Funding Year: 2020
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UWRF Mann Valley Farm bovine compost research expansion
This project seeks to improve Wisconsin farm profitability and longevity by developing and demonstrating initial research on compost and biochar in a dairy farming system. Outcomes of this study could…
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Improving the health and welfare of dairy calves
This project takes a three-pronged approach to addressing research questions related to calf welfare and health. The first project is to refine a disbudding paste applicator prototype. Although paste is…
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Calf management practices, animal welfare and the social sustainability of the dairy industry
Changes in consumer preferences, the emergence of substitute products, and the increased role of health, environmental and farm animal welfare considerations in food choice poses significant challenges to the US…
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Development of milk-protein-based 3D printing biocomposites using spoiled milk and whey from dairy processing waste.
Casein and whey have been shown to have unique polymer properties for commercial applications. This project will explore the idea of converting casein in waste milk and whey from cheese…
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Changing agricultural land: Understanding impacts on southern Wisconsin’s dairy farms and rural communities
As record numbers of small and mid-sized dairy farms have closed, agricultural lands are changing hands, often being converted out of agriculture or consolidated into larger farms. This project studied…
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Bringing artificial intelligence to the dairy barn
Farms have relied on human vision to observe and interpret animal behavior. As farm sizes increase and labor changes, it is more challenging to rely on human observations. The goal…
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Local virtual enclosures to enforce managed grazing
Chris Wilson rotates his grazing dairy herd by manually moving lightweight fencing, which is cumbersome. Digital solutions for confining livestock exist, involving use of GPS collars. However, these systems are…
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Nanosculpted silicon membranes for shape-based biological separations
Dairy farmers contend with a broad array of pathogens in their efforts to produce high-quality milk. For example, almost 20 different microbes are known to cause mastitis, the most common…
