2026 program details forthcoming. Below is a record of our 2025 program.
Day 1: General Session
9:30-10:00 AM: Registration
Helping animals in stress: Mycotoxins and other issues
- 10:00-10:15 AM Michael Schutz, Dept. Head | University of MN Dept. of Animal Science | Conference kickoff & departmental update
- 10:15-11:00 AM Thomas Pecqueur | Cargill | Understanding and Managing Mycotoxin Risks in Animal Nutrition: Insights from Data and Industry Tools
- 11:00 AM-11:45 AM Chi Chen | University of MN Dept. of Food Science & Nutrition | Differential disposition of deoxynivalenol in nursery and grow-finish pigs under sulfonation-based mitigation treatments
- 11:45 AM-1:30 PM Lunch
- 1:30-2:15 PM Galen Erickson | Honoring the legacy of Grant Crawford
- 2:15-3:00 PM Yuan-Tai Hung | Lipid oxidation and amino acid requirements
- 3:00-3:45 PM Joshua Jendza | Qualitech | Diamond Sponsor Research Update: Iron nutrition of modern livestock: nutritional immunity and anemia
- 3:45-4:00 PM Break
- 4:00-4:45 PM Mike Van Amburgh | Cornell University | What Nutrition Models Can Teach Us: CNCPS Principles for All Species
- 4:45-5:30 PM Jose Soto | Alltech | Diamond Sponsor Research Update: Feeding strategies impacting nursery throughput: What is the R+D telling us
Day 2: Breakout Sessions by Species
Beef Session
- 8:15-8:30 AM Opening remarks
- 8:30-9:15 AM Dr. Sarah Erickson | TELUS Animal Health | Management and economics of lameness in beef systems
- 9:15-10:00 AM Dr. Evan Titgemeyer | Kansas State University | Amino acid balancing in beef rations
- 10:00-10:30 AM Break
- 10:30-11:15 AM Dr. Galen Erickson | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | New strategies and reasons for corn silage use in beef growing/finishing systems
- 11:15 AM-12:00 PM Dr. Dathan Smerchek | Iowa State University | VTM link to beta-agonists and implants
- 12:00-1:30 PM Lunch
- 1:30-2:15 PM Lee McGlamery | MP Agrilytics | Economics, cyclicity, feed ingredient outlook
- 2:15-3:00 PM Dr. Katie Cornille | MN Board of Animal Health | Bird flu biosecurity and other viral disease, global trade concerns, foot and mouth
- 3:00-3:05 PM Closing remarks
Dairy Session
Leveraging Advances in Nutrition Models to Gain the Edge in Precision Amino Acid Nutrition for Dairy Diets
This year's speakers include leading minds focused on development of dairy cow nutrition models, discussing how nutritionists can make better use of these models to improve herd performance.
- 8:15-8:30 AM Dr. Isaac Salfer | University of Minnesota Dept. of Animal Science | Opening remarks
- 8:30-9:15 AM Dr. Mike Van Amburgh | Cornell University | Modeling amino acid flows using CNCPS version 7
- 9:15-10:00 AM Dr. Mingyung Lee | Texas A&M University | Beyond Mechanistic Models: AI-Driven Protein Supply and Requirement Prediction in Dairy Cows
- 10:00-10:30 AM Break
- 10:30-11:15 AM Dr. Sebastian Arriola Apelo | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Mining Dairy Nutrition Software to Improve our Understanding of N Partitioning
- 11:15 AM-12:00 PM Dr. Sam Fessenden | Silver Spirit Dairy & Agricultural Model and Training Systems, LLC | Practical Considerations for Using Dairy Nutrition Models On Farm
- 12:00-1:30 PM Lunch
- 1:30-2:15 PM Dr. Kristan Reed | The Ruminant Farm Systems Model: a platform to support future research and actions for sustainable dairy farming
- 2:15-2:35 PM Miguel Suazo | Graduate student, University of MN | New Insights into the Impacts of IsoAcids on Energy and Protein Metabolism of Dairy Cows
- 2:35-2:55 PM Jason Sypinski | Graduate student, University of MN | Evaluation of Novel Plant Compounds for their Potential to Reduce Methane and improve Energy Utilization
- 2:55-3:00 PM Dr. Isaac Salfer | Closing remarks
Poultry Session
Advancing Poultry Science: Innovations in Turkey Health, Updated Nutrient Requirements, Laser Enrichment and Future Directions
The Poultry Session will feature three presentations and an open forum. The topics will cover turkey health, prebiotics and probiotics, updated poultry nutrient requirements, a novel enrichment strategy, and future directions for the session. Dr. Tim Johnson will discuss his efforts to support turkey health by utilizing an improved pipeline for prebiotics and probiotics. Dr. Mike Persia will provide an update on poultry nutrient requirements based on the 10th Revised Edition of Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. Dr. Elizabeth Bobeck will present the benefits of laser enrichment work in poultry. The session will conclude with an open forum moderated by Dr. Anup Johny and Dr. Alamanda Calvert, aimed at gathering input from attendees on the future direction of the session and outlining industry needs for the University of Minnesota's Poultry Nutrition Position regarding both research and extension.
- 8:15-8:30 AM Opening remarks
- 8:30-9:15 AM Dr. Tim Johnson | University of Minnesota | The science behind prebiotics and probiotics to support turkey health: developing a pipeline for better assessment
- 9:15-10:00 AM Dr. Mike Persia | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Update on the Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, the good the bad, and maybe the ugly
- 10:00-10:30 AM Break
- 10:30-11:15 AM Dr. Elizabeth Bobeck | Iowa State University | Visual environmental enrichment: what do the birds tell us?
- 11:15 AM-12:00 PM Dr. Anup Johny & Dr. Alamanda Calvert | Open Forum: "Evolving the MNC Poultry Session and Understanding Industry and Research needs for the UMN Poultry Nutrition Role"
Swine Session
- 8:15-8:30 AM Dr. Lee Johnston | University of MN | Welcome
- 8:30-9:15 AM Dr. Nick Gabler | Iowa State University | Ideas for feeding health-challenged pigs
- 9:15-10:00 AM Dr. Omarh Mendoza | The Maschhoffs | Ingredient loading values in your matrix – An industry nutritionist’s perspective
- 10:00-10:30 AM Break
- 10:30-11:15 AM Dr. Lee-Anne Huber | University of Guelph | Feeding sows for 16+ pigs
- 11:15 AM-12:00 PM Mallory Gaines | American Feed Industry Association | Dealing with the tariff landscape for swine feed ingredients
- 12:00-1:30 PM Lunch
- 1:30-2:10 PM Beth Galbraith | Microbial Discovery Group | DFM's: Do they work and when?
- 2:10-2:50 PM Dr. Tim Johnson | Purdue University | Fiber selectivity to predictably alter microbiome composition
- 2:50-3:30 PM Dr. Pedro Urriola | University of Minnesota | UMN research update
- 3:30-3:35 PM Dr. Lee Johnston | Closing remarks