an eye on our website for the full details and registration information then. We look forward to welcoming the first cohort in January 2027!
The Career I Didn’t Plan For: What Science Taught Me About Building a Business
This month Steven Roche shares a bit of insight into the journey of building ACER! From student to ACER Founder and CEO, he highlights how the same habits that shaped him as a scientist also helped him build a business. A few of the lessons he’s learned along the way:
Career paths don’t always unfold the way we expect, and sometimes a setback helps us to see a different opportunity more clearly.
Building a business required a different skill set than doing the science: finding work, managing people, and learning to confidently put yourself forward.
Scientific training can be a real entrepreneurial advantage: asking good questions, testing assumptions, evaluating evidence, and adapting when something doesn’t work.
Rather than only asking “What job can I get with this training?”, it can be worth asking “What could I build with it?”
What Are We Reading This Month?
Mismothering types in beef cattle: Identification, description and differentiating factors
Roux, E. M., Pearson, J. M., Ceballos, M. C., Windeyer, M. C., & Pajor, E. A. (2026). Mismothering types in beef cattle: Identification, description and differentiating factors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 107199.
In a nutshell: Mismothering happens when a beef cow does not properly bond with her calf, which can lead to neglect, rejection, or aggression. Researchers observed 70 cow–calf pairs and identified four distinct types of mismothering, ranging from inattentive cows with inactive or active calves to partial rejection of nursing and outright aggression. Udder condition was one factor associated with the type of mismothering observed, with poorer or more pendulous udders potentially making it harder for calves to find the teats and nurse successfully. The findings show that mismothering is not a single behaviour and may need different management approaches depending on the type. The authors suggest that monitoring udder condition may help producers manage the issue, while future research should focus on developing type-specific interventions to improve calf welfare.
Real-World Resources
Podcast Series
Paths to On-Farm Excellence: The Value of proAction series
Did you know Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has a 3 episode mini series exploring the need, evolution, and impact of the proAction program for Canadian dairy? Each podcast episode is available in French and English and includes conversations with individuals from DFC and the Canadian dairy sector - if you haven’t heard them yet make sure to give them a listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts!
