Cohort 4 of NIAA’s Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders explore ag tech in Lincoln

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The fourth Cohort of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA) Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders met for their third in-person leadership training session in Lincoln, Nebraska from July 15-18, 2025. 

During their time in the Lincoln area, the leaders learned from: 

  • Attending and participating in the AgTech Connect event on UNL’s Innovation Campus – Cohort members spent time connecting with Midwest Ag Tech leaders and learning more about where Ag is headed in the future. 
  • Spent day 2 meeting with startup leaders discussing up and coming technology, startup success from idea to a product going to market, and leadership skills needed to start up an organization (EmGenisys – Dr. Cara Wells; Birds Eye Robotics – Dusty Reynolds; ALA Engineering – Jacob Hansen; Marble Technologies – Britany Wondercheck). 
  • Engaged in discussion with Jill O’Donnell and her team from The Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance discussing the current landscape of international trade and tariffs and what that looks like for the future of Animal Agriculture.  
  • Participated in a strengths session focused on using our individual strengths to be a forward focused leader. (J.J. Jones) 
  • We spent Friday with Andrew Uden (Herddogg) at the UNL research yards discussing the use of their tags and learning about ongoing research projects from the lead researchers there.  

The Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture receives support from Farm Credit and this session was made possible with planning and hosting support from The Combine and NIAA board member, Jared Wareham.  

The fourth Cohort of the Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders represents a wide range of agricultural sectors to advance animal agriculture’s role in today’s food system. Participants include : 

  • Melissa Davis, Where Food Comes From 
  • Amber DeWitt, Fulcrum Global Capital 
  • Alexandra Eckhoff, New Mexico Livestock Board 
  • Haley Grimes, American Humane 
  • Meggan Hain, NMPF
  • Ben Hopkins, DSM-Firmenich 
  • Nicki Humphrey, California Department of Food and Agriculture 
  • Darrin Karcher, Perdue University 
  • Hollie Kremer, Cooper Farms 
  • Sarah Metzler, Cattleman’s Beef Board, Beef Checkoff 
  • Claire Mulligan, ABS Global 
  • Elena Myhre, International Poultry Welfare Alliance/US-Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs 
  • Brittany Shonka-Martin, ABS Global 
  • Ryan Sorensen, United Producers, Inc. 
  • Charlotte Talbott, Rabobank 

See photos from the leadership session, below.

 

To learn more about the program, how to support up-and-coming leaders, or how to participate in the next cohort, visit https://www.animalagriculture.org/leadership-program/ for more information and email Jessie Wadle at Jessie.Wadle@animalagriculture.org. 

 

NIAA Releases Lameness Across Species White Paper

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The National Institute for Animal Agriculture hosted animal agriculture leaders that addressed challenges stemming from lameness across all food animal species and have now released a White Paper compiling the findings.

NIAA’s Animal Disease Issues & Emergency Management Council hosted a roundtable discussion lameness across all food animal species at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, GA in January. This roundtable featured industry experts and explored research regarding causes, prevention methods, and treatment of bone health and lameness-related diseases in livestock and poultry.

“Lameness is a leading problematic sustainability and animal health issue that all livestock species face. We had a great turnout at the roundtable and hope the white paper will lead to more people joining the conversation to collectively address the problems,” said NIAA’s Sustainability Council Chair, Dr. Kaitlyn Briggs, Dairy Welfare Manager at fairlife,LLC.

Lameness could be defined as a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, an injury, disease, or anatomical problem of the affected animal that results in an abnormality or change in gait or stance. Lameness remains a challenging condition to tackle because it is inherently difficult to diagnose with species of food animals presenting vastly different symptoms, ranging from subtle to overt, all at different stages of severity.

The white paper can be accessed at the NIAA website and is complementary to attendees and NIAA members. To become a member for complementary access to NIAA’s resources, visit www.AnimalAgriculture.org.