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In this episode of CLEAR Conversations, researcher, professor and director of the World Food Center, Ermias Kebreab discussed his research on methane reduction strategies in livestock production—work that has helped position UC Davis as a global leader in agricultural sustainability research. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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At the UC Davis CLEAR Center, understanding animals goes beyond observing behavior—it’s about uncovering how animals think and interact with the world around them. In this episode of CLEAR Conversations, host Tracy Sellers sat down with Kristina Horback to explore the growing field of animal cognition and what it means for animal welfare, livestock management, and the future of sustainable agriculture.
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On this episode of the CLEAR Conversations podcast, host Tracy Sellers visits the swine facility at University of California, Davis to speak with swine manager Shelby Sopocy about how her work helps educate students, supports research and also helps to bridge the gap between agriculture and the general public. The UC Davis swine facility is a farrow-to-finish operation, meaning pigs are born, raised, and finished all in one location. According to Sopocy, that makes the facility a unique hands-on learning environment for students studying animal science, veterinary medicine, and agriculture. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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It’s a somewhat surprising confession from someone who delivered a standout presentation to a packed room on leadership and communication at the NCBA’s annual event, CattleCon. But as a first-generation rancher, Johnston’s path into ranching has never really followed a predictable script. She didn’t grow up in agriculture. She didn’t show cattle. She didn’t even know what FFA was. She actually grew up in a Denver suburb—closer to Starbucks than stockyards. And now she splits her time between large-scale ranch production and consulting on communication and strategy within the industry. Her story begins, improbably enough, with an environmental studies degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
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As Tracy Sellers kicks off the latest episode of the CLEAR Conversations podcast, at the UC Davis Beef Barn, the occasional rustle of cattle in the background offers a fitting reminder of what’s at the heart of it all: real animals, real people, and an industry that rarely gets to tell its full story. And with National Ag Day approaching, it’s exactly the right moment to have that conversation—about what agriculture looks like in California today, and why it matters more than ever.
That’s what brings Shannon Douglass to the table. As the first woman to lead the California Farm Bureau Federation as its president, in its more than 100-year history of the non-profit organization, Douglass represents thousands of farmers and ranchers across the state. But the conversation isn’t about titles—it’s about telling the story of California agriculture at a time when many people are more disconnected from it than ever before.
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The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production. Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability. That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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At the annual National Cattlemen’s Beef Association event, CattleCon in Nashville, host Tracy Sellers took the Clear Conversations podcast on the road. Her guest was someone who knows that event well—California rancher Tony Toso of Mariposa County. Part cattleman, part appraiser, part policy advocate, Toso represents a generation of producers who balance life on the land with leadership. Toso ranches in the Sierra foothills, but in Nashville, he was wearing another hat: chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s International Trade Committee. Exports, he explained, are not an abstract policy discussion. They are dollars and cents at the ranch level. “When we sell an animal in a sea container,” he said, referring to boxed beef shipped overseas, “that contributes about $400 a head to the value of that animal.” In a business where margins are often thin and risk is constant, that $400 matters.
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This week on CLEAR Conversations, Katie Roberti sat down for a conversation that reflects both her roots and her mission. As Director of Communications for the California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), Roberti spends her days translating the realities of ranching into language policymakers, media, and the public can understand. But her connection to agriculture is far more personal than professional. Dr. Kelly Nichols, Assistant Professor at UC Davis sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. The Nichols Lab focuses on characterizing the digestive and metabolic flexibility of dairy cattle to elevate our understanding of dietary protein and energy interactions, mammary gland metabolism, and postabsorptive nutrient utilization to improve the transfer of dietary nutrients into milk. Her lab conducts studies investigating metabolite flux at the tissue level (e.g., mammary gland), energy and nitrogen balance, digestibility, and milk production in response to nutritional interventions. Further, she is interested in how the postabsorptive efficiencies of nutrients (e.g., amino acids) interact and change with the physiological state of the cow throughout lactation. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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Dr. Kelly Nichols, Assistant Professor at UC Davis sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. The Nichols Lab focuses on characterizing the digestive and metabolic flexibility of dairy cattle to elevate our understanding of dietary protein and energy interactions, mammary gland metabolism, and postabsorptive nutrient utilization to improve the transfer of dietary nutrients into milk. Her lab conducts studies investigating metabolite flux at the tissue level (e.g., mammary gland), energy and nitrogen balance, digestibility, and milk production in response to nutritional interventions. Further, she is interested in how the postabsorptive efficiencies of nutrients (e.g., amino acids) interact and change with the physiological state of the cow throughout lactation. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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Mitigating
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enteric methane,
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and what could be
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the consequences of
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drastically reducing
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a really essential cycle
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in the rumen.
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We're very focused
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on hitting
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those targets, reducing
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and coming up
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with really innovative
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ways to do that.
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But we might be missing
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some of that down
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the road
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Consequences,
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for example,
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how that interacts
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with protein
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metabolism in the body.
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Well,
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welcome to the Clear
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Conversations podcast.
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We're excited.
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You're here
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with us today.
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Today
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we're going to be talking
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about cows and nutrition
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And sustainability.
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They're all
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tied together.
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They're all connected.
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And our guest today
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is Kelly Nichols.
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She's an assistant
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professor
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of animal science
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here at UC Davis.
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Welcome, Kelly. Thanks.
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Thanks for having me.
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Great to be here.
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Thanks for
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being here with us.
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So first of all,
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tell us a little bit
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about yourself,
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your background
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and how you got to study
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dairy nutrition
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in particular.
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So yeah, I'm
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a dairy nutritionist.
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I'm from Canada
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originally, didn't
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grow up with dairy cows.
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I actually grew
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up on a horse farm,
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so I always knew
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kind of the realities
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of taking care of large
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animals 365 days a year.
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At first I thought I
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wanted to be a vet,
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but when I went to
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the University of Guelph
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to do my undergrad,
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that's where I started
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to get involved
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in research projects.
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And,
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one of the labs
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I worked in
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was a dairy
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nutrition
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and metabolism lab.
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And you combine
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that with
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some of the courses
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I was taking,
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and I really fell in love
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with ruminant metabolism
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and how nutrition
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can influence
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how,
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all of the metabolic
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pathways work
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in, particularly dairy
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cows under the
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condition of lactation.
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So that's what
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I really got
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interested in.
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I ended up
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going to grad school,
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so I did a master's
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at the University
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of Guelph,
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and then I had the
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really cool opportunity
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to move to
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the Netherlands,
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to do my PhD
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at Wageningen
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University,
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which is kind of like
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the UC Davis of Europe.
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You could say.
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So actually,
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they're often
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competing a little bit
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in the world
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rankings around things
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like environmental
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science programs,
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agricultural science
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programs, both super top,
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in those areas.
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So, I lived in
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total over there
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for ten years.
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I did my PhD,
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and then I worked
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in industry
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for the last five years
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for a company
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called Trouw Nutrition.
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In their research
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and development
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ruminant research team.
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So I have
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kind of the
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academic background
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with some
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industry experience.
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And then I joined
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the animal science
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department here,
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in March 2024.
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So what is that,
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a year and a half?
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Yeah, I've been here.
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Yeah, yeah. Excellent.
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Well, you touched upon it
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there.
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Tell us a little bit
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about your time
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in the Netherlands
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and how they're dealing
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with cows in the climate.
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Very small country,
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but a lot of livestock.
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And they,
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they're dealing with it
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in some interesting ways.
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Yeah.
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So, indeed,
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the Netherlands
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is a very tiny country,
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and there are
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there's a
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lot of livestock.
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So that kind of poses
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an interesting challenge.
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It's very dense
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with,
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agricultural animals
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that are producing manure
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on a very small landmass.
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And like, everywhere
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that manure,
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can be very useful
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for being spread
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on the land
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and fertilizing crops,
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and that's fine.
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But when the amount
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of manure
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and the nutrients
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in the manure,
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like nitrogen
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and phosphorus,
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starts
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to exceed the boundaries
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of what
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the land
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can really manage
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and use efficiently,
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you start to get impacts
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on the environment.
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So this has
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been happening
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in the Netherlands
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already for years
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and years, long
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before I lived there.
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And they've done
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a few different
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iterations of legislation
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to try to regulate
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how much manure
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or more specifically,
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on the nitrogen side,
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the nitrogen
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in the manure
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can actually be deposited
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on the land
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for a farm.
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And over the years,
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there have been
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a lot of changes to that.
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And a lot of that's
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been driven
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by measured
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negative impacts
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of nitrogen on nature
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preservation areas
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and other
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environmental impacts
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like air quality
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and things like that.
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And when I moved
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there in 2014,
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they had just had
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kind of a new wave
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of some of these changes
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to nitrogen
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related regulations,
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that were starting
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to put even
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more pressure on farms
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for the amount
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of nitrogen
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that they could
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put on their land.
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So that really kind
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of restarted
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some of the discussions
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around,
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at least in my area
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particularly,
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what can we do to support
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dairy farms
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to, reduce the amount
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of nitrogen
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in their manure?
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So that
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that's the type
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of projects
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that I was working on
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when I was over there
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and still currently
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in the Netherlands,
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there's and
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a lot of other,
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kind of north
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western European
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countries
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like Ireland,
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France,
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are all dealing
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with these issues,
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where farmers
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are being pressured
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to reduce the amount
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of nitrogen or phosphorus
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that they're
00:04:46:02 - 00:04:47:05
putting on the land,
00:04:47:05 - 00:04:48:06
which can have
00:04:48:06 - 00:04:49:07
some restrictions on
00:04:49:07 - 00:04:50:04
how they
00:04:50:04 - 00:04:51:04
manage their farm,
00:04:51:04 - 00:04:51:15
how much milk
00:04:51:15 - 00:04:53:04
they can produce, the,
00:04:53:04 - 00:04:54:21
financial sustainability
00:04:54:21 - 00:04:56:02
of their operations.
00:04:56:02 - 00:04:56:21
So there's also been
00:04:56:21 - 00:04:58:12
a lot of tension
00:04:58:12 - 00:04:59:23
between the government,
00:04:59:23 - 00:05:01:14
farmers, society
00:05:01:14 - 00:05:02:04
and you read about
00:05:02:04 - 00:05:02:19
some of that stuff
00:05:02:19 - 00:05:03:15
on the news as well.
00:05:03:15 - 00:05:05:03
Farmer protests, tractors
00:05:05:03 - 00:05:06:02
in the streets,
00:05:06:02 - 00:05:06:22
those types of things.
00:05:06:22 - 00:05:08:13
So, it's been
00:05:08:13 - 00:05:09:17
a contentious issue
00:05:09:17 - 00:05:10:09
over there,
00:05:10:09 - 00:05:11:00
but possibly
00:05:11:00 - 00:05:11:15
a good example
00:05:11:15 - 00:05:12:07
for other parts
00:05:12:07 - 00:05:13:17
of the world as well
00:05:13:17 - 00:05:15:09
that haven't experienced
00:05:15:09 - 00:05:17:00
quite as much intense,
00:05:17:00 - 00:05:18:08
legislation
00:05:18:08 - 00:05:18:14
around
00:05:18:14 - 00:05:19:15
nitrogen pollution.
00:05:19:15 - 00:05:20:15
But potentially
00:05:20:15 - 00:05:21:04
that's something
00:05:21:04 - 00:05:22:11
that could be coming.
00:05:22:11 - 00:05:23:01
So something
00:05:23:01 - 00:05:23:17
to think about
00:05:23:17 - 00:05:25:01
even over here,
00:05:25:01 - 00:05:26:20
in the US.
00:05:26:20 - 00:05:27:12
And speaking of that,
00:05:27:12 - 00:05:28:11
you did talk about that
00:05:28:11 - 00:05:29:19
at the state of the science summit
00:05:29:19 - 00:05:31:09
this, past spring.
00:05:31:09 - 00:05:32:04
You mentioned
00:05:32:04 - 00:05:32:16
you're like, I'm
00:05:32:16 - 00:05:33:21
not into methane
00:05:33:21 - 00:05:34:11
as much as I am
00:05:34:11 - 00:05:35:06
into nitrogen.
00:05:35:06 - 00:05:35:20
I am I in the
00:05:35:20 - 00:05:37:10
right place?
00:05:37:10 - 00:05:38:19
But you and Dr. Maggie Gill
00:05:38:19 - 00:05:39:13
talked a lot about it,
00:05:39:13 - 00:05:40:04
and you said, you know,
00:05:40:04 - 00:05:40:21
methane was
00:05:40:21 - 00:05:41:13
the headline issue,
00:05:41:13 - 00:05:42:11
but the deeper story
00:05:42:11 - 00:05:43:22
might be the cow itself
00:05:43:22 - 00:05:44:18
and the physiology
00:05:44:18 - 00:05:46:03
and the biology.
00:05:46:03 - 00:05:47:01
Can you talk a little bit
00:05:47:01 - 00:05:47:09
about what
00:05:47:09 - 00:05:48:20
you meant by that?
00:05:48:20 - 00:05:49:07
Yeah.
00:05:49:07 - 00:05:50:03
So methane
00:05:50:03 - 00:05:51:14
has been getting,
00:05:51:14 - 00:05:52:05
kind of the star
00:05:52:05 - 00:05:53:00
of the show,
00:05:53:00 - 00:05:53:16
certainly here
00:05:53:16 - 00:05:54:09
in California
00:05:54:09 - 00:05:55:10
for extremely
00:05:55:10 - 00:05:56:06
good reasons.
00:05:56:06 - 00:05:57:06
The more
00:05:57:06 - 00:05:58:05
the longer I live here,
00:05:58:05 - 00:05:59:04
the more I've learned.
00:05:59:04 - 00:05:59:20
Yeah.
00:05:59:20 - 00:06:00:16
Through the clear center
00:06:00:16 - 00:06:01:17
from Dr. Mitloehner
00:06:01:17 - 00:06:02:17
All of the
00:06:02:17 - 00:06:03:08
amazing things
00:06:03:08 - 00:06:03:21
that have been done,
00:06:03:21 - 00:06:04:17
particularly in
00:06:04:17 - 00:06:05:06
this state,
00:06:05:06 - 00:06:06:05
really leading the way
00:06:06:05 - 00:06:07:16
for,
00:06:07:16 - 00:06:08:20
solutions to
00:06:08:20 - 00:06:09:23
reducing methane,
00:06:09:23 - 00:06:11:16
in, ruminant
00:06:11:16 - 00:06:12:15
production systems
00:06:12:15 - 00:06:13:19
across the country.
00:06:13:19 - 00:06:15:03
And that's great.
00:06:15:03 - 00:06:16:14
I'm heavily
00:06:16:14 - 00:06:17:18
biased, of course,
00:06:17:18 - 00:06:18:14
but I actually think
00:06:18:14 - 00:06:19:18
nitrogen in particular
00:06:19:18 - 00:06:20:11
is one,
00:06:20:11 - 00:06:21:07
is a much more
00:06:21:07 - 00:06:22:18
difficult problem
00:06:22:18 - 00:06:24:13
to solve than methane.
00:06:24:13 - 00:06:26:04
It can change a
00:06:26:04 - 00:06:28:21
lot in the environment.
00:06:28:23 - 00:06:29:22
There's no
00:06:29:22 - 00:06:30:13
there will never
00:06:30:13 - 00:06:32:01
be an inhibitor.
00:06:32:01 - 00:06:33:01
The way that we talk
00:06:33:01 - 00:06:34:02
about inhibitors
00:06:34:02 - 00:06:35:11
for methane in the rumen.
00:06:35:11 - 00:06:36:05
So there's
00:06:36:05 - 00:06:37:07
some different challenges
00:06:37:07 - 00:06:38:13
involved with that.
00:06:38:13 - 00:06:39:15
And to bring it back
00:06:39:15 - 00:06:40:06
to your question
00:06:40:06 - 00:06:40:22
about kind of the
00:06:40:22 - 00:06:43:14
whole cow,
00:06:43:14 - 00:06:45:02
we know very well
00:06:45:02 - 00:06:45:22
the pathway
00:06:45:22 - 00:06:47:17
that leads to methane
00:06:47:17 - 00:06:49:00
in the rumen, microbes,
00:06:49:00 - 00:06:51:05
fermentation, etc.
00:06:51:07 - 00:06:52:06
Nitrogen
00:06:52:06 - 00:06:54:16
is an essential,
00:06:54:16 - 00:06:57:16
component of well, it
00:06:57:16 - 00:06:58:20
originates from cows
00:06:58:20 - 00:07:00:00
consuming protein,
00:07:00:00 - 00:07:00:23
which they need
00:07:00:23 - 00:07:01:18
to make milk
00:07:01:18 - 00:07:03:00
and they need to grow
00:07:03:00 - 00:07:04:04
and they need to be able
00:07:04:04 - 00:07:05:12
to, have healthy
00:07:05:12 - 00:07:06:23
reproductive cycles,
00:07:06:23 - 00:07:08:14
healthy immune systems,
00:07:08:14 - 00:07:09:11
all of those things.
00:07:09:11 - 00:07:11:03
So to find the balance
00:07:11:03 - 00:07:12:07
of all of
00:07:12:07 - 00:07:13:11
those systems together
00:07:13:11 - 00:07:14:08
while supporting them
00:07:14:08 - 00:07:14:19
with protein
00:07:14:19 - 00:07:15:10
in their diet,
00:07:15:10 - 00:07:16:01
that's also a
00:07:16:01 - 00:07:17:02
big challenge.
00:07:17:02 - 00:07:18:02
So I think our
00:07:18:02 - 00:07:19:01
one of the points
00:07:19:01 - 00:07:19:17
we wanted to raise
00:07:19:17 - 00:07:20:09
with that talk at
00:07:20:09 - 00:07:22:03
the summit was just that
00:07:22:03 - 00:07:23:06
we tend to get
00:07:23:06 - 00:07:23:17
a little bit
00:07:23:17 - 00:07:24:16
of the blinders on
00:07:24:16 - 00:07:25:15
when we look at,
00:07:25:15 - 00:07:27:04
mitigating
00:07:27:04 - 00:07:29:00
enteric methane.
00:07:29:00 - 00:07:29:19
And what could be
00:07:29:19 - 00:07:31:16
the consequences of
00:07:31:16 - 00:07:33:04
drastically reducing
00:07:33:04 - 00:07:34:03
a really essential
00:07:34:03 - 00:07:36:18
cycle in the RUmen
00:07:36:20 - 00:07:37:09
that we just
00:07:37:09 - 00:07:38:05
haven't considered.
00:07:38:05 - 00:07:39:05
yet, we're very focused
00:07:39:05 - 00:07:39:23
on hitting
00:07:39:23 - 00:07:41:16
those targets, reducing
00:07:41:16 - 00:07:42:05
and coming up
00:07:42:05 - 00:07:42:23
with really innovative
00:07:42:23 - 00:07:44:00
ways to do that.
00:07:44:00 - 00:07:45:08
But we might be missing
00:07:45:08 - 00:07:46:01
some of the down
00:07:46:01 - 00:07:47:13
the road consequences.
00:07:47:13 - 00:07:49:11
Like for example,
00:07:49:11 - 00:07:50:07
how that interacts
00:07:50:07 - 00:07:51:05
with protein
00:07:51:05 - 00:07:53:18
metabolism in the body.
00:07:53:18 - 00:07:54:14
And to that degree,
00:07:54:14 - 00:07:54:23
you talked
00:07:54:23 - 00:07:55:17
a little bit about,
00:07:55:17 - 00:07:57:09
the you use
00:07:57:09 - 00:07:58:06
the metaphor of the brain
00:07:58:06 - 00:07:59:04
being like the conductor
00:07:59:04 - 00:07:59:19
of an orchestra.
00:07:59:19 - 00:08:00:06
I thought that was
00:08:00:06 - 00:08:00:16
really interesting.
00:08:00:16 - 00:08:01:01
You and Maggie
00:08:01:01 - 00:08:01:15
talked about that
00:08:01:15 - 00:08:02:01
and the organs
00:08:02:01 - 00:08:02:13
or the different
00:08:02:13 - 00:08:04:04
sections of the orchestra
00:08:04:04 - 00:08:04:20
and kind of that
00:08:04:20 - 00:08:06:22
gut brain axis of,
00:08:06:22 - 00:08:08:03
the gut and the brain
00:08:08:03 - 00:08:09:04
talk to each other a lot.
00:08:09:04 - 00:08:10:09
I saw some something
00:08:10:09 - 00:08:10:17
one time
00:08:10:17 - 00:08:11:11
they said that the gut
00:08:11:11 - 00:08:11:21
and the brain
00:08:11:21 - 00:08:12:16
are like besties.
00:08:12:16 - 00:08:13:01
They talk
00:08:13:01 - 00:08:13:16
about everything,
00:08:13:16 - 00:08:13:21
you know,
00:08:13:21 - 00:08:14:23
whether it's emotional
00:08:14:23 - 00:08:16:22
or physiological
00:08:16:22 - 00:08:18:22
We don't know that much
00:08:18:22 - 00:08:20:00
about the gut
00:08:20:00 - 00:08:21:09
brain axis in
00:08:21:09 - 00:08:22:08
ruminant animals
00:08:22:08 - 00:08:23:13
in particular. Why?
00:08:23:13 - 00:08:24:21
Why is that?
00:08:24:21 - 00:08:25:06
Yeah.
00:08:25:06 - 00:08:26:16
So I had to shout out,
00:08:26:16 - 00:08:27:09
Maggie,
00:08:27:09 - 00:08:28:23
for that whole concept.
00:08:28:23 - 00:08:30:11
That was really her idea
00:08:30:11 - 00:08:31:08
when we were given
00:08:31:08 - 00:08:32:10
the mic for 30 minutes
00:08:32:10 - 00:08:33:17
to talk at the summit.
00:08:33:17 - 00:08:34:10
And she's okay,
00:08:34:10 - 00:08:34:19
how are we going
00:08:34:19 - 00:08:35:21
to do this?
00:08:35:21 - 00:08:36:18
let’s Sort of structure it
00:08:36:18 - 00:08:37:08
in that way,
00:08:37:08 - 00:08:37:20
and then we can
00:08:37:20 - 00:08:38:11
probably touch
00:08:38:11 - 00:08:39:08
on a lot of relevant
00:08:39:08 - 00:08:40:01
points.
00:08:40:01 - 00:08:41:18
So, that
00:08:41:18 - 00:08:43:14
idea of the brain
00:08:43:14 - 00:08:44:10
gut axis
00:08:44:10 - 00:08:45:09
of course, in humans.
00:08:45:09 - 00:08:47:11
Now for many years,
00:08:47:11 - 00:08:47:23
actually,
00:08:47:23 - 00:08:49:19
the research
00:08:49:21 - 00:08:50:02
there's been
00:08:50:02 - 00:08:50:18
a lot of research
00:08:50:18 - 00:08:51:18
focusing on
00:08:51:18 - 00:08:52:11
the relationship
00:08:52:11 - 00:08:53:02
between the gut
00:08:53:02 - 00:08:54:01
and the brain
00:08:54:01 - 00:08:55:06
and how that impacts
00:08:55:06 - 00:08:56:04
our physical health,
00:08:56:04 - 00:08:57:04
our mental health.
00:08:57:04 - 00:08:59:03
And that's been an area
00:08:59:03 - 00:09:00:04
that's just exploded
00:09:00:04 - 00:09:01:14
over the last years.
00:09:01:14 - 00:09:03:16
When you look to animals,
00:09:03:16 - 00:09:05:16
there is far, far
00:09:05:16 - 00:09:06:20
less in the literature,
00:09:06:20 - 00:09:08:10
perhaps,
00:09:08:10 - 00:09:09:13
in companion animals
00:09:09:13 - 00:09:10:14
that's starting to grow,
00:09:10:14 - 00:09:11:10
which makes sense,
00:09:11:10 - 00:09:12:14
I think, because
00:09:12:14 - 00:09:14:08
of how closely connected
00:09:14:08 - 00:09:14:23
humans
00:09:14:23 - 00:09:16:02
and their companion
00:09:16:02 - 00:09:17:02
animals are,
00:09:17:02 - 00:09:17:15
that would be
00:09:17:15 - 00:09:18:06
the next step
00:09:18:06 - 00:09:19:09
for that research.
00:09:19:09 - 00:09:20:07
But in livestock
00:09:20:07 - 00:09:21:01
species,
00:09:21:01 - 00:09:22:15
there is very little,
00:09:22:15 - 00:09:23:20
so it is just
00:09:23:20 - 00:09:24:16
an interesting thing
00:09:24:16 - 00:09:25:13
to think about,
00:09:25:13 - 00:09:26:07
when we're
00:09:26:07 - 00:09:27:12
talking about,
00:09:27:12 - 00:09:28:21
so the microbes
00:09:28:21 - 00:09:29:08
in the rumen
00:09:29:08 - 00:09:29:16
it's this
00:09:29:16 - 00:09:31:05
symbiotic relationship
00:09:31:05 - 00:09:32:06
with the ruminant animal,
00:09:32:06 - 00:09:32:13
we say
00:09:32:13 - 00:09:33:13
we feed the microbes.
00:09:33:13 - 00:09:34:10
You don't really feed
00:09:34:10 - 00:09:34:22
the cow,
00:09:34:22 - 00:09:36:03
we feed the microbes.
00:09:36:03 - 00:09:37:17
And they've got their own
00:09:37:17 - 00:09:38:21
little biological system
00:09:38:21 - 00:09:40:06
going on there.
00:09:40:06 - 00:09:42:01
So how that relates to
00:09:42:01 - 00:09:42:23
all of the systems
00:09:42:23 - 00:09:43:11
in the body,
00:09:43:11 - 00:09:44:20
including the
00:09:44:20 - 00:09:45:20
neurological system,
00:09:45:20 - 00:09:46:09
which is sort
00:09:46:09 - 00:09:46:21
of controlled
00:09:46:21 - 00:09:47:10
and conducted
00:09:47:10 - 00:09:48:13
by the brain,
00:09:48:13 - 00:09:49:05
that's something
00:09:49:05 - 00:09:50:00
that I think
00:09:50:00 - 00:09:50:13
got a lot of
00:09:50:13 - 00:09:51:18
people thinking,
00:09:51:18 - 00:09:52:18
who knows where
00:09:52:18 - 00:09:53:16
that goes or
00:09:53:16 - 00:09:54:09
how relevant
00:09:54:09 - 00:09:55:01
that might be,
00:09:55:01 - 00:09:55:08
but it
00:09:55:08 - 00:09:56:17
definitely piqued some,
00:09:56:17 - 00:09:58:13
some people's curiosity.
00:09:58:13 - 00:09:59:07
Yeah, it's
00:09:59:07 - 00:10:00:08
such an interesting,
00:10:00:08 - 00:10:00:21
interesting way
00:10:00:21 - 00:10:01:16
of looking at it
00:10:01:16 - 00:10:02:01
that maybe
00:10:02:01 - 00:10:02:09
we haven't
00:10:02:09 - 00:10:03:03
thought of before.
00:10:03:03 - 00:10:03:08
Yeah.
00:10:03:08 - 00:10:04:02
And underscores
00:10:04:02 - 00:10:04:14
how everything
00:10:04:14 - 00:10:05:07
is connected,
00:10:05:07 - 00:10:06:06
at the very least,
00:10:06:06 - 00:10:07:07
trying to come back to
00:10:07:07 - 00:10:07:20
that idea.
00:10:07:20 - 00:10:08:19
If you can't think about
00:10:08:19 - 00:10:09:16
methane mitigation
00:10:09:16 - 00:10:10:20
in a vacuum. Right.
00:10:10:20 - 00:10:11:21
Everything is
00:10:11:21 - 00:10:12:20
connected.
00:10:12:20 - 00:10:13:16
Yeah. Right.
00:10:13:16 - 00:10:14:03
Well, let's talk
00:10:14:03 - 00:10:14:10
a little,
00:10:14:10 - 00:10:14:19
a little bit
00:10:14:19 - 00:10:15:15
about your research
00:10:15:15 - 00:10:16:06
and what you're doing
00:10:16:06 - 00:10:16:19
right now.
00:10:16:19 - 00:10:17:08
Tell us a little bit
00:10:17:08 - 00:10:17:17
about that
00:10:17:17 - 00:10:17:23
because it's
00:10:17:23 - 00:10:18:18
very interesting.
00:10:18:18 - 00:10:19:03
Yeah.
00:10:19:03 - 00:10:21:00
So, as we've made it
00:10:21:00 - 00:10:21:16
pretty clear, I'm
00:10:21:16 - 00:10:23:15
a nitrogen person.
00:10:23:17 - 00:10:25:08
So yeah, since
00:10:25:08 - 00:10:25:20
I've been one
00:10:25:20 - 00:10:26:17
of those fortunate people
00:10:26:17 - 00:10:27:12
that since I started
00:10:27:12 - 00:10:28:10
grad school,
00:10:28:10 - 00:10:29:13
I've always focused
00:10:29:13 - 00:10:30:22
on the same area
00:10:30:22 - 00:10:31:19
that doesn't happen
00:10:31:19 - 00:10:32:09
for everyone.
00:10:32:09 - 00:10:32:19
Some people
00:10:32:19 - 00:10:33:19
kind of flip flop around
00:10:33:19 - 00:10:34:17
until they find the thing
00:10:34:17 - 00:10:35:11
that that
00:10:35:11 - 00:10:36:15
really suits them.
00:10:36:15 - 00:10:37:21
But I started out
00:10:37:21 - 00:10:39:09
working in protein
00:10:39:09 - 00:10:41:03
metabolism in dairy cows,
00:10:41:03 - 00:10:41:12
and that's
00:10:41:12 - 00:10:42:05
still very much
00:10:42:05 - 00:10:43:05
what I work on.
00:10:43:05 - 00:10:43:17
There's a lot
00:10:43:17 - 00:10:44:05
of different
00:10:44:05 - 00:10:44:23
research lines
00:10:44:23 - 00:10:45:22
within that.
00:10:45:22 - 00:10:48:13
So my program here,
00:10:48:13 - 00:10:50:04
at UC davis
00:10:50:04 - 00:10:51:01
focuses
00:10:51:01 - 00:10:51:20
on a couple
00:10:51:20 - 00:10:52:23
of different things.
00:10:52:23 - 00:10:53:20
But one of the
00:10:53:20 - 00:10:54:19
upcoming projects
00:10:54:19 - 00:10:55:15
that we have
00:10:55:15 - 00:10:56:22
is looking at
00:10:56:22 - 00:10:57:14
what we call
00:10:57:14 - 00:10:59:00
urea recycling.
00:10:59:00 - 00:10:59:20
So ruminants,
00:10:59:20 - 00:11:01:03
all animals
00:11:01:03 - 00:11:02:01
have the capability
00:11:02:01 - 00:11:03:00
to do this.
00:11:03:00 - 00:11:04:21
But urea is a product
00:11:04:21 - 00:11:05:21
of nitrogen
00:11:05:21 - 00:11:07:00
metabolism in the body.
00:11:07:00 - 00:11:07:09
So when we
00:11:07:09 - 00:11:08:17
consume protein,
00:11:08:17 - 00:11:10:13
we digest and absorb
00:11:10:13 - 00:11:11:22
those amino acids.
00:11:11:22 - 00:11:12:20
And then
00:11:12:20 - 00:11:13:17
when those
00:11:13:17 - 00:11:14:21
flow to the liver,
00:11:14:21 - 00:11:16:00
some of the ones
00:11:16:00 - 00:11:17:02
that don't get used
00:11:17:02 - 00:11:18:05
for productive purposes,
00:11:18:05 - 00:11:19:07
they get broken down.
00:11:19:07 - 00:11:20:08
And sort of the waste
00:11:20:08 - 00:11:23:01
product of that is urea.
00:11:23:01 - 00:11:24:06
And ultimately
00:11:24:06 - 00:11:25:07
that can get excreted
00:11:25:07 - 00:11:26:18
in urine.
00:11:26:18 - 00:11:28:11
But ruminants are
00:11:28:11 - 00:11:29:08
very efficient
00:11:29:08 - 00:11:29:21
at a process
00:11:29:21 - 00:11:30:08
that we call
00:11:30:08 - 00:11:31:11
urea recycling.
00:11:31:11 - 00:11:31:20
And that's
00:11:31:20 - 00:11:33:00
because of the rumen.
00:11:33:00 - 00:11:34:05
So some of that urea
00:11:34:05 - 00:11:35:13
actually gets recycled
00:11:35:13 - 00:11:36:16
back into the rumen
00:11:36:16 - 00:11:37:16
where the
00:11:37:16 - 00:11:38:10
microbes
00:11:38:10 - 00:11:39:19
can break it down again
00:11:39:19 - 00:11:41:14
and use that nitrogen
00:11:41:14 - 00:11:42:17
to grow,
00:11:42:17 - 00:11:44:04
and then that the protein
00:11:44:04 - 00:11:45:02
in those microbes
00:11:45:02 - 00:11:46:03
actually provides
00:11:46:03 - 00:11:47:22
the majority of protein
00:11:47:22 - 00:11:49:10
supply for the cow.
00:11:49:10 - 00:11:50:08
So you have this cycle
00:11:50:08 - 00:11:51:03
where you have kind of
00:11:51:03 - 00:11:52:13
like the excess nitrogen
00:11:52:13 - 00:11:54:16
gets used again to make,
00:11:54:16 - 00:11:56:13
valuable protein
00:11:56:13 - 00:11:57:05
or amino acid
00:11:57:05 - 00:11:58:17
sources for the cow.
00:11:58:17 - 00:12:01:12
So in growing animals,
00:12:01:12 - 00:12:02:21
we have this
00:12:02:21 - 00:12:05:02
pathway characterized,
00:12:05:02 - 00:12:06:23
in way more detail.
00:12:06:23 - 00:12:07:10
There's not a
00:12:07:10 - 00:12:08:03
lot of literature
00:12:08:03 - 00:12:09:08
on how this works
00:12:09:08 - 00:12:10:17
in lactating dairy cows.
00:12:10:17 - 00:12:11:11
And if we could
00:12:11:11 - 00:12:12:12
potentially use that
00:12:12:12 - 00:12:13:06
as a mechanism
00:12:13:06 - 00:12:13:22
to reduce
00:12:13:22 - 00:12:15:04
the amount of nitrogen
00:12:15:04 - 00:12:15:17
that's going out
00:12:15:17 - 00:12:16:06
in urine.
00:12:16:06 - 00:12:17:08
So kind of
00:12:17:08 - 00:12:18:01
re-partitioning
00:12:18:01 - 00:12:18:19
some of that urea
00:12:18:19 - 00:12:20:17
from urinary excretion,
00:12:20:17 - 00:12:21:09
which is
00:12:21:09 - 00:12:22:03
ultimately ends up
00:12:22:03 - 00:12:22:17
as manure,
00:12:22:17 - 00:12:23:17
which leads
00:12:23:17 - 00:12:24:10
to this problem
00:12:24:10 - 00:12:26:02
of extra nitrogen
00:12:26:02 - 00:12:28:03
in the environment.
00:12:28:05 - 00:12:29:04
If we can kind
00:12:29:04 - 00:12:30:03
of upregulate
00:12:30:03 - 00:12:31:18
that recycling mechanism
00:12:31:18 - 00:12:32:04
and have it
00:12:32:04 - 00:12:33:07
contribute back
00:12:33:07 - 00:12:35:13
as real usable protein,
00:12:35:13 - 00:12:36:09
maybe there's a way
00:12:36:09 - 00:12:36:22
to reduce
00:12:36:22 - 00:12:38:02
some of that excretion.
00:12:38:02 - 00:12:38:17
But the problem is
00:12:38:17 - 00:12:39:10
we don't know a lot
00:12:39:10 - 00:12:40:00
about how
00:12:40:00 - 00:12:41:18
that cycle responds
00:12:41:18 - 00:12:43:18
to different sources
00:12:43:18 - 00:12:44:16
and amounts of protein
00:12:44:16 - 00:12:45:21
in the diet.
00:12:45:21 - 00:12:46:17
So the experiment that
00:12:46:17 - 00:12:47:15
we'll start in
00:12:47:15 - 00:12:48:13
a couple of weeks
00:12:48:13 - 00:12:49:15
will focus on that.
00:12:49:15 - 00:12:50:18
So we'll look at
00:12:50:18 - 00:12:51:16
the different sources
00:12:51:16 - 00:12:52:03
of protein
00:12:52:03 - 00:12:53:02
supply in the diet
00:12:53:02 - 00:12:54:04
and how that impacts
00:12:54:04 - 00:12:55:05
that cycle of urea
00:12:55:05 - 00:12:56:20
recycling in lactating
00:12:56:20 - 00:12:57:11
dairy cows.
00:12:57:11 - 00:12:58:03
Because like I said,
00:12:58:03 - 00:12:59:09
we know
00:12:59:09 - 00:13:00:20
more about
00:13:00:20 - 00:13:02:04
how that process works
00:13:02:04 - 00:13:03:08
in growing cattle.
00:13:03:08 - 00:13:04:07
So like beef cattle,
00:13:04:07 - 00:13:05:07
for example,
00:13:05:07 - 00:13:06:20
but not a lot about it
00:13:06:20 - 00:13:08:01
in lactating cows.
00:13:08:01 - 00:13:08:21
And their diets
00:13:08:21 - 00:13:09:15
are very different.
00:13:09:15 - 00:13:11:00
Their metabolism differs
00:13:11:00 - 00:13:11:09
a lot
00:13:11:09 - 00:13:12:09
you have the mammary gland
00:13:12:09 - 00:13:13:06
in there.
00:13:13:06 - 00:13:15:12
So there are
00:13:15:12 - 00:13:17:00
I expect differences.
00:13:17:00 - 00:13:18:19
And this will be a study
00:13:18:19 - 00:13:19:15
that will really start
00:13:19:15 - 00:13:20:06
to crack
00:13:20:06 - 00:13:21:09
some of that open.
00:13:21:09 - 00:13:22:00
Interesting.
00:13:22:00 - 00:13:23:02
How many, lactating
00:13:23:02 - 00:13:23:12
cows are going
00:13:23:12 - 00:13:24:13
to be studying?
00:13:24:13 - 00:13:24:19
Yeah.
00:13:24:19 - 00:13:27:01
So we have, eight cows.
00:13:27:01 - 00:13:28:01
They're cannulated
00:13:28:01 - 00:13:28:18
So they're the ones
00:13:28:18 - 00:13:29:07
that we can
00:13:29:07 - 00:13:30:21
access the rumen.
00:13:30:21 - 00:13:31:23
And we will be doing it
00:13:31:23 - 00:13:33:14
in a very controlled way
00:13:33:14 - 00:13:34:12
where we
00:13:34:12 - 00:13:35:17
really precisely,
00:13:35:17 - 00:13:37:06
infuse
00:13:37:06 - 00:13:38:13
an amount of protein
00:13:38:13 - 00:13:39:09
into the rumen
00:13:39:09 - 00:13:40:02
and an amount
00:13:40:02 - 00:13:41:05
into the second part
00:13:41:05 - 00:13:42:05
of their digestive tract,
00:13:42:05 - 00:13:42:16
which is just
00:13:42:16 - 00:13:43:09
past the rumen.
00:13:43:09 - 00:13:44:14
And so we can control
00:13:44:14 - 00:13:45:20
very precisely
00:13:45:20 - 00:13:46:17
how much protein
00:13:46:17 - 00:13:47:08
is going into
00:13:47:08 - 00:13:48:02
each compartment
00:13:48:02 - 00:13:48:07
of the
00:13:48:07 - 00:13:49:13
gastrointestinal tract,
00:13:49:13 - 00:13:50:22
and then be able to say
00:13:50:22 - 00:13:51:19
very clearly
00:13:51:19 - 00:13:52:21
what the response is
00:13:52:21 - 00:13:53:17
in that urea
00:13:53:17 - 00:13:55:00
cycling mechanism.
00:13:55:00 - 00:13:55:13
So it's a
00:13:55:13 - 00:13:56:09
very fundamental
00:13:56:09 - 00:13:57:14
metabolism study.
00:13:57:14 - 00:13:58:04
But often
00:13:58:04 - 00:13:59:11
you'll find in
00:13:59:11 - 00:14:00:09
nutrition research
00:14:00:09 - 00:14:00:22
you kind of have
00:14:00:22 - 00:14:01:20
to start there.
00:14:01:20 - 00:14:02:14
And then you
00:14:02:14 - 00:14:03:21
build out into
00:14:03:21 - 00:14:04:21
what would really be used
00:14:04:21 - 00:14:05:14
in practice.
00:14:05:14 - 00:14:06:08
Right.
00:14:06:08 - 00:14:06:15
Because it's
00:14:06:15 - 00:14:07:12
and it's a full system,
00:14:07:12 - 00:14:08:06
obviously you're
00:14:08:06 - 00:14:09:00
testing the rumen,
00:14:09:00 - 00:14:09:13
you're testing this,
00:14:09:13 - 00:14:11:03
but then the full impact
00:14:11:03 - 00:14:12:05
on the other organs
00:14:12:05 - 00:14:12:20
and whatnot, too,
00:14:12:20 - 00:14:13:05
I would think
00:14:13:05 - 00:14:14:02
you'd have to look at
00:14:14:02 - 00:14:14:17
and figure out
00:14:14:17 - 00:14:15:09
exactly
00:14:15:09 - 00:14:15:22
with a small
00:14:15:22 - 00:14:16:19
number of animals,
00:14:16:19 - 00:14:17:18
we can take a lot
00:14:17:18 - 00:14:18:13
of measurements,
00:14:18:13 - 00:14:19:08
try to get this
00:14:19:08 - 00:14:21:08
whole full body picture,
00:14:21:08 - 00:14:22:19
which we might not
00:14:22:19 - 00:14:23:12
be able to do
00:14:23:12 - 00:14:24:02
if you're
00:14:24:02 - 00:14:25:09
using a feeding study
00:14:25:09 - 00:14:26:20
where you have, say,
00:14:26:20 - 00:14:28:12
60 animals versus
00:14:28:12 - 00:14:29:02
eight in
00:14:29:02 - 00:14:29:22
a really controlled
00:14:29:22 - 00:14:31:18
environment. Yeah, yeah.
00:14:31:18 - 00:14:32:06
And you spoke
00:14:32:06 - 00:14:32:23
about a little bit there,
00:14:32:23 - 00:14:33:14
but the real
00:14:33:14 - 00:14:34:13
world impact,
00:14:34:13 - 00:14:36:05
how could this impact
00:14:36:05 - 00:14:37:13
the real world?
00:14:37:13 - 00:14:38:20
The even though
00:14:38:20 - 00:14:39:02
this is
00:14:39:02 - 00:14:40:11
a very fundamental,
00:14:40:11 - 00:14:42:03
design of an experiment,
00:14:42:03 - 00:14:44:23
it is still based around
00:14:44:23 - 00:14:46:11
what we do in practice.
00:14:46:11 - 00:14:48:14
So, in reality
00:14:48:14 - 00:14:50:11
now, dairy nutritionists,
00:14:50:11 - 00:14:51:22
we're kind of past
00:14:51:22 - 00:14:52:13
the idea
00:14:52:13 - 00:14:54:20
of how much protein do
00:14:54:20 - 00:14:55:18
dairy cows need,
00:14:55:18 - 00:14:56:12
which that used to be
00:14:56:12 - 00:14:57:07
a question years
00:14:57:07 - 00:14:58:02
and years ago.
00:14:58:02 - 00:14:59:02
Do they need,
00:14:59:02 - 00:15:00:13
you know, a diet
00:15:00:13 - 00:15:01:15
that has 14%
00:15:01:15 - 00:15:02:07
crude protein
00:15:02:07 - 00:15:03:17
or 20% crude protein?
00:15:03:17 - 00:15:04:19
What's better?
00:15:04:19 - 00:15:05:09
That's a really
00:15:05:09 - 00:15:06:18
extreme example.
00:15:06:18 - 00:15:07:09
But now we've
00:15:07:09 - 00:15:08:00
sort of evolved
00:15:08:00 - 00:15:08:11
from that
00:15:08:11 - 00:15:09:08
through science.
00:15:09:08 - 00:15:10:13
And now the question
00:15:10:13 - 00:15:11:01
for dairy
00:15:11:01 - 00:15:11:16
nutritionists in
00:15:11:16 - 00:15:13:14
the field is more around
00:15:13:14 - 00:15:14:18
what is the source
00:15:14:18 - 00:15:15:14
of that protein.
00:15:15:14 - 00:15:17:05
So is it protein sources
00:15:17:05 - 00:15:18:08
that are more degradable
00:15:18:08 - 00:15:18:19
in the rumen
00:15:18:19 - 00:15:20:15
in, or that actually
00:15:20:15 - 00:15:21:16
are more resistant
00:15:21:16 - 00:15:22:21
to microbial degradation
00:15:22:21 - 00:15:23:18
and end up
00:15:23:18 - 00:15:25:12
in, the small intestine
00:15:25:12 - 00:15:26:07
to be absorbed
00:15:26:07 - 00:15:28:07
as amino acids there.
00:15:28:07 - 00:15:29:02
How can they use
00:15:29:02 - 00:15:30:01
those different sources
00:15:30:01 - 00:15:31:07
to manipulate
00:15:31:07 - 00:15:32:06
how efficiently
00:15:32:06 - 00:15:33:08
that protein gets used?
00:15:33:08 - 00:15:33:16
Those are the
00:15:33:16 - 00:15:34:10
types of questions
00:15:34:10 - 00:15:35:10
that nutritionists
00:15:35:10 - 00:15:36:22
really care about now.
00:15:36:22 - 00:15:37:14
So the way this
00:15:37:14 - 00:15:38:19
experiment is designed
00:15:38:19 - 00:15:40:06
is to
00:15:40:06 - 00:15:41:06
answer this question
00:15:41:06 - 00:15:41:19
about urea
00:15:41:19 - 00:15:42:21
recycling based
00:15:42:21 - 00:15:44:05
around the source
00:15:44:05 - 00:15:45:12
of protein.
00:15:45:12 - 00:15:47:14
So even though it's very,
00:15:47:14 - 00:15:48:09
fundamental
00:15:48:09 - 00:15:49:19
in its design,
00:15:49:19 - 00:15:51:05
the takeaways
00:15:51:05 - 00:15:52:21
can be pretty
00:15:52:21 - 00:15:53:09
easily
00:15:53:09 - 00:15:54:11
applied in the field
00:15:54:11 - 00:15:55:10
in the sense that, okay,
00:15:55:10 - 00:15:56:09
when we put more
00:15:56:09 - 00:15:57:06
protein in the rumen
00:15:57:06 - 00:15:57:18
and this was
00:15:57:18 - 00:15:58:09
the response,
00:15:58:09 - 00:15:59:02
if we provide
00:15:59:02 - 00:15:59:23
more of that source
00:15:59:23 - 00:16:01:10
that actually bypasses
00:16:01:10 - 00:16:02:15
rumen and degradation,
00:16:02:15 - 00:16:04:02
we get this response.
00:16:04:02 - 00:16:05:05
So it's not actually
00:16:05:05 - 00:16:06:00
that many steps
00:16:06:00 - 00:16:07:00
before you could start
00:16:07:00 - 00:16:07:07
to make
00:16:07:07 - 00:16:08:21
some recommendations.
00:16:08:21 - 00:16:09:21
Yeah. How exciting.
00:16:09:21 - 00:16:11:02
Yeah this is exciting.
00:16:11:02 - 00:16:12:04
How exciting is it for
00:16:12:04 - 00:16:12:16
you personally
00:16:12:16 - 00:16:13:12
to be part of a study
00:16:13:12 - 00:16:13:22
like this
00:16:13:22 - 00:16:15:06
and to do this research?
00:16:15:06 - 00:16:15:21
Yeah, well,
00:16:15:21 - 00:16:16:06
I'm super
00:16:16:06 - 00:16:17:00
excited about it.
00:16:17:00 - 00:16:17:09
And this
00:16:17:09 - 00:16:18:02
will be my first
00:16:18:02 - 00:16:18:14
big trial
00:16:18:14 - 00:16:20:01
here at UC Davis.
00:16:20:03 - 00:16:20:15
So I'm really
00:16:20:15 - 00:16:21:17
proud of our team,
00:16:21:17 - 00:16:22:13
my grad students
00:16:22:13 - 00:16:23:14
who just started,
00:16:23:14 - 00:16:24:16
we're renovating
00:16:24:16 - 00:16:25:23
a facility here
00:16:25:23 - 00:16:26:07
to be able
00:16:26:07 - 00:16:27:18
to do this research.
00:16:27:18 - 00:16:28:14
So over the past
00:16:28:14 - 00:16:29:04
several years,
00:16:29:04 - 00:16:29:15
there hasn't
00:16:29:15 - 00:16:30:12
been a lot of
00:16:30:12 - 00:16:31:19
individual animal
00:16:31:19 - 00:16:32:15
really intensive
00:16:32:15 - 00:16:33:15
metabolism work.
00:16:33:15 - 00:16:34:21
But we do have
00:16:34:21 - 00:16:35:11
a facility
00:16:35:11 - 00:16:36:15
just across the road here
00:16:36:15 - 00:16:37:04
that has been
00:16:37:04 - 00:16:38:15
a bit underutilized.
00:16:38:15 - 00:16:39:17
So we're currently
00:16:39:17 - 00:16:40:02
working on
00:16:40:02 - 00:16:40:19
some renovations
00:16:40:19 - 00:16:41:11
there to be able
00:16:41:11 - 00:16:42:05
to house,
00:16:42:05 - 00:16:43:14
up to ten
00:16:43:14 - 00:16:45:13
cows in individual pens
00:16:45:13 - 00:16:46:16
and do these types
00:16:46:16 - 00:16:48:07
of really,
00:16:48:07 - 00:16:49:21
detailed measurements
00:16:49:21 - 00:16:50:22
of individual feed
00:16:50:22 - 00:16:53:03
intake, milk production,
00:16:53:03 - 00:16:54:21
having animals being able
00:16:54:21 - 00:16:55:21
easily accessible
00:16:55:21 - 00:16:56:18
for sampling,
00:16:56:18 - 00:16:57:16
things like that.
00:16:57:16 - 00:16:59:12
Looking at their
00:16:59:12 - 00:17:00:06
everything that goes
00:17:00:06 - 00:17:00:21
into the animal,
00:17:00:21 - 00:17:01:20
everything that goes
00:17:01:20 - 00:17:02:23
out of the animal,
00:17:02:23 - 00:17:04:07
and really understand
00:17:04:07 - 00:17:04:12
a lot
00:17:04:12 - 00:17:04:22
about what
00:17:04:22 - 00:17:05:20
goes on in between.
00:17:05:20 - 00:17:07:02
Yeah, yeah.
00:17:07:02 - 00:17:07:17
So I hope
00:17:07:17 - 00:17:09:07
this will kickstart,
00:17:09:07 - 00:17:09:23
a nice line
00:17:09:23 - 00:17:11:01
of extra line of research
00:17:11:01 - 00:17:11:18
for us
00:17:11:18 - 00:17:13:04
over the coming years.
00:17:13:04 - 00:17:13:16
And you,
00:17:13:16 - 00:17:14:08
you spoke about their
00:17:14:08 - 00:17:15:04
about research, too,
00:17:15:04 - 00:17:15:15
and you mentioned it
00:17:15:15 - 00:17:16:05
at the summit
00:17:16:05 - 00:17:17:00
this past spring,
00:17:17:00 - 00:17:18:02
that there are still
00:17:18:02 - 00:17:18:19
a lot of questions
00:17:18:19 - 00:17:20:03
when it comes to cows
00:17:20:03 - 00:17:20:23
and nutrition.
00:17:20:23 - 00:17:22:09
And that's okay.
00:17:22:09 - 00:17:23:03
We've answered some,
00:17:23:03 - 00:17:23:13
but there are a
00:17:23:13 - 00:17:24:11
lot of questions
00:17:24:11 - 00:17:24:17
out there
00:17:24:17 - 00:17:25:11
still to be answered,
00:17:25:11 - 00:17:26:07
which is exciting
00:17:26:07 - 00:17:27:08
for researchers
00:17:27:08 - 00:17:28:10
and for
00:17:28:10 - 00:17:29:06
future students
00:17:29:06 - 00:17:29:22
and researchers
00:17:29:22 - 00:17:30:09
to answer
00:17:30:09 - 00:17:31:16
some of those questions.
00:17:31:16 - 00:17:32:22
I guess the question is,
00:17:32:22 - 00:17:33:13
where do you see
00:17:33:13 - 00:17:34:10
the future of this
00:17:34:10 - 00:17:35:09
sort of research going?
00:17:35:09 - 00:17:36:09
Do you see it going
00:17:36:09 - 00:17:37:21
a certain path or
00:17:37:21 - 00:17:38:21
or do you have any hopes
00:17:38:21 - 00:17:39:09
for the where
00:17:39:09 - 00:17:40:18
the research might go?
00:17:40:18 - 00:17:41:11
Yeah, yeah.
00:17:41:11 - 00:17:42:02
So I mean,
00:17:42:02 - 00:17:44:04
we always have hopes and
00:17:44:04 - 00:17:45:02
big crazy
00:17:45:02 - 00:17:45:18
what seem like
00:17:45:18 - 00:17:47:02
crazy ideas now,
00:17:47:02 - 00:17:47:23
but I'm sure that's
00:17:47:23 - 00:17:48:14
the same thing
00:17:48:14 - 00:17:49:08
that, you know,
00:17:49:08 - 00:17:51:01
my mentors said years ago
00:17:51:01 - 00:17:51:14
and they started
00:17:51:14 - 00:17:52:03
their career.
00:17:52:03 - 00:17:52:11
It's like,
00:17:52:11 - 00:17:52:23
these are probably
00:17:52:23 - 00:17:53:15
crazy ideas.
00:17:53:15 - 00:17:54:08
But now that's
00:17:54:08 - 00:17:54:23
the reality.
00:17:54:23 - 00:17:55:05
You know,
00:17:55:05 - 00:17:56:06
in the industry.
00:17:56:06 - 00:17:56:14
Yeah.
00:17:56:14 - 00:17:57:09
In this area,
00:17:57:09 - 00:17:57:23
I think
00:17:57:23 - 00:17:58:15
what's coming down
00:17:58:15 - 00:17:59:19
the pipe is starting
00:17:59:19 - 00:18:00:16
to get
00:18:00:16 - 00:18:02:06
way more information
00:18:02:06 - 00:18:04:07
about what
00:18:04:07 - 00:18:05:03
in terms of protein
00:18:05:03 - 00:18:06:05
supply, really,
00:18:06:05 - 00:18:07:09
what are the amino acids
00:18:07:09 - 00:18:08:01
that are available
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for absorption
00:18:09:05 - 00:18:10:17
for ruminant animals.
00:18:10:17 - 00:18:12:20
And that has been
00:18:12:20 - 00:18:13:22
for a long time,
00:18:13:22 - 00:18:14:09
a question
00:18:14:09 - 00:18:15:04
that's been a bit hard
00:18:15:04 - 00:18:16:23
to get at in an easily
00:18:16:23 - 00:18:17:18
accessible way.
00:18:17:18 - 00:18:18:18
You needed these
00:18:18:18 - 00:18:19:07
intensive
00:18:19:07 - 00:18:20:10
metabolism studies
00:18:20:10 - 00:18:21:10
to be able to quantify
00:18:21:10 - 00:18:21:20
that,
00:18:21:20 - 00:18:22:17
which is difficult
00:18:22:17 - 00:18:24:11
when you, in reality,
00:18:24:11 - 00:18:26:02
have a really diverse
00:18:26:02 - 00:18:27:12
set of diets across
00:18:27:12 - 00:18:28:13
countries, different
00:18:28:13 - 00:18:29:11
regions of the world,
00:18:29:11 - 00:18:29:22
even different
00:18:29:22 - 00:18:32:09
regions of a state.
00:18:32:11 - 00:18:33:10
How do you
00:18:33:10 - 00:18:34:07
capture all of
00:18:34:07 - 00:18:35:17
that variability?
00:18:35:17 - 00:18:37:05
By taking samples
00:18:37:05 - 00:18:37:10
that are
00:18:37:10 - 00:18:38:05
easily accessible
00:18:38:05 - 00:18:39:01
that you can do across
00:18:39:01 - 00:18:40:04
a lot of animals.
00:18:40:04 - 00:18:40:15
And I think
00:18:40:15 - 00:18:41:14
that's an area
00:18:41:14 - 00:18:42:12
that me
00:18:42:12 - 00:18:43:06
and some collaborators
00:18:43:06 - 00:18:44:17
are starting to work on
00:18:44:17 - 00:18:45:11
for the future
00:18:45:11 - 00:18:46:17
to help optimize
00:18:46:17 - 00:18:48:02
nutritional models,
00:18:48:02 - 00:18:49:01
help have
00:18:49:01 - 00:18:49:23
a better understanding
00:18:49:23 - 00:18:51:04
of the response
00:18:51:04 - 00:18:52:16
to a nutritionist
00:18:52:16 - 00:18:53:12
making a
00:18:53:12 - 00:18:54:07
particular choice
00:18:54:07 - 00:18:54:18
about one
00:18:54:18 - 00:18:55:13
ingredient versus
00:18:55:13 - 00:18:56:05
another
00:18:56:05 - 00:18:56:19
in terms
00:18:56:19 - 00:18:57:20
of the efficiency
00:18:57:20 - 00:18:58:20
with which the protein
00:18:58:20 - 00:18:59:14
in that ingredient
00:18:59:14 - 00:19:00:09
is going to be used
00:19:00:09 - 00:19:01:03
for milk
00:19:01:03 - 00:19:03:00
or muscle, whatever.
00:19:03:00 - 00:19:04:03
The case may be.
00:19:04:03 - 00:19:04:13
So that's
00:19:04:13 - 00:19:05:15
really exciting.
00:19:05:15 - 00:19:07:02
I also think
00:19:07:02 - 00:19:07:17
thinking about
00:19:07:17 - 00:19:08:21
the impact of
00:19:08:21 - 00:19:09:23
early life protein
00:19:09:23 - 00:19:11:10
nutrition on later life,
00:19:11:10 - 00:19:12:12
nitrogen efficiency
00:19:12:12 - 00:19:12:23
is a really
00:19:12:23 - 00:19:13:21
interesting area.
00:19:13:21 - 00:19:17:17
There's, abundant,
00:19:17:17 - 00:19:18:12
calf research
00:19:18:12 - 00:19:19:03
that goes on.
00:19:19:03 - 00:19:20:07
There's some really,
00:19:20:07 - 00:19:21:01
expert
00:19:21:01 - 00:19:22:19
calf research out there
00:19:22:19 - 00:19:24:04
starting to look at,
00:19:24:04 - 00:19:25:13
nutritional profile
00:19:25:13 - 00:19:26:08
for calves.
00:19:26:08 - 00:19:27:18
Over the last several
00:19:27:18 - 00:19:29:09
years, protein is an area
00:19:29:09 - 00:19:30:01
that I think has
00:19:30:01 - 00:19:33:11
been under evaluated.
00:19:33:13 - 00:19:34:11
And then is
00:19:34:11 - 00:19:35:11
there what is the
00:19:35:11 - 00:19:37:01
impact on calves
00:19:37:01 - 00:19:37:14
being fed
00:19:37:14 - 00:19:38:09
a certain profile
00:19:38:09 - 00:19:39:05
of protein
00:19:39:05 - 00:19:40:13
source or level?
00:19:40:13 - 00:19:42:05
Does that impact
00:19:42:05 - 00:19:42:20
how efficient
00:19:42:20 - 00:19:43:10
they are using
00:19:43:10 - 00:19:45:13
nitrogen in later life?
00:19:45:13 - 00:19:46:09
That's one of those
00:19:46:09 - 00:19:46:18
like big,
00:19:46:18 - 00:19:49:18
crazy types of questions.
00:19:49:20 - 00:19:50:18
So that's something
00:19:50:18 - 00:19:52:01
I'm interested in. Yeah.
00:19:52:01 - 00:19:52:19
So those are
00:19:52:19 - 00:19:53:11
some of the areas
00:19:53:11 - 00:19:54:07
that hopefully my lab
00:19:54:07 - 00:19:55:00
will tackle over
00:19:55:00 - 00:19:56:08
the next couple of years.
00:19:56:08 - 00:19:57:03
That's exciting.
00:19:57:03 - 00:19:57:17
Yeah, that's
00:19:57:17 - 00:19:58:10
really exciting.
00:19:58:10 - 00:19:59:12
Anything I didn't ask you
00:19:59:12 - 00:20:00:08
that you want to add
00:20:00:08 - 00:20:01:04
about the research
00:20:01:04 - 00:20:02:01
going on here
00:20:02:01 - 00:20:03:10
and your time at UC
00:20:03:10 - 00:20:04:04
Davis?
00:20:04:04 - 00:20:04:20
Thank you for being
00:20:04:20 - 00:20:05:01
thank you
00:20:05:01 - 00:20:05:22
for coming to UC Davis.
00:20:05:22 - 00:20:07:11
Yeah, I know it's
00:20:07:11 - 00:20:08:11
great to be here.
00:20:08:11 - 00:20:09:21
I think this is
00:20:09:21 - 00:20:10:14
a good place
00:20:10:14 - 00:20:13:00
to be for this nitrogen.
00:20:13:00 - 00:20:15:07
Question.
00:20:15:07 - 00:20:16:13
I know when I,
00:20:16:13 - 00:20:17:17
you know, met Frank
00:20:17:17 - 00:20:18:12
a couple years ago
00:20:18:12 - 00:20:19:12
now,
00:20:19:12 - 00:20:20:22
during my interviews
00:20:20:22 - 00:20:21:13
and things like that,
00:20:21:13 - 00:20:22:03
when I was thinking
00:20:22:03 - 00:20:23:03
about coming here,
00:20:23:03 - 00:20:25:06
he was very adamant
00:20:25:06 - 00:20:26:07
that nitrogen
00:20:26:07 - 00:20:27:20
would be a problem here.
00:20:27:20 - 00:20:28:19
And it's already
00:20:28:19 - 00:20:29:07
a problem here
00:20:29:07 - 00:20:29:23
in California,
00:20:29:23 - 00:20:31:09
but that the fact that
00:20:31:09 - 00:20:32:04
if we kind of lead
00:20:32:04 - 00:20:32:19
by example
00:20:32:19 - 00:20:33:17
with methane, there's
00:20:33:17 - 00:20:34:12
no reason to think
00:20:34:12 - 00:20:35:00
that we couldn't
00:20:35:00 - 00:20:36:10
do the same
00:20:36:10 - 00:20:36:22
in terms
00:20:36:22 - 00:20:38:02
of the nitrogen problem
00:20:38:02 - 00:20:38:17
as well.
00:20:38:17 - 00:20:41:01
So, I think I'm
00:20:41:01 - 00:20:42:04
happy to be in a place
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where I came from,
00:20:42:22 - 00:20:43:06
a place
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where
00:20:43:09 - 00:20:44:09
that was really relevant,
00:20:44:09 - 00:20:44:18
that being
00:20:44:18 - 00:20:45:11
the Netherlands
00:20:45:11 - 00:20:46:00
at wageningen
00:20:46:00 - 00:20:47:02
university
00:20:47:02 - 00:20:48:12
to another area
00:20:48:12 - 00:20:49:07
that it's relevant,
00:20:49:07 - 00:20:49:23
and then to be
00:20:49:23 - 00:20:50:12
at the place
00:20:50:12 - 00:20:51:17
where already has
00:20:51:17 - 00:20:52:13
a strong reputation
00:20:52:13 - 00:20:53:07
of making investments
00:20:53:07 - 00:20:54:06
on the dairy industry
00:20:54:06 - 00:20:55:03
in the state,
00:20:55:03 - 00:20:56:12
and then by extension,
00:20:56:12 - 00:20:57:19
the country.
00:20:57:19 - 00:20:58:15
Yeah, that's
00:20:58:15 - 00:21:01:07
that's special.
00:21:01:09 - 00:21:02:09
there's a lot of research
00:21:02:09 - 00:21:03:03
to still be done
00:21:03:03 - 00:21:03:16
and we're excited.
00:21:03:16 - 00:21:04:04
You're part
00:21:04:04 - 00:21:05:02
of the research
00:21:05:02 - 00:21:05:22
here at UC Davis.
00:21:05:22 - 00:21:06:13
And thank you so much
00:21:06:13 - 00:21:07:06
for joining us
00:21:07:06 - 00:21:08:06
and sharing
00:21:08:06 - 00:21:09:01
your knowledge with us.
00:21:09:01 - 00:21:10:13
Yeah, of course.
00:21:10:13 - 00:21:11:03
And thank you
00:21:11:03 - 00:21:11:17
for joining us.
00:21:11:17 - 00:21:12:14
We'll see you again
00:21:12:14 - 00:21:13:02
next time.
00:21:13:02 - 00:21:14:03
on clear conversations.
-
Conor McCabe sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. At the CLEAR Center at UC Davis, researchers spend their days asking a big question with global stakes: how can we raise livestock in ways that are more climate-friendly? For PhD student Conor McCabe, now approaching the end of his fifth year in the Mitloehner Lab, that question has fueled not just one research project—but nearly an entire year of long days, early mornings, and a sprawling scientific effort that spans animals, microbes, emissions, and the future of food systems.
McCabe didn’t start out as a dairy kid. He grew up on a small farm in Oregon—“pretty much an Old McDonald’s farm,” he jokes—with pigs, cattle, pumpkins, and Christmas trees. His mother once served as a dairy princess, but dairy cattle weren’t part of Connor’s life until college. After studying animal science across Cornell, Purdue, and now UC Davis, he’s seen “different pockets of cows across the country,” as he puts it. But it wasn’t until arriving at Davis that he found the right intersection of ruminant biology and real-world impact.
Text File:
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Because at the
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end of the day,
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what we're
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thinking about
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how can we
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improve nutrition,
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how can we reduce
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environmental impacts,
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and how can we help with
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the billions of people
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that are involved
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in livestock systems.
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Think about
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how do we create more
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sustainable food systems,
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at least for
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for the rest of my
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my career here.
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Welcome to
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Clear Conversations.
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You know,
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the clear center.
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Our researchers
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are testing ways
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to make livestock
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more climate friendly.
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And today,
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we're going to be talking
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to one of
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those researchers.
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His name is
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Conor McCabe,
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and he's a
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PhD student in the
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Mitloehner lab.
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He is working
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with feed additives
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with dairy cows.
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And he's going to tell us
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a little bit
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about his research today.
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Conor,
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thanks for joining us.
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I'm so happy to be here
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and looking
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forward to it.
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All right.
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We are looking forward
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to talking to you.
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So first of all,
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tell us a little bit
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about yourself
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and your background.
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You've done a lot,
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even
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before you came to UC
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Davis. You've done a lot.
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So tell us a little bit
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about that. Yeah.
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So I'm currently
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wrapping up
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the fifth year of my,
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my PhD here at Davis.
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The last couple of months
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of my time
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is coming up here,
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but I'm originally
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from the West Coast,
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originally from Oregon
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as my hometown where
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my family has a
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small farm where we have,
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pigs,
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cattle, Christmas
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trees, pumpkins,
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all that order.
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So a big
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old McDonald farm,
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and that got my interest
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in animal science.
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And then
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I went to New York,
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to Cornell for undergrad,
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did a masters at Purdue,
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and now
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I've come here to UC
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Davis.
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There's cows
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across the country.
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So I've kind of seen
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a little different
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pockets of,
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cows throughout my work.
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My mom was a dairy
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princess growing up,
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but we had no,
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no experience
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or affiliation
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with dairy cattle myself
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because the cows
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were sold off
00:01:40:12 - 00:01:42:07
before I was born.
00:01:42:07 - 00:01:43:05
But it came
00:01:43:05 - 00:01:43:21
on back to me,
00:01:43:21 - 00:01:44:08
and I've since
00:01:44:08 - 00:01:45:01
been involved
00:01:45:01 - 00:01:45:22
ever since here
00:01:45:22 - 00:01:46:08
with different
00:01:46:08 - 00:01:47:11
research projects
00:01:47:11 - 00:01:49:03
across different places
00:01:49:03 - 00:01:49:16
of the country.
00:01:49:16 - 00:01:50:19
And I knew all along
00:01:50:19 - 00:01:51:10
that I had an interest
00:01:51:10 - 00:01:51:21
in coming back
00:01:51:21 - 00:01:52:17
to the West Coast.
00:01:52:17 - 00:01:54:08
I had an interest in,
00:01:54:08 - 00:01:54:16
looking
00:01:54:16 - 00:01:55:02
at the
00:01:55:02 - 00:01:55:20
environmental
00:01:55:20 - 00:01:56:13
opportunities
00:01:56:13 - 00:01:58:02
in animal agriculture.
00:01:58:02 - 00:01:58:15
And UC Davis
00:01:58:15 - 00:01:59:09
was really the place
00:01:59:09 - 00:02:00:07
for that to be
00:02:00:07 - 00:02:01:04
and for me to come to.
00:02:01:04 - 00:02:02:10
So,
00:02:02:12 - 00:02:03:14
this lab and this
00:02:03:14 - 00:02:04:08
opportunity here
00:02:04:08 - 00:02:05:02
with Dr. Mitloehner
00:02:05:02 - 00:02:05:14
really checked
00:02:05:14 - 00:02:06:09
all those boxes
00:02:06:09 - 00:02:08:01
and then led into me
00:02:08:01 - 00:02:08:21
coming here to
00:02:08:21 - 00:02:10:07
to Davis five years ago.
00:02:10:07 - 00:02:11:02
Where were I
00:02:11:02 - 00:02:11:08
I know
00:02:11:08 - 00:02:11:20
I'm in
00:02:11:20 - 00:02:12:15
the final stages
00:02:12:15 - 00:02:13:19
right now, so why
00:02:13:19 - 00:02:14:10
why dairy cows
00:02:14:10 - 00:02:15:06
and why sustainability?
00:02:15:06 - 00:02:15:18
Why was that
00:02:15:18 - 00:02:16:12
interesting to you?
00:02:16:12 - 00:02:17:04
Why did you know
00:02:17:04 - 00:02:18:09
you wanted to do that?
00:02:18:09 - 00:02:18:17
Yeah.
00:02:18:17 - 00:02:20:21
So I think there's
00:02:20:21 - 00:02:21:09
I mean, it's
00:02:21:09 - 00:02:22:05
one of the hottest topics
00:02:22:05 - 00:02:24:19
for sure right now.
00:02:24:19 - 00:02:25:06
You know,
00:02:25:06 - 00:02:26:01
I had a lot of
00:02:26:01 - 00:02:26:22
opportunities with pigs,
00:02:26:22 - 00:02:27:05
and that's
00:02:27:05 - 00:02:27:23
actually my first
00:02:27:23 - 00:02:30:10
entryway to,
00:02:30:10 - 00:02:31:09
to livestock.
00:02:31:09 - 00:02:32:05
But then when I
00:02:32:05 - 00:02:33:12
went to undergrad,
00:02:33:12 - 00:02:34:19
the only opportunity
00:02:34:19 - 00:02:35:05
to get involved
00:02:35:05 - 00:02:35:13
in production
00:02:35:13 - 00:02:36:19
agriculture was
00:02:36:19 - 00:02:38:05
dairy cattle.
00:02:38:05 - 00:02:38:15
Because that's
00:02:38:15 - 00:02:40:22
what Cornell offered.
00:02:40:22 - 00:02:42:02
And, you know, at
00:02:42:02 - 00:02:42:10
first
00:02:42:10 - 00:02:43:12
I started learning more.
00:02:43:12 - 00:02:43:21
So I gained
00:02:43:21 - 00:02:44:12
a liking to it.
00:02:44:12 - 00:02:45:13
And then really
00:02:45:13 - 00:02:46:20
seeing opportunities
00:02:46:20 - 00:02:47:20
are open to you
00:02:47:20 - 00:02:48:13
through what
00:02:48:13 - 00:02:49:12
I had in undergrad,
00:02:49:12 - 00:02:50:04
from research,
00:02:50:04 - 00:02:51:18
from teaching, from,
00:02:51:18 - 00:02:52:21
on farm opportunities.
00:02:52:21 - 00:02:53:09
You know,
00:02:53:09 - 00:02:54:09
no dairy farm
00:02:54:09 - 00:02:55:20
is the same, you know,
00:02:55:20 - 00:02:57:04
in terms of management,
00:02:57:04 - 00:02:57:15
in terms
00:02:57:15 - 00:02:58:17
of different practices,
00:02:58:17 - 00:02:59:03
in terms
00:02:59:03 - 00:03:00:10
of what different
00:03:00:10 - 00:03:01:15
situations,
00:03:01:15 - 00:03:02:11
are spread out
00:03:02:11 - 00:03:03:20
and like the different
00:03:03:20 - 00:03:04:19
management strategies.
00:03:04:19 - 00:03:05:12
I felt like, wow,
00:03:05:12 - 00:03:06:05
this is really cool.
00:03:06:05 - 00:03:06:17
There's a lot of
00:03:06:17 - 00:03:08:14
opportunities here.
00:03:08:16 - 00:03:09:09
Plus, I
00:03:09:09 - 00:03:10:08
really enjoy butter,
00:03:10:08 - 00:03:11:04
ice cream, cheese,
00:03:11:04 - 00:03:12:08
like many of us do
00:03:12:08 - 00:03:13:06
other points
00:03:13:06 - 00:03:14:05
So it's been,
00:03:14:05 - 00:03:16:00
been a cool opportunity point
00:03:16:00 - 00:03:16:13
But I know a lot of
00:03:16:13 - 00:03:17:02
people are interested
00:03:17:02 - 00:03:17:19
about sustainability
00:03:17:19 - 00:03:18:06
and thinking about
00:03:18:06 - 00:03:19:09
what is
00:03:19:09 - 00:03:20:22
the role of dairy cattle
00:03:20:22 - 00:03:22:08
in livestock systems.
00:03:22:08 - 00:03:23:15
And, you know,
00:03:23:15 - 00:03:24:08
I have those
00:03:24:08 - 00:03:25:22
same questions, too,
00:03:25:22 - 00:03:26:15
coming up, in terms
00:03:26:15 - 00:03:28:09
of what our opportunities
00:03:28:09 - 00:03:29:20
here, where
00:03:29:20 - 00:03:31:00
where do cattle fit
00:03:31:00 - 00:03:32:13
to the climate systems
00:03:32:13 - 00:03:34:02
and what,
00:03:34:02 - 00:03:35:04
what role do they play
00:03:35:04 - 00:03:36:13
and thinking about
00:03:36:13 - 00:03:37:05
food systems
00:03:37:05 - 00:03:38:23
as a whole and so,
00:03:38:23 - 00:03:39:11
California,
00:03:39:11 - 00:03:39:21
of course,
00:03:39:21 - 00:03:41:22
has many different forces
00:03:41:22 - 00:03:43:16
that are all combined
00:03:43:16 - 00:03:45:02
in this nexus right here.
00:03:45:02 - 00:03:45:23
And so I wanted to,
00:03:45:23 - 00:03:46:23
to pursue
00:03:46:23 - 00:03:47:17
this pathway
00:03:47:17 - 00:03:48:12
and think about
00:03:48:12 - 00:03:48:20
what are
00:03:48:20 - 00:03:49:17
some real opportunities.
00:03:49:17 - 00:03:50:18
And this is
00:03:50:18 - 00:03:51:09
this field
00:03:51:09 - 00:03:52:15
is exponential growing.
00:03:52:15 - 00:03:53:07
And it's still going
00:03:53:07 - 00:03:53:21
to continue
00:03:53:21 - 00:03:55:00
that exponential
00:03:55:00 - 00:03:56:04
growth here going forward
00:03:56:04 - 00:03:57:05
in terms of
00:03:57:05 - 00:03:57:17
thinking about
00:03:57:17 - 00:03:58:10
how do we continue
00:03:58:10 - 00:03:59:16
to have animals
00:03:59:16 - 00:04:01:09
part of food system
00:04:01:09 - 00:04:02:22
sustainability solutions.
00:04:02:22 - 00:04:03:20
And speaking about that,
00:04:03:20 - 00:04:04:05
let's talk
00:04:04:05 - 00:04:05:11
about ruminant animals
00:04:05:11 - 00:04:06:10
and what makes them so
00:04:06:10 - 00:04:07:23
complex and unique.
00:04:07:23 - 00:04:09:02
And what is a ruminant animal
00:04:09:02 - 00:04:10:03
explain that to us
00:04:10:03 - 00:04:10:18
a little bit.
00:04:10:18 - 00:04:11:00
Yeah.
00:04:11:00 - 00:04:11:12
So ruminant
00:04:11:12 - 00:04:12:20
animals are animals
00:04:12:20 - 00:04:14:03
that have specific
00:04:14:03 - 00:04:15:20
four chambered stomachs.
00:04:15:20 - 00:04:16:17
So they've evolved
00:04:16:17 - 00:04:17:06
over thousands
00:04:17:06 - 00:04:18:19
of thousands of years.
00:04:18:19 - 00:04:19:07
And this isn't
00:04:19:07 - 00:04:20:09
not just include cattle
00:04:20:09 - 00:04:21:21
or goats or sheep
00:04:21:21 - 00:04:22:18
that we have, you know,
00:04:22:18 - 00:04:23:20
on, farms
00:04:23:20 - 00:04:24:13
here in California
00:04:24:13 - 00:04:25:20
across the US.
00:04:25:20 - 00:04:27:01
But this also includes
00:04:27:01 - 00:04:28:04
the deer,
00:04:28:04 - 00:04:29:03
the bison,
00:04:29:03 - 00:04:31:04
the wild animals, too.
00:04:31:04 - 00:04:31:13
In order
00:04:31:13 - 00:04:33:10
for them to predominantly,
00:04:33:10 - 00:04:34:12
consume their diets
00:04:34:12 - 00:04:35:09
that are high in fiber
00:04:35:09 - 00:04:36:12
and things that humans
00:04:36:12 - 00:04:38:01
can't consume.
00:04:38:01 - 00:04:38:18
They utilize
00:04:38:18 - 00:04:39:11
this different
00:04:39:11 - 00:04:40:06
chambered stomach
00:04:40:06 - 00:04:40:14
to help
00:04:40:14 - 00:04:41:12
break down the fiber,
00:04:41:12 - 00:04:42:00
thanks to the help
00:04:42:00 - 00:04:42:12
of microbes
00:04:42:12 - 00:04:44:00
present in the gut.
00:04:44:00 - 00:04:44:14
And so in order
00:04:44:14 - 00:04:45:14
for them to consume feed,
00:04:45:14 - 00:04:48:13
of course, they have to,
00:04:48:15 - 00:04:50:01
have microbes to aid in
00:04:50:01 - 00:04:50:23
that digestion
00:04:50:23 - 00:04:52:06
of what they consume.
00:04:52:06 - 00:04:52:20
But then there's
00:04:52:20 - 00:04:53:18
also a trade off
00:04:53:18 - 00:04:55:11
in byproduct that
00:04:55:11 - 00:04:58:09
that methane is produced,
00:04:58:09 - 00:05:00:08
as a result of that
00:05:00:08 - 00:05:01:18
fermentation break down
00:05:01:18 - 00:05:02:15
process in the gut.
00:05:02:15 - 00:05:04:04
So, thinking about
00:05:04:04 - 00:05:05:11
how can you still provide
00:05:05:11 - 00:05:05:22
for animals
00:05:05:22 - 00:05:06:11
and think about
00:05:06:11 - 00:05:06:19
what they
00:05:06:19 - 00:05:07:18
need
00:05:07:20 - 00:05:09:00
and how they've evolved,
00:05:09:00 - 00:05:10:18
while also limiting
00:05:10:18 - 00:05:11:08
methane emissions
00:05:11:08 - 00:05:12:07
at the same time
00:05:12:07 - 00:05:14:07
Is this counterbalance,
00:05:14:07 - 00:05:15:14
place that we
00:05:15:14 - 00:05:16:12
we think about
00:05:16:12 - 00:05:17:12
what are opportunities
00:05:17:12 - 00:05:19:02
to find solutions
00:05:19:02 - 00:05:19:21
that
00:05:19:21 - 00:05:21:09
maximize animal health
00:05:21:09 - 00:05:22:10
and what they've evolved,
00:05:22:10 - 00:05:23:11
to consume.
00:05:23:11 - 00:05:24:02
But also,
00:05:24:02 - 00:05:24:13
how can we
00:05:24:13 - 00:05:25:06
essentially limit
00:05:25:06 - 00:05:27:00
or reduce
00:05:27:00 - 00:05:28:04
those methane emissions
00:05:28:04 - 00:05:28:20
produced that way
00:05:28:20 - 00:05:29:17
as well?
00:05:29:17 - 00:05:30:08
And one of those
00:05:30:08 - 00:05:31:12
possible solutions
00:05:31:12 - 00:05:32:16
are feed additives
00:05:32:16 - 00:05:33:07
And that's what you're
00:05:33:07 - 00:05:33:18
working on.
00:05:33:18 - 00:05:34:17
Explain your research
00:05:34:17 - 00:05:35:15
a little bit to us.
00:05:35:15 - 00:05:36:20
Yeah, so feed additives.
00:05:36:20 - 00:05:37:08
You know, I love
00:05:37:08 - 00:05:39:09
to use the analogy
00:05:39:09 - 00:05:40:09
of how we
00:05:40:09 - 00:05:41:00
where we feed
00:05:41:00 - 00:05:41:08
animals
00:05:41:08 - 00:05:42:12
is basically a casserole.
00:05:42:12 - 00:05:43:00
So we take
00:05:43:00 - 00:05:43:19
everything together,
00:05:43:19 - 00:05:44:12
we take the haze,
00:05:44:12 - 00:05:45:18
we take the byproducts,
00:05:45:18 - 00:05:46:08
and we mix them
00:05:46:08 - 00:05:46:21
all together
00:05:46:21 - 00:05:47:15
so that, you know,
00:05:47:15 - 00:05:47:20
when you're
00:05:47:20 - 00:05:49:03
taking a scoop of
00:05:49:03 - 00:05:49:18
that casserole,
00:05:49:18 - 00:05:50:05
you're not just
00:05:50:05 - 00:05:51:09
getting the,
00:05:51:09 - 00:05:52:19
the pasta
00:05:52:19 - 00:05:53:07
the noodles
00:05:53:07 - 00:05:53:19
or the sauce.
00:05:53:19 - 00:05:54:11
You're getting everything
00:05:54:11 - 00:05:55:20
involved in that.
00:05:55:20 - 00:05:56:10
The additives, it's
00:05:56:10 - 00:05:56:19
just like
00:05:56:19 - 00:05:57:16
the small spices
00:05:57:16 - 00:05:58:04
that you add on
00:05:58:04 - 00:05:58:19
on top of it
00:05:58:19 - 00:05:59:04
before you
00:05:59:04 - 00:05:59:18
put it in the oven.
00:05:59:18 - 00:06:00:16
There.
00:06:00:16 - 00:06:01:00
So these are
00:06:01:00 - 00:06:02:14
small, components
00:06:02:14 - 00:06:03:07
that have the ability
00:06:03:07 - 00:06:04:18
to make a big impact
00:06:04:18 - 00:06:05:13
on emissions
00:06:05:13 - 00:06:06:17
because they can do
00:06:06:17 - 00:06:07:06
two things.
00:06:07:06 - 00:06:07:22
They can do one,
00:06:07:22 - 00:06:09:02
they can inhibit
00:06:09:02 - 00:06:10:00
the pathway
00:06:10:00 - 00:06:10:17
or the enzymes
00:06:10:17 - 00:06:11:08
that are responsible
00:06:11:08 - 00:06:12:18
for methane formation
00:06:12:18 - 00:06:13:15
or they can make it
00:06:13:15 - 00:06:14:16
less favorable to form
00:06:14:16 - 00:06:15:03
methane in the
00:06:15:03 - 00:06:16:08
first place.
00:06:16:08 - 00:06:17:05
Two classifications.
00:06:17:05 - 00:06:18:01
The first one there
00:06:18:01 - 00:06:18:15
that I talked about
00:06:18:15 - 00:06:19:09
be inhibitors,
00:06:19:09 - 00:06:20:03
the second one will be
00:06:20:03 - 00:06:21:10
rumen modifiers there
00:06:21:10 - 00:06:22:07
that in small amounts
00:06:22:07 - 00:06:23:16
can have impacts anywhere
00:06:23:16 - 00:06:24:15
from about 10
00:06:24:15 - 00:06:26:05
to 30% reductions.
00:06:26:05 - 00:06:28:02
Wow, wow.
00:06:28:02 - 00:06:28:22
So tell us a little bit
00:06:28:22 - 00:06:29:18
about the research study
00:06:29:18 - 00:06:30:07
that you've been
00:06:30:07 - 00:06:30:21
a part of here,
00:06:30:21 - 00:06:31:22
how big it is.
00:06:31:22 - 00:06:32:16
And just
00:06:32:16 - 00:06:33:06
I mean, just tell us
00:06:33:06 - 00:06:33:20
a little bit about it
00:06:33:20 - 00:06:34:15
because it is amazing.
00:06:34:15 - 00:06:34:22
Yeah.
00:06:34:22 - 00:06:35:22
So it's been going on
00:06:35:22 - 00:06:39:02
for almost
00:06:39:04 - 00:06:39:20
almost a year.
00:06:39:20 - 00:06:40:03
We're going to
00:06:40:03 - 00:06:40:14
approaching that
00:06:40:14 - 00:06:41:02
at this point
00:06:41:02 - 00:06:41:16
and still not
00:06:41:16 - 00:06:42:18
even halfway over.
00:06:42:18 - 00:06:43:18
So it is
00:06:43:18 - 00:06:45:14
it's a long haul.
00:06:45:14 - 00:06:46:16
Coming here.
00:06:46:16 - 00:06:47:13
at Davis,
00:06:47:13 - 00:06:48:01
we’re working with
00:06:48:01 - 00:06:49:18
the molecule,
00:06:49:18 - 00:06:51:14
3-Nitrooxypropanol
00:06:51:14 - 00:06:52:13
or how we're going to
00:06:52:13 - 00:06:53:07
to refer it on
00:06:53:07 - 00:06:53:19
out here,
00:06:53:19 - 00:06:54:20
just say 3-NOP
00:06:54:20 - 00:06:56:02
because that's,
00:06:56:02 - 00:06:56:18
a little bit easier
00:06:56:18 - 00:06:57:08
for on the
00:06:57:08 - 00:06:59:02
on the eyes and ears.
00:06:59:02 - 00:07:00:07
3-NOP is a product
00:07:00:07 - 00:07:00:21
that's coming
00:07:00:21 - 00:07:01:07
commercially
00:07:01:07 - 00:07:02:03
available here
00:07:02:03 - 00:07:02:22
in California, though
00:07:02:22 - 00:07:03:07
different
00:07:03:07 - 00:07:04:04
different companies
00:07:04:04 - 00:07:04:17
in many
00:07:04:17 - 00:07:05:07
different countries
00:07:05:07 - 00:07:05:18
around the world.
00:07:05:18 - 00:07:07:10
But it's been,
00:07:07:12 - 00:07:08:07
approved by different
00:07:08:07 - 00:07:09:15
regulatory groups.
00:07:09:15 - 00:07:10:18
And,
00:07:10:18 - 00:07:11:13
it has the opportunity
00:07:11:13 - 00:07:11:23
to reduce
00:07:11:23 - 00:07:12:16
methane emissions
00:07:12:16 - 00:07:13:00
by anywhere
00:07:13:00 - 00:07:14:07
from about 20 to 30%,
00:07:14:07 - 00:07:15:11
depending on the study,
00:07:15:11 - 00:07:16:08
depending on
00:07:16:08 - 00:07:16:23
what what
00:07:16:23 - 00:07:18:09
animals are fed.
00:07:18:09 - 00:07:18:22
Because of course
00:07:18:22 - 00:07:19:14
there's interactions,
00:07:19:14 - 00:07:20:02
of course, when
00:07:20:02 - 00:07:21:01
the animals eat
00:07:21:01 - 00:07:21:19
to how much methane
00:07:21:19 - 00:07:22:07
they produce
00:07:22:07 - 00:07:23:02
and how well this
00:07:23:02 - 00:07:24:18
3-NOP works.
00:07:24:18 - 00:07:25:01
Well,
00:07:25:01 - 00:07:25:21
our goal for this
00:07:25:21 - 00:07:28:09
project is is looking at
00:07:28:09 - 00:07:29:09
you know,
00:07:29:09 - 00:07:30:08
I talked about animals
00:07:30:08 - 00:07:30:20
evolving
00:07:30:20 - 00:07:31:19
for a ruminant stomach
00:07:31:19 - 00:07:34:06
over thousands of years.
00:07:34:06 - 00:07:36:05
But these,
00:07:36:05 - 00:07:37:08
digestive systems of cows
00:07:37:08 - 00:07:38:18
have never seen something
00:07:38:18 - 00:07:39:20
that would inhibit
00:07:39:20 - 00:07:41:05
methane production.
00:07:41:05 - 00:07:42:13
For this period of time.
00:07:42:13 - 00:07:43:15
So could
00:07:43:15 - 00:07:45:01
the microbes in the gut
00:07:45:01 - 00:07:46:18
essentially work around
00:07:46:18 - 00:07:49:03
these stressors?
00:07:49:03 - 00:07:49:18
Because that's essential.
00:07:49:18 - 00:07:50:04
what they are
00:07:50:04 - 00:07:52:05
They're disrupting what,
00:07:52:05 - 00:07:52:20
what would have
00:07:52:20 - 00:07:54:02
historically been a
00:07:54:02 - 00:07:54:19
natural part
00:07:54:19 - 00:07:56:09
of digestion there.
00:07:56:09 - 00:07:57:05
And so
00:07:57:05 - 00:07:57:22
we're looking
00:07:57:22 - 00:07:58:15
interested to see
00:07:58:15 - 00:07:59:11
are emission reductions
00:07:59:11 - 00:08:00:07
the same on day
00:08:00:07 - 00:08:01:20
one as they are on day
00:08:01:20 - 00:08:03:11
500 plus.
00:08:03:11 - 00:08:04:18
Is the real interest here
00:08:04:18 - 00:08:05:18
because there's
00:08:05:18 - 00:08:06:14
there's folks
00:08:06:14 - 00:08:07:09
in the dairy industry,
00:08:07:09 - 00:08:08:01
there's folks
00:08:08:01 - 00:08:09:14
who are milk buyers
00:08:09:14 - 00:08:10:00
and trying
00:08:10:00 - 00:08:11:19
to figure out their own,
00:08:11:19 - 00:08:13:03
solutions for their own
00:08:13:03 - 00:08:14:00
milk supply chain
00:08:14:00 - 00:08:15:19
and carbon associations
00:08:15:19 - 00:08:18:05
to figure out,
00:08:18:07 - 00:08:19:05
can we utilize
00:08:19:05 - 00:08:20:02
this feed additive
00:08:20:02 - 00:08:22:06
as a solution today,
00:08:22:06 - 00:08:25:00
next year, next decade?
00:08:25:00 - 00:08:25:20
As we think about
00:08:25:20 - 00:08:26:14
trying to
00:08:26:14 - 00:08:28:04
permanently reduce
00:08:28:04 - 00:08:29:10
methane emissions
00:08:29:10 - 00:08:30:05
long term here
00:08:30:05 - 00:08:30:22
in California.
00:08:30:22 - 00:08:31:19
Wow.
00:08:31:19 - 00:08:32:16
So how big is this?
00:08:32:16 - 00:08:32:21
I mean,
00:08:32:21 - 00:08:33:14
how many cows
00:08:33:14 - 00:08:34:11
can we talk about that?
00:08:34:11 - 00:08:34:20
Yeah.
00:08:34:20 - 00:08:35:14
And the scope
00:08:35:14 - 00:08:36:10
and size and scale.
00:08:36:10 - 00:08:38:02
So you know, right now
00:08:38:02 - 00:08:40:04
we currently have 66
00:08:40:04 - 00:08:41:18
cows on study.
00:08:41:18 - 00:08:42:10
When you look at the
00:08:42:10 - 00:08:43:14
UC Davis dairy,
00:08:43:14 - 00:08:44:19
that's about two thirds
00:08:44:19 - 00:08:45:06
the animals.
00:08:45:06 - 00:08:46:00
So
00:08:46:00 - 00:08:46:21
so we're basically feeding
00:08:46:21 - 00:08:48:10
the entire dairy of cows
00:08:48:10 - 00:08:49:08
every single
00:08:49:08 - 00:08:50:04
morning in the night,
00:08:50:04 - 00:08:51:09
which is a lot of work.
00:08:51:09 - 00:08:51:19
And there's a whole
00:08:51:19 - 00:08:52:04
bunch of people
00:08:52:04 - 00:08:52:15
that are involved
00:08:52:15 - 00:08:53:10
in making this happen
00:08:53:10 - 00:08:54:22
from other grad students,
00:08:54:22 - 00:08:55:18
junior specialists,
00:08:55:18 - 00:08:57:23
postdocs, undergrads,
00:08:57:23 - 00:08:58:14
who are all putting
00:08:58:14 - 00:08:59:09
in a lot of hours
00:08:59:09 - 00:09:00:01
and making
00:09:00:01 - 00:09:01:03
this all happen every
00:09:01:03 - 00:09:02:23
single day of the year.
00:09:03:01 - 00:09:03:21
And, you know,
00:09:03:21 - 00:09:05:12
it's going to be
00:09:05:12 - 00:09:06:15
have a big celebration
00:09:06:15 - 00:09:07:03
for sure.
00:09:07:03 - 00:09:07:21
When it's all
00:09:07:21 - 00:09:09:08
going to be done
00:09:09:08 - 00:09:10:02
when they
00:09:10:02 - 00:09:10:16
when we finally
00:09:10:16 - 00:09:11:06
figure out that,
00:09:11:06 - 00:09:11:17
that final,
00:09:11:17 - 00:09:12:10
they’d have to pencil
00:09:12:10 - 00:09:14:16
that in and figure out,
00:09:14:16 - 00:09:15:08
where, what
00:09:15:08 - 00:09:16:00
what celebration
00:09:16:00 - 00:09:16:18
we're going to do then.
00:09:16:18 - 00:09:18:07
But, yeah,
00:09:18:07 - 00:09:19:01
it's a whole lot
00:09:19:01 - 00:09:19:21
of combinations.
00:09:19:21 - 00:09:21:02
And they’re so different
00:09:21:02 - 00:09:21:20
many offsets
00:09:21:20 - 00:09:22:13
that we're looking at.
00:09:22:13 - 00:09:24:13
How does this impact,
00:09:24:13 - 00:09:25:05
the whole animal.
00:09:25:05 - 00:09:25:20
So how does it
00:09:25:20 - 00:09:27:10
impacts, emissions?
00:09:27:10 - 00:09:28:11
How does it impact animal
00:09:28:11 - 00:09:28:21
health,
00:09:28:21 - 00:09:30:23
animal production?
00:09:30:23 - 00:09:32:06
The microbiome
00:09:32:06 - 00:09:33:20
are also other,
00:09:33:20 - 00:09:34:04
pieces
00:09:34:04 - 00:09:35:06
that we're interested in.
00:09:35:06 - 00:09:35:23
So there's,
00:09:35:23 - 00:09:36:11
there's many
00:09:36:11 - 00:09:38:10
different components.
00:09:38:10 - 00:09:39:17
Because who knows
00:09:39:17 - 00:09:40:15
if and when this,
00:09:40:15 - 00:09:41:00
this study
00:09:41:00 - 00:09:41:16
will be replicated
00:09:41:16 - 00:09:43:08
because, you know,
00:09:43:08 - 00:09:44:01
we may have,
00:09:44:01 - 00:09:45:00
have done all this work
00:09:45:00 - 00:09:45:12
and been like,
00:09:45:12 - 00:09:46:05
that's a lot of work.
00:09:46:05 - 00:09:46:20
And maybe
00:09:46:20 - 00:09:47:18
no one else for,
00:09:47:18 - 00:09:48:09
for any other piece
00:09:48:09 - 00:09:49:03
is going to want
00:09:49:03 - 00:09:49:20
to pursue that.
00:09:49:20 - 00:09:51:04
So it's
00:09:51:04 - 00:09:52:05
certainly exciting piece
00:09:52:05 - 00:09:53:09
to be part of helping
00:09:53:09 - 00:09:54:21
set up and play a role
00:09:54:21 - 00:09:56:04
in taking part
00:09:56:04 - 00:09:58:03
in this at this time.
00:09:58:05 - 00:10:00:17
And excited to see,
00:10:00:17 - 00:10:01:16
when those results
00:10:01:16 - 00:10:02:11
come out, you know, no
00:10:02:11 - 00:10:02:21
guarantee
00:10:02:21 - 00:10:03:14
when that's going to be,
00:10:03:14 - 00:10:05:13
but it's going to be
00:10:05:13 - 00:10:06:00
we're going to say
00:10:06:00 - 00:10:07:10
at least a few years
00:10:07:10 - 00:10:07:22
from now
00:10:07:22 - 00:10:08:14
until till
00:10:08:14 - 00:10:09:07
those conclusions
00:10:09:07 - 00:10:10:16
are brought together.
00:10:10:16 - 00:10:11:00
And you're
00:10:11:00 - 00:10:11:22
just logistically,
00:10:11:22 - 00:10:12:18
I mean, how
00:10:12:18 - 00:10:13:13
how long does it take
00:10:13:13 - 00:10:14:09
to get the cattle
00:10:14:09 - 00:10:15:09
kind of acclimated
00:10:15:09 - 00:10:16:12
to the feed additive?
00:10:16:12 - 00:10:17:04
How do you give them
00:10:17:04 - 00:10:17:21
the feed additive?
00:10:17:21 - 00:10:18:10
Tell us a little bit
00:10:18:10 - 00:10:19:21
about that process. Yes.
00:10:19:21 - 00:10:21:07
So our feed additive
00:10:21:07 - 00:10:22:23
that we're utilizing,
00:10:22:23 - 00:10:24:21
we are
00:10:24:21 - 00:10:25:16
it is a very
00:10:25:16 - 00:10:26:04
small amount,
00:10:26:04 - 00:10:26:11
you know,
00:10:26:11 - 00:10:27:10
I could hold in my hand
00:10:27:10 - 00:10:28:03
right here
00:10:28:03 - 00:10:29:07
how much each animal
00:10:29:07 - 00:10:30:16
is consuming per day.
00:10:30:16 - 00:10:32:06
So we think
00:10:32:06 - 00:10:33:00
about an animal
00:10:33:00 - 00:10:33:14
and I want to just
00:10:33:14 - 00:10:34:08
point out that
00:10:34:08 - 00:10:36:02
an average for,
00:10:36:02 - 00:10:36:15
for cows,
00:10:36:15 - 00:10:37:03
they're consuming
00:10:37:03 - 00:10:38:06
anywhere from 100 to
00:10:38:06 - 00:10:39:01
110 pounds
00:10:39:01 - 00:10:40:17
of feed per day.
00:10:40:19 - 00:10:41:18
And so if I put
00:10:41:18 - 00:10:43:08
what's here in my hand,
00:10:43:08 - 00:10:44:09
you know, across
00:10:44:09 - 00:10:45:07
all that feed,
00:10:45:07 - 00:10:47:06
it's pretty.
00:10:47:06 - 00:10:49:03
Pretty,
00:10:49:03 - 00:10:50:02
hard to,
00:10:50:02 - 00:10:50:22
to for them
00:10:50:22 - 00:10:52:00
to sniff it out or taste.
00:10:52:00 - 00:10:53:05
It's neutral.
00:10:53:05 - 00:10:54:13
Neutral,
00:10:54:13 - 00:10:55:07
neutral smelling.
00:10:55:07 - 00:10:56:12
So it's not
00:10:56:12 - 00:10:57:06
palatability
00:10:57:06 - 00:10:58:04
is not so much
00:10:58:04 - 00:10:59:11
an issue for that.
00:10:59:11 - 00:11:00:03
But what we do
00:11:00:03 - 00:11:00:22
to help mask
00:11:00:22 - 00:11:01:07
it in
00:11:01:07 - 00:11:02:16
is we add it to the feed
00:11:02:16 - 00:11:04:22
and let it mix through,
00:11:04:22 - 00:11:06:05
our casserole here.
00:11:06:05 - 00:11:06:20
So that way
00:11:06:20 - 00:11:08:04
that it gets blended up
00:11:08:04 - 00:11:09:17
and so that hopefully
00:11:09:17 - 00:11:10:23
our goal is that in each
00:11:10:23 - 00:11:11:13
and every bite
00:11:11:13 - 00:11:12:15
that cows are consuming,
00:11:12:15 - 00:11:13:06
that they're getting
00:11:13:06 - 00:11:13:18
a little bit
00:11:13:18 - 00:11:14:09
of the additive
00:11:14:09 - 00:11:14:21
as they go.
00:11:14:21 - 00:11:15:09
So that way
00:11:15:09 - 00:11:16:17
it's not a whole bunch
00:11:16:17 - 00:11:17:17
at one point in time.
00:11:17:17 - 00:11:18:08
It's not
00:11:18:08 - 00:11:19:05
there's none here.
00:11:19:05 - 00:11:20:11
So that way,
00:11:20:11 - 00:11:21:08
cows can can
00:11:21:08 - 00:11:22:05
continuously consume it
00:11:22:05 - 00:11:22:18
throughout the day
00:11:22:18 - 00:11:24:04
because this additive
00:11:24:04 - 00:11:25:20
has a limited lifespan
00:11:25:20 - 00:11:27:05
or active life
00:11:27:05 - 00:11:27:23
when it's present
00:11:27:23 - 00:11:28:16
in the gut.
00:11:28:16 - 00:11:29:06
So it has to be
00:11:29:06 - 00:11:29:19
continuously
00:11:29:19 - 00:11:30:23
consumed over time
00:11:30:23 - 00:11:31:06
in order
00:11:31:06 - 00:11:33:02
to have the same effect.
00:11:33:02 - 00:11:33:12
It'd be great
00:11:33:12 - 00:11:34:01
if we could feed it
00:11:34:01 - 00:11:34:14
once a day
00:11:34:14 - 00:11:35:12
and then
00:11:35:12 - 00:11:36:19
have a long term effect,
00:11:36:19 - 00:11:38:08
but unfortunately it's
00:11:38:08 - 00:11:39:02
it has to be
00:11:39:02 - 00:11:39:21
continuously fed
00:11:39:21 - 00:11:41:05
as it's broken down
00:11:41:05 - 00:11:42:07
and passed
00:11:42:07 - 00:11:42:19
out of the animal
00:11:42:19 - 00:11:43:11
at that point.
00:11:43:11 - 00:11:44:02
Make your life a
00:11:44:02 - 00:11:46:09
whole lot easier.
00:11:46:11 - 00:11:46:22
And then from
00:11:46:22 - 00:11:47:07
there, how do
00:11:47:07 - 00:11:47:16
you measure
00:11:47:16 - 00:11:48:07
the emissions?
00:11:48:07 - 00:11:48:23
How do you kind
00:11:48:23 - 00:11:49:10
of understand
00:11:49:10 - 00:11:50:18
if it's working or not?
00:11:50:18 - 00:11:51:01
Yeah.
00:11:51:01 - 00:11:51:23
So we have many
00:11:51:23 - 00:11:52:16
different techniques
00:11:52:16 - 00:11:53:14
that we could utilize
00:11:53:14 - 00:11:54:20
for how we,
00:11:54:20 - 00:11:56:21
accomplish this on farms.
00:11:56:21 - 00:11:57:05
You know,
00:11:57:05 - 00:11:58:06
I think everyone
00:11:58:06 - 00:11:59:05
is interested
00:11:59:05 - 00:12:00:05
and they're wondering,
00:12:00:05 - 00:12:00:18
especially
00:12:00:18 - 00:12:01:09
the undergrads,
00:12:01:09 - 00:12:01:22
when they first come
00:12:01:22 - 00:12:02:08
to the project
00:12:02:08 - 00:12:02:16
that they're like,
00:12:02:16 - 00:12:03:07
how do we actually
00:12:03:07 - 00:12:03:18
measure them?
00:12:03:18 - 00:12:04:02
They're thinking
00:12:04:02 - 00:12:05:01
that they have to chase
00:12:05:01 - 00:12:05:09
the animals
00:12:05:09 - 00:12:06:03
around with bags
00:12:06:03 - 00:12:07:12
or how do we
00:12:07:12 - 00:12:08:08
how do we capture
00:12:08:08 - 00:12:09:02
the emissions
00:12:09:02 - 00:12:09:13
at that point?
00:12:09:13 - 00:12:10:13
You know,
00:12:10:13 - 00:12:11:20
but we have these,
00:12:11:20 - 00:12:13:02
units that are called
00:12:13:02 - 00:12:14:12
greenfeeds.
00:12:14:12 - 00:12:15:06
And the closest thing
00:12:15:06 - 00:12:15:20
that I can say
00:12:15:20 - 00:12:16:13
is that they're basically
00:12:16:13 - 00:12:18:11
breathalyzers for cows
00:12:18:11 - 00:12:20:08
and that the cows are,
00:12:20:08 - 00:12:21:08
individually trained.
00:12:21:08 - 00:12:22:00
Some are easier
00:12:22:00 - 00:12:23:04
than others,
00:12:23:04 - 00:12:24:19
to walk up to a machine,
00:12:24:19 - 00:12:25:12
and they have
00:12:25:12 - 00:12:26:12
tags in each
00:12:26:12 - 00:12:27:12
one of their ears
00:12:27:12 - 00:12:29:11
that says that this cow
00:12:29:11 - 00:12:31:12
cow a b
00:12:31:12 - 00:12:31:18
or call
00:12:31:18 - 00:12:32:20
Abigail and bessy
00:12:32:20 - 00:12:34:12
for that reason,
00:12:34:12 - 00:12:35:08
they come up to
00:12:35:08 - 00:12:36:10
to the machine
00:12:36:10 - 00:12:37:06
and then it says,
00:12:37:06 - 00:12:38:01
Abigail's here.
00:12:38:01 - 00:12:38:18
So then it drops
00:12:38:18 - 00:12:39:15
a little bit of feed
00:12:39:15 - 00:12:40:21
for them to consume.
00:12:40:21 - 00:12:41:17
And while they're eating,
00:12:41:17 - 00:12:42:04
they're
00:12:42:04 - 00:12:43:00
they're constantly
00:12:43:00 - 00:12:43:23
belching and burping
00:12:43:23 - 00:12:44:15
methane throughout
00:12:44:15 - 00:12:45:13
the day.
00:12:45:13 - 00:12:46:09
And we're also interested
00:12:46:09 - 00:12:47:06
in other gases
00:12:47:06 - 00:12:48:15
such as hydrogen, oxygen,
00:12:48:15 - 00:12:50:22
carbon dioxide, as those
00:12:50:22 - 00:12:52:22
can influence metabolism
00:12:52:22 - 00:12:54:02
and give us insights into
00:12:54:02 - 00:12:54:14
what is happening
00:12:54:14 - 00:12:55:17
at the animal level.
00:12:55:17 - 00:12:58:18
So understanding,
00:12:58:20 - 00:12:59:20
how long
00:12:59:20 - 00:13:00:11
animals are there
00:13:00:11 - 00:13:01:05
Theyr’e usually there
00:13:01:05 - 00:13:02:01
at the greenfeed
00:13:02:01 - 00:13:04:09
for about 2 to 3 minutes.
00:13:04:09 - 00:13:05:12
Sometimes some animals
00:13:05:12 - 00:13:06:11
stay longer up
00:13:06:11 - 00:13:08:06
to 5 minutes.
00:13:08:06 - 00:13:09:07
And we take those samples
00:13:09:07 - 00:13:09:21
at different time
00:13:09:21 - 00:13:11:04
points today.
00:13:11:04 - 00:13:11:20
Because of course,
00:13:11:20 - 00:13:12:04
like you
00:13:12:04 - 00:13:12:22
and I, you know,
00:13:12:22 - 00:13:14:14
we consume meals
00:13:14:14 - 00:13:14:22
at different
00:13:14:22 - 00:13:16:07
times of day.
00:13:16:07 - 00:13:17:07
Sometimes we're sleeping.
00:13:17:07 - 00:13:18:08
So you can imagine cows
00:13:18:08 - 00:13:19:15
don't sleep like us,
00:13:19:15 - 00:13:20:16
but they're not eating
00:13:20:16 - 00:13:21:12
so much at night.
00:13:21:12 - 00:13:22:08
So their emissions
00:13:22:08 - 00:13:22:23
are lower
00:13:22:23 - 00:13:23:17
at that point of day.
00:13:23:17 - 00:13:24:18
Whereas after
00:13:24:18 - 00:13:25:20
they take their first big
00:13:25:20 - 00:13:26:14
morning meal
00:13:26:14 - 00:13:27:08
and then emissions
00:13:27:08 - 00:13:27:19
are going to peak.
00:13:27:19 - 00:13:28:07
So interested
00:13:28:07 - 00:13:28:19
in looking at
00:13:28:19 - 00:13:29:14
how do emissions
00:13:29:14 - 00:13:30:19
vary throughout the day.
00:13:30:19 - 00:13:31:15
So they try to come
00:13:31:15 - 00:13:31:22
and go
00:13:31:22 - 00:13:33:03
and get little treats.
00:13:33:03 - 00:13:34:10
Some can go five
00:13:34:10 - 00:13:35:08
six times a day,
00:13:35:08 - 00:13:36:00
which means
00:13:36:00 - 00:13:37:02
they're trying
00:13:37:02 - 00:13:37:09
to check
00:13:37:09 - 00:13:38:03
the candy machine
00:13:38:03 - 00:13:38:23
to see when it's,
00:13:38:23 - 00:13:40:20
whenever it's open.
00:13:40:20 - 00:13:42:22
To get this piece.
00:13:42:22 - 00:13:43:21
So they do not know that
00:13:43:21 - 00:13:44:10
their emissions
00:13:44:10 - 00:13:45:08
have been sampled.
00:13:45:08 - 00:13:45:20
They just think
00:13:45:20 - 00:13:47:04
they're getting a treat.
00:13:47:04 - 00:13:48:06
Which makes it easier,
00:13:48:06 - 00:13:49:14
easier on us to,
00:13:49:14 - 00:13:50:12
to get the data.
00:13:50:12 - 00:13:51:20
Just going to coax them
00:13:51:20 - 00:13:52:15
at first and learn
00:13:52:15 - 00:13:54:09
how to use the machine
00:13:54:09 - 00:13:55:02
and overall
00:13:55:02 - 00:13:55:17
feed additives.
00:13:55:17 - 00:13:56:05
They hold a lot
00:13:56:05 - 00:13:56:20
of promise.
00:13:56:20 - 00:13:57:05
Tell us
00:13:57:05 - 00:13:57:18
just a little bit
00:13:57:18 - 00:13:58:12
about that
00:13:58:12 - 00:13:59:21
and why
00:13:59:21 - 00:14:00:22
they hold so much promise
00:14:00:22 - 00:14:02:16
in mitigating methane.
00:14:02:16 - 00:14:03:00
Yeah.
00:14:03:00 - 00:14:03:23
So you know,
00:14:03:23 - 00:14:04:17
when thinking about,
00:14:04:17 - 00:14:06:12
you know, methane
00:14:06:12 - 00:14:07:12
mitigation, you know,
00:14:07:12 - 00:14:08:16
it's a it's
00:14:08:16 - 00:14:10:14
an up and coming,
00:14:10:16 - 00:14:11:11
area and topic.
00:14:11:11 - 00:14:12:22
And I think,
00:14:12:22 - 00:14:13:16
many countries around
00:14:13:16 - 00:14:13:21
the world
00:14:13:21 - 00:14:14:08
are figuring out
00:14:14:08 - 00:14:15:02
how to do it
00:14:15:02 - 00:14:16:08
because we have so many,
00:14:16:08 - 00:14:17:10
you know,
00:14:17:10 - 00:14:19:23
individual units to
00:14:19:23 - 00:14:21:13
to figure out,
00:14:21:13 - 00:14:22:00
and utilize.
00:14:22:00 - 00:14:23:10
And they talk about the
00:14:23:10 - 00:14:24:01
the downside of
00:14:24:01 - 00:14:24:10
that is
00:14:24:10 - 00:14:24:23
they have to be fed
00:14:24:23 - 00:14:25:21
every day.
00:14:25:21 - 00:14:26:10
But the big
00:14:26:10 - 00:14:27:04
benefit of them
00:14:27:04 - 00:14:28:04
is that
00:14:28:04 - 00:14:29:06
it's ongoing
00:14:29:06 - 00:14:29:23
with the practice
00:14:29:23 - 00:14:31:07
that producers
00:14:31:07 - 00:14:32:16
are already utilizing.
00:14:32:16 - 00:14:33:16
You know, in terms of
00:14:33:16 - 00:14:34:05
we already
00:14:34:05 - 00:14:35:03
utilize additives
00:14:35:03 - 00:14:35:16
that can help
00:14:35:16 - 00:14:36:17
with digestion.
00:14:36:17 - 00:14:38:14
we utilize additives
00:14:38:14 - 00:14:39:01
that can help
00:14:39:01 - 00:14:40:06
with animal health.
00:14:40:06 - 00:14:41:05
Think about
00:14:41:05 - 00:14:42:12
probiotics, prebiotics,
00:14:42:12 - 00:14:43:00
you know, that
00:14:43:00 - 00:14:43:18
we use for humans.
00:14:43:18 - 00:14:44:20
We also use for
00:14:44:20 - 00:14:46:03
for animals as well.
00:14:46:03 - 00:14:49:23
So utilizing a solution
00:14:49:23 - 00:14:51:02
that can one already
00:14:51:02 - 00:14:52:11
be utilized by producers.
00:14:52:11 - 00:14:53:01
You know, it's something
00:14:53:01 - 00:14:53:22
that you just readily
00:14:53:22 - 00:14:54:15
add to the feed
00:14:54:15 - 00:14:57:01
based on what is,
00:14:57:03 - 00:14:57:17
currently already
00:14:57:17 - 00:14:58:22
being done.
00:14:58:22 - 00:14:59:07
Can easily
00:14:59:07 - 00:15:00:10
be applied to that.
00:15:00:10 - 00:15:03:00
And so thinking about
00:15:03:00 - 00:15:03:17
there are a little bit
00:15:03:17 - 00:15:04:09
of technicalities
00:15:04:09 - 00:15:04:20
in terms of
00:15:04:20 - 00:15:05:08
how do you get
00:15:05:08 - 00:15:06:05
the right dosage
00:15:06:05 - 00:15:06:16
and how do you
00:15:06:16 - 00:15:07:20
get the right
00:15:07:20 - 00:15:09:02
consistency on farm
00:15:09:02 - 00:15:09:15
over time.
00:15:09:15 - 00:15:10:22
Because methane, it's
00:15:10:22 - 00:15:11:10
not something
00:15:11:10 - 00:15:12:07
you can easily measure,
00:15:12:07 - 00:15:14:10
like milk or growth
00:15:14:10 - 00:15:16:00
or production.
00:15:16:00 - 00:15:17:05
So thinking about
00:15:17:05 - 00:15:17:23
how do you
00:15:17:23 - 00:15:18:16
standardize that
00:15:18:16 - 00:15:19:12
and how do you
00:15:19:12 - 00:15:20:04
roll it out
00:15:20:04 - 00:15:20:19
has some certain
00:15:20:19 - 00:15:22:02
complexities to it.
00:15:22:02 - 00:15:22:13
But you know,
00:15:22:13 - 00:15:23:21
I think about today
00:15:23:21 - 00:15:25:08
we can feed cows down
00:15:25:08 - 00:15:26:09
to the individual
00:15:26:09 - 00:15:27:07
level of nutrition,
00:15:27:07 - 00:15:27:22
as I think I did
00:15:27:22 - 00:15:28:12
on the podcast
00:15:28:12 - 00:15:29:16
I've talked about here.
00:15:29:16 - 00:15:30:23
You know, I think we're
00:15:30:23 - 00:15:31:20
we are
00:15:31:20 - 00:15:32:22
not in the same front
00:15:32:22 - 00:15:33:14
on methane
00:15:33:14 - 00:15:34:11
environmental things,
00:15:34:11 - 00:15:35:11
but certainly with,
00:15:35:11 - 00:15:36:18
with more time and,
00:15:36:18 - 00:15:38:05
and
00:15:38:05 - 00:15:39:07
technology advances.
00:15:39:07 - 00:15:39:22
I think, you know, we'll
00:15:39:22 - 00:15:40:14
certainly be able
00:15:40:14 - 00:15:41:23
to say one day
00:15:41:23 - 00:15:44:07
that you can be checking
00:15:44:07 - 00:15:44:23
how much methane
00:15:44:23 - 00:15:45:07
or my cow
00:15:45:07 - 00:15:46:01
is producing today
00:15:46:01 - 00:15:46:13
based on it,
00:15:46:13 - 00:15:47:02
and it can be
00:15:47:02 - 00:15:47:12
a number
00:15:47:12 - 00:15:47:22
that's,
00:15:47:22 - 00:15:48:16
you know, up there
00:15:48:16 - 00:15:49:07
and synonymous
00:15:49:07 - 00:15:50:01
with what was milk
00:15:50:01 - 00:15:51:14
production today, as well
00:15:51:14 - 00:15:52:01
as potential
00:15:52:01 - 00:15:53:00
more real world
00:15:53:00 - 00:15:53:11
impact,
00:15:53:11 - 00:15:54:02
which we talk a lot
00:15:54:02 - 00:15:54:14
about at the
00:15:54:14 - 00:15:56:03
Clear Center.
00:15:56:03 - 00:15:56:11
And speaking
00:15:56:11 - 00:15:57:20
of real world impact,
00:15:57:20 - 00:15:58:17
tell me a little bit
00:15:58:17 - 00:15:59:23
about the hours
00:15:59:23 - 00:16:00:09
that you put
00:16:00:09 - 00:16:01:12
this is a real world job
00:16:01:12 - 00:16:02:10
that these
00:16:02:10 - 00:16:05:00
researchers do out at,
00:16:05:02 - 00:16:06:09
the dairy and out at
00:16:06:09 - 00:16:07:16
the feedlot
00:16:07:16 - 00:16:08:09
when you were in the
00:16:08:09 - 00:16:09:09
heart of this study.
00:16:09:09 - 00:16:09:22
I mean, tell us
00:16:09:22 - 00:16:10:15
about the hours,
00:16:10:15 - 00:16:10:23
what time
00:16:10:23 - 00:16:11:11
you would get out
00:16:11:11 - 00:16:12:04
at the dairy,
00:16:12:04 - 00:16:13:01
what time you would
00:16:13:01 - 00:16:14:05
leave the dairy,
00:16:14:05 - 00:16:14:15
how many people
00:16:14:15 - 00:16:15:06
were working on
00:16:15:06 - 00:16:15:14
the study?
00:16:15:14 - 00:16:15:22
Just tell us
00:16:15:22 - 00:16:16:16
a little bit about that,
00:16:16:16 - 00:16:17:02
because I think
00:16:17:02 - 00:16:17:15
it's amazing.
00:16:17:15 - 00:16:19:05
I brag on you guys a lot
00:16:19:05 - 00:16:19:22
because when we're
00:16:19:22 - 00:16:20:17
having vacation
00:16:20:17 - 00:16:21:09
or we're
00:16:21:09 - 00:16:22:14
having a weekend,
00:16:22:14 - 00:16:23:02
you guys are
00:16:23:02 - 00:16:24:01
still working.
00:16:24:01 - 00:16:24:07
Yeah.
00:16:24:07 - 00:16:25:02
I mean,
00:16:25:02 - 00:16:25:17
there was
00:16:25:17 - 00:16:26:14
this period of time
00:16:26:14 - 00:16:28:07
where, you know, I didn't
00:16:28:07 - 00:16:29:17
I saw my house,
00:16:29:17 - 00:16:30:18
I saw the dairy farm,
00:16:30:18 - 00:16:31:09
and I saw
00:16:31:09 - 00:16:32:16
the lab here in Meyer
00:16:32:16 - 00:16:33:04
and the
00:16:33:04 - 00:16:33:17
maybe the grocery
00:16:33:17 - 00:16:34:04
store too.
00:16:34:04 - 00:16:35:04
That was the only
00:16:35:04 - 00:16:36:04
one that too.
00:16:36:04 - 00:16:37:13
but besides that,
00:16:37:13 - 00:16:37:21
you know,
00:16:37:21 - 00:16:38:16
every single morning,
00:16:38:16 - 00:16:39:07
it's not just me.
00:16:39:07 - 00:16:39:18
There's a lot
00:16:39:18 - 00:16:40:11
of other undergrads,
00:16:40:11 - 00:16:41:04
a lot of other folks
00:16:41:04 - 00:16:41:13
that are working
00:16:41:13 - 00:16:42:01
on the project
00:16:42:01 - 00:16:42:12
to make this
00:16:42:12 - 00:16:43:10
all happen now
00:16:43:10 - 00:16:44:15
and into the future.
00:16:44:15 - 00:16:46:18
But, when we start,
00:16:46:18 - 00:16:47:19
when they start milking
00:16:47:19 - 00:16:48:15
cows, each
00:16:48:15 - 00:16:50:12
morning at 4 a.m.
00:16:50:14 - 00:16:51:19
And cows
00:16:51:19 - 00:16:52:14
get milked twice a day,
00:16:52:14 - 00:16:53:10
so that's 4 a.m.
00:16:53:10 - 00:16:54:20
And 4 p.m.
00:16:54:20 - 00:16:55:06
And that can
00:16:55:06 - 00:16:55:22
last anywhere
00:16:55:22 - 00:16:58:09
from 3 to 4 hours,
00:16:58:09 - 00:16:59:07
to feed
00:16:59:07 - 00:17:00:03
every single animal.
00:17:00:03 - 00:17:01:04
Because we have several
00:17:01:04 - 00:17:01:23
different diets
00:17:01:23 - 00:17:02:18
across several
00:17:02:18 - 00:17:03:23
different points in time.
00:17:03:23 - 00:17:05:12
Plus we have to take
00:17:05:12 - 00:17:05:21
figure out
00:17:05:21 - 00:17:06:16
what they didn't eat
00:17:06:16 - 00:17:07:06
so we can figure out
00:17:07:06 - 00:17:08:03
how much to feed them
00:17:08:03 - 00:17:08:11
for the
00:17:08:11 - 00:17:09:17
for the following day.
00:17:09:17 - 00:17:10:21
And so it's,
00:17:10:21 - 00:17:11:10
it's this,
00:17:11:10 - 00:17:12:16
this very
00:17:12:16 - 00:17:13:08
intricate system,
00:17:13:08 - 00:17:13:15
you know,
00:17:13:15 - 00:17:14:17
I’d love to just show up
00:17:14:17 - 00:17:15:08
and just be able to
00:17:15:08 - 00:17:16:10
feed all the animals
00:17:16:10 - 00:17:18:06
one given feed
00:17:18:06 - 00:17:19:05
But we got to figure out,
00:17:19:05 - 00:17:19:22
you know, exactly
00:17:19:22 - 00:17:21:09
what to do,
00:17:21:09 - 00:17:22:05
how much they didn't eat,
00:17:22:05 - 00:17:22:14
how much they
00:17:22:14 - 00:17:23:05
are going to eat.
00:17:23:05 - 00:17:23:16
And that's all
00:17:23:16 - 00:17:24:18
part of these,
00:17:24:18 - 00:17:25:02
you know,
00:17:25:02 - 00:17:26:03
bigger
00:17:26:03 - 00:17:27:12
long term
00:17:27:12 - 00:17:28:04
study pieces
00:17:28:04 - 00:17:28:13
that are going
00:17:28:13 - 00:17:29:20
to come together.
00:17:29:20 - 00:17:30:11
Plus there's a lot
00:17:30:11 - 00:17:31:01
of different,
00:17:31:01 - 00:17:31:23
you know, maintenance
00:17:31:23 - 00:17:32:08
and cleaning
00:17:32:08 - 00:17:32:21
that all happens
00:17:32:21 - 00:17:33:13
in the background.
00:17:33:13 - 00:17:34:02
to all make
00:17:34:02 - 00:17:34:18
that possible.
00:17:34:18 - 00:17:36:17
So it's things that,
00:17:36:17 - 00:17:37:09
you know, happen
00:17:37:09 - 00:17:38:16
Monday through Friday,
00:17:38:16 - 00:17:40:00
Saturday and Sunday
00:17:40:00 - 00:17:41:10
and will be here
00:17:41:10 - 00:17:41:23
in the upcoming
00:17:41:23 - 00:17:43:19
holiday season as well,
00:17:43:19 - 00:17:44:22
to all make that happen.
00:17:44:22 - 00:17:46:05
So it's
00:17:46:05 - 00:17:46:20
it's certainly
00:17:46:20 - 00:17:47:15
a lot of work.
00:17:47:15 - 00:17:49:01
But you know,
00:17:49:01 - 00:17:50:04
people
00:17:50:04 - 00:17:51:14
like myself are in this
00:17:51:14 - 00:17:52:03
because it's
00:17:52:03 - 00:17:53:07
for the passion,
00:17:53:07 - 00:17:54:00
and what people
00:17:54:00 - 00:17:55:02
really enjoy to do
00:17:55:02 - 00:17:55:22
and being part of it.
00:17:55:22 - 00:17:56:14
And so,
00:17:56:14 - 00:17:58:05
you know, really
00:17:58:05 - 00:17:59:08
thankful to be a part
00:17:59:08 - 00:18:00:06
of these opportunities.
00:18:00:06 - 00:18:00:21
I didn't want to say that
00:18:00:21 - 00:18:01:09
I want to do it
00:18:01:09 - 00:18:02:06
every single day,
00:18:02:06 - 00:18:03:10
but, you know,
00:18:03:10 - 00:18:04:19
I like doing this
00:18:04:19 - 00:18:05:18
because this is what
00:18:05:18 - 00:18:06:06
we enjoy.
00:18:06:06 - 00:18:07:04
I want to be a part of.
00:18:07:04 - 00:18:07:18
And so that
00:18:07:18 - 00:18:08:14
that makes it,
00:18:08:14 - 00:18:09:06
you know,
00:18:09:06 - 00:18:10:08
something enjoyable
00:18:10:08 - 00:18:11:15
and it really makes
00:18:11:15 - 00:18:12:22
a PHD in Animal science.
00:18:12:22 - 00:18:15:09
Like it's certainly
00:18:15:09 - 00:18:16:00
we have skill
00:18:16:00 - 00:18:17:08
sets in a labs.
00:18:17:08 - 00:18:17:23
We have skill sets
00:18:17:23 - 00:18:18:14
in animals,
00:18:18:14 - 00:18:19:09
we have skill sets
00:18:19:09 - 00:18:20:09
in total,
00:18:20:09 - 00:18:21:04
total work ethic,
00:18:21:04 - 00:18:22:08
which gives us
00:18:22:08 - 00:18:23:15
so many skill sets to
00:18:23:15 - 00:18:24:05
to be set up
00:18:24:05 - 00:18:25:01
for the next thing here
00:18:25:01 - 00:18:25:23
and especially here,
00:18:25:23 - 00:18:26:04
as part
00:18:26:04 - 00:18:26:19
of the CLEAR Center
00:18:26:19 - 00:18:27:12
with the opportunities
00:18:27:12 - 00:18:27:18
that we get
00:18:27:18 - 00:18:28:11
to take part in
00:18:28:11 - 00:18:30:00
for research.
00:18:30:00 - 00:18:31:00
Well, being at a dairy
00:18:31:00 - 00:18:31:10
at 4 a.m.
00:18:31:10 - 00:18:31:23
might not be your
00:18:31:23 - 00:18:32:14
favorite memory,
00:18:32:14 - 00:18:33:04
but what do you
00:18:33:04 - 00:18:34:06
what's your
00:18:34:06 - 00:18:34:22
favorite memory
00:18:34:22 - 00:18:35:14
at UC Davis
00:18:35:14 - 00:18:35:22
or at the
00:18:35:22 - 00:18:36:18
clear Center, maybe.
00:18:36:18 - 00:18:37:19
What can you talk about?
00:18:37:19 - 00:18:38:13
A favorite memory
00:18:38:13 - 00:18:39:07
or a favorite event
00:18:39:07 - 00:18:41:02
you were part of or.
00:18:41:02 - 00:18:41:12
Yeah.
00:18:41:12 - 00:18:42:19
So, you know,
00:18:42:19 - 00:18:43:15
I've been having
00:18:43:15 - 00:18:44:20
a lot of unique
00:18:44:20 - 00:18:45:09
opportunities
00:18:45:09 - 00:18:46:03
and experiences here
00:18:46:03 - 00:18:46:10
as part of the
00:18:46:10 - 00:18:46:23
Career Center
00:18:46:23 - 00:18:47:15
that I know
00:18:47:15 - 00:18:48:19
that I would not have had
00:18:48:19 - 00:18:49:09
if I had gone to
00:18:49:09 - 00:18:51:02
another program.
00:18:51:04 - 00:18:51:15
But being
00:18:51:15 - 00:18:53:05
part of the clear center
00:18:53:05 - 00:18:54:09
and dr. Mitloehner’s
00:18:54:09 - 00:18:55:09
work
00:18:55:09 - 00:18:55:21
being able
00:18:55:21 - 00:18:56:10
to attend
00:18:56:10 - 00:18:57:10
the Sustainable Livestock
00:18:57:10 - 00:18:58:02
Transformation
00:18:58:02 - 00:18:59:17
Conference, at FAO
00:18:59:17 - 00:19:00:20
as being,
00:19:00:20 - 00:19:01:17
serving as a delegate
00:19:01:17 - 00:19:03:13
representing the U.S.
00:19:03:13 - 00:19:04:11
along there
00:19:04:11 - 00:19:05:06
with dr. Mitloehner
00:19:05:06 - 00:19:06:03
and being there in Rome
00:19:06:03 - 00:19:06:20
and hearing
00:19:06:20 - 00:19:07:16
like how
00:19:07:16 - 00:19:08:14
this collaboration
00:19:08:14 - 00:19:10:05
around methane emissions
00:19:10:05 - 00:19:10:17
and livestock
00:19:10:17 - 00:19:11:20
sustainability
00:19:11:20 - 00:19:12:21
is really evolving.
00:19:12:21 - 00:19:13:11
You know,
00:19:13:11 - 00:19:14:07
I think
00:19:14:07 - 00:19:15:09
Frank walks
00:19:15:09 - 00:19:16:14
around everywhere there
00:19:16:14 - 00:19:17:19
and everyone knows him.
00:19:17:19 - 00:19:19:15
And because of the
00:19:19:15 - 00:19:20:12
the conversation
00:19:20:12 - 00:19:21:21
that he's brought around
00:19:21:21 - 00:19:22:23
livestock sustainability.
00:19:22:23 - 00:19:23:19
And I think about
00:19:23:19 - 00:19:24:05
all these
00:19:24:05 - 00:19:24:18
different people
00:19:24:18 - 00:19:25:03
and all these
00:19:25:03 - 00:19:25:17
different countries
00:19:25:17 - 00:19:27:01
are working together.
00:19:27:01 - 00:19:28:01
And exciting to see
00:19:28:01 - 00:19:28:22
and thinking about
00:19:28:22 - 00:19:30:05
how much momentum
00:19:30:05 - 00:19:31:02
is out there right now
00:19:31:02 - 00:19:31:16
and how much
00:19:31:16 - 00:19:32:12
is coming together.
00:19:32:12 - 00:19:33:21
It was really eye opening
00:19:33:21 - 00:19:35:23
because we talk about,
00:19:35:23 - 00:19:36:13
opportunities
00:19:36:13 - 00:19:37:06
for solutions here
00:19:37:06 - 00:19:38:17
in the United States.
00:19:38:17 - 00:19:39:04
And that's not going
00:19:39:04 - 00:19:40:00
to work everywhere,
00:19:40:00 - 00:19:40:21
because not everywhere
00:19:40:21 - 00:19:42:18
has livestock systems
00:19:42:18 - 00:19:43:16
or things
00:19:43:16 - 00:19:44:09
of sustainability
00:19:44:09 - 00:19:45:17
in the same way,
00:19:45:17 - 00:19:46:16
as we do.
00:19:46:16 - 00:19:47:10
Plus,
00:19:47:10 - 00:19:47:20
you know,
00:19:47:20 - 00:19:48:14
majority of
00:19:48:14 - 00:19:50:01
the animals are
00:19:50:01 - 00:19:51:10
located elsewhere
00:19:51:10 - 00:19:53:01
all around the world.
00:19:53:01 - 00:19:53:17
And so it
00:19:53:17 - 00:19:54:10
just thinks about
00:19:54:10 - 00:19:55:02
how can we think
00:19:55:02 - 00:19:56:01
about solutions
00:19:56:01 - 00:19:58:04
that are not one work
00:19:58:04 - 00:19:59:08
here in the US or work
00:19:59:08 - 00:20:01:02
in other environments?
00:20:01:02 - 00:20:01:15
Because at the
00:20:01:15 - 00:20:02:15
end of the day,
00:20:02:15 - 00:20:03:10
we're
00:20:03:10 - 00:20:03:22
thinking about
00:20:03:22 - 00:20:04:21
how can we
00:20:04:21 - 00:20:06:01
improve nutrition,
00:20:06:01 - 00:20:07:20
how can we reduce
00:20:07:20 - 00:20:08:15
environmental impacts,
00:20:08:15 - 00:20:10:08
and how can we help with,
00:20:10:08 - 00:20:11:03
you know,
00:20:11:03 - 00:20:12:07
the billions of people
00:20:12:07 - 00:20:13:04
that are involved
00:20:13:04 - 00:20:15:01
in livestock systems
00:20:15:01 - 00:20:17:12
today, which is
00:20:17:12 - 00:20:20:04
makes this a consistent,
00:20:20:04 - 00:20:20:22
and challenging issue
00:20:20:22 - 00:20:22:13
that will continue to
00:20:22:13 - 00:20:23:01
think about
00:20:23:01 - 00:20:23:16
how do we create
00:20:23:16 - 00:20:24:05
more sustainable
00:20:24:05 - 00:20:24:19
food systems,
00:20:24:19 - 00:20:25:11
at least for,
00:20:25:11 - 00:20:26:11
for the rest of my,
00:20:26:11 - 00:20:28:13
my career here. So.
00:20:28:13 - 00:20:28:19
Well,
00:20:28:19 - 00:20:29:03
and speaking
00:20:29:03 - 00:20:29:15
of your career,
00:20:29:15 - 00:20:30:00
as we wrap
00:20:30:00 - 00:20:31:07
things up here, what
00:20:31:07 - 00:20:32:02
what are your goals
00:20:32:02 - 00:20:33:00
with your future,
00:20:33:00 - 00:20:34:01
with your research
00:20:34:01 - 00:20:34:17
or personally,
00:20:34:17 - 00:20:35:03
what do you want
00:20:35:03 - 00:20:36:11
to do from here on out?
00:20:36:11 - 00:20:36:20
Yeah, I know
00:20:36:20 - 00:20:37:06
that's all a
00:20:37:06 - 00:20:37:19
great question
00:20:37:19 - 00:20:38:06
to think about.
00:20:38:06 - 00:20:39:13
What comes next for me
00:20:39:13 - 00:20:39:20
here?
00:20:39:20 - 00:20:42:09
as of today's taping,
00:20:42:09 - 00:20:42:23
I have not
00:20:42:23 - 00:20:43:14
figured out what
00:20:43:14 - 00:20:44:13
what comes next for me
00:20:44:13 - 00:20:45:10
just yet.
00:20:45:10 - 00:20:48:01
But, you know what?
00:20:48:01 - 00:20:48:18
What I want
00:20:48:18 - 00:20:49:13
to be involved in
00:20:49:13 - 00:20:50:04
and what I want to take
00:20:50:04 - 00:20:50:14
part in
00:20:50:14 - 00:20:51:14
is thinking about
00:20:51:14 - 00:20:53:14
working with various
00:20:53:14 - 00:20:55:00
different food companies
00:20:55:00 - 00:20:55:17
at this point
00:20:55:17 - 00:20:56:03
and thinking
00:20:56:03 - 00:20:57:07
about understanding
00:20:57:07 - 00:20:58:22
and providing
00:20:58:22 - 00:20:59:16
technical expertise
00:20:59:16 - 00:21:00:04
and background
00:21:00:04 - 00:21:01:15
that I've been able to
00:21:01:15 - 00:21:02:08
accrue here
00:21:02:08 - 00:21:03:10
through the clear center
00:21:03:10 - 00:21:03:23
and thinking about
00:21:03:23 - 00:21:04:14
how do we
00:21:04:14 - 00:21:05:13
actually implement
00:21:05:13 - 00:21:06:07
these opportunities
00:21:06:07 - 00:21:06:20
on farms
00:21:06:20 - 00:21:07:11
that I've worked out.
00:21:07:11 - 00:21:08:10
So that's the feed additives,
00:21:08:10 - 00:21:08:18
that's the
00:21:08:18 - 00:21:10:09
accounting systems.
00:21:10:09 - 00:21:10:23
And thinking about
00:21:10:23 - 00:21:12:04
how do we apply
00:21:12:04 - 00:21:13:01
those on farms
00:21:13:01 - 00:21:13:12
and how do we
00:21:13:12 - 00:21:14:07
track, verify
00:21:14:07 - 00:21:14:21
and measure them
00:21:14:21 - 00:21:17:02
through the
00:21:17:02 - 00:21:18:06
the supply chain.
00:21:18:06 - 00:21:19:03
So like
00:21:19:03 - 00:21:20:01
what you're going to go
00:21:20:01 - 00:21:21:14
buy at the grocery store
00:21:21:14 - 00:21:23:07
that has this
00:21:23:07 - 00:21:24:01
this reduction
00:21:24:01 - 00:21:25:09
at the end of the day.
00:21:25:09 - 00:21:26:11
Because I think there's
00:21:26:11 - 00:21:27:20
tremendous opportunity
00:21:27:20 - 00:21:29:19
there at this point.
00:21:29:21 - 00:21:30:08
There's still a
00:21:30:08 - 00:21:31:04
little bit of
00:21:31:04 - 00:21:31:19
figuring out
00:21:31:19 - 00:21:32:21
that people are doing,
00:21:32:21 - 00:21:34:05
but I think it's,
00:21:34:05 - 00:21:34:18
a very
00:21:34:18 - 00:21:35:12
exciting opportunity
00:21:35:12 - 00:21:36:00
to have, like,
00:21:36:00 - 00:21:37:03
a real world impact
00:21:37:03 - 00:21:38:12
from what this,
00:21:38:12 - 00:21:40:06
this area of research
00:21:40:06 - 00:21:40:23
has turned to be.
00:21:40:23 - 00:21:42:07
So,
00:21:42:07 - 00:21:43:06
what that looks like
00:21:43:06 - 00:21:43:23
and where that's at,
00:21:43:23 - 00:21:45:11
that's still
00:21:45:11 - 00:21:46:16
to be determined.
00:21:46:16 - 00:21:47:23
But, you know,
00:21:47:23 - 00:21:48:15
looking forward
00:21:48:15 - 00:21:49:03
to have lots
00:21:49:03 - 00:21:50:04
of exciting years ahead
00:21:50:04 - 00:21:51:07
in terms of where,
00:21:51:07 - 00:21:51:23
where this will go
00:21:51:23 - 00:21:54:05
from here. So,
00:21:54:05 - 00:21:55:00
I'm looking forward
00:21:55:00 - 00:21:55:15
to certainly not
00:21:55:15 - 00:21:56:17
waking up at 4 a.m.
00:21:56:17 - 00:21:57:05
all the time
00:21:57:05 - 00:21:59:06
anymore, but,
00:21:59:06 - 00:22:01:09
that is the next step
00:22:01:09 - 00:22:02:05
for me as,
00:22:02:05 - 00:22:03:18
as I look to wrap up here
00:22:03:18 - 00:22:04:09
in the next
00:22:04:09 - 00:22:05:08
couple of weeks.
00:22:05:08 - 00:22:05:22
Well, excellent.
00:22:05:22 - 00:22:06:15
Your future is bright.
00:22:06:15 - 00:22:06:21
Conor.
00:22:06:21 - 00:22:07:11
Thank you so much
00:22:07:11 - 00:22:08:14
for all of your work
00:22:08:14 - 00:22:09:14
here at the Clear Center.
00:22:09:14 - 00:22:10:08
And thank you
00:22:10:08 - 00:22:11:05
for joining us today,
00:22:11:05 - 00:22:11:14
sharing your
00:22:11:14 - 00:22:12:07
knowledge with us.
00:22:12:07 - 00:22:12:19
And thank you
00:22:12:19 - 00:22:13:08
for joining us
00:22:13:08 - 00:22:14:09
on Clear Conversations.
00:22:14:09 - 00:22:14:15
We'll see you
00:22:14:15 - 00:22:15:06
again next time.
-
Dr. Troy Rowan sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. Dr. Rowan was a featured speaker at the 2025 State of the Science Summit at UC Davis. The event will return next year on June 16-18, 2026, continuing its focus on advancing livestock methane research and collaborative solutions. Rowan, now an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, grew up surrounded by cattle on his family’s Charolais operation in Iowa. His family has been farming and ranching there for more than a century — long enough for the rhythms of agriculture to get in his blood. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d
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When it comes to climate action, Denmark has rarely been content to sit on the sidelines. Now, the small Nordic nation is taking another pioneering leap — becoming the first country in the world to implement a carbon tax on livestock emissions, set to begin in 2030. During a CLEAR Conversations podcast, which was filmed at the 2025 State of the Science Summit held at UC Davis, Anna Trillingsgaard from the Embassy of Denmark shared how this ambitious plan came to be and what it means for farmers, the environment, and the global agricultural community who is watching closely.
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When it comes to talking about methane and cattle, few people can make the science sound both accessible and hopeful quite like Dr. Sara Place. A former UC Davis graduate student and now an associate professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, Place has built her career around understanding how livestock can be part of the climate solution — not just part of the problem.
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For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality. In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself. Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.
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UC Davis football will charge into their Big Sky Conference opener against conference rival Weber State, setting the stage for a night packed with excitement. With students back on campus, the energy will be electric—complete with the thrilling First-Year Field Storm, and a stadium full of Aggie spirit. Kickoff is expected at 7 p.m., but the festivities fire up well before then. At 5 p.m., join us for an ag-tastic tailgate that brings the farm right to the field. Back by popular demand, this pre-game showcase will feature cattle, sheep, goats, tractors, and more—turning the tailgate into a tribute to the roots that make UC Davis a leader in agricultural excellence. It’s a chance to honor the Animal Science Department and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and to gather with friends, faculty, students, and supporters in a true Aggie-style celebration.
“To see agriculture celebrated in such a high-energy, crowd-filled space like a football game is incredible," said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, director of the CLEAR Center. "It’s a reminder that farming isn’t just essential—it’s also deeply connected to our everyday lives. And this game brings that message to life in a way that’s fun and exciting and it will be a powerful tribute to the people driving agriculture forward.”
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Hosted by CLEAR Center Director and greenhouse gas expert Dr. Frank Mitloehner, along with members of the CLEAR Center communications staff, the podcast will break down complex topics—like climate change, livestock emissions, and the future of food—into clear, relatable conversations.
