In the past month Ken Buzzell, senior vice president from Yankee's Newport office, attended three meetings hosted by the Vermont Feed Dealers and Manufacturers Association (VFDMA). The VFDMA was asked by Interim Dean Dr. Tom Vogleman and Associate Dean Dr. Mike Vayda of the UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to convene a group of dairy stakeholders to act as a “Think Tank” for developing an outside (the University) view on how to advance dairy science at UVM. Other attendees included representatives of the feed industry, feed consultants, educators and dairy farmers.
The group discussed prioritizing the research needed to advance the competitiveness and uniqueness of Vermont's dairy industry and also formed a plan for the funding, staffing and operation of a new UVM dairy research farm equipped to meet the industry’s research needs and provide UVM with a platform to become a global leader in dairy research. The results of these discussions will be presented to the University administration for their consideration.
