My fellow members of ADSA, I hope you have become a regular visitor to our Web site and have been as impressed as I have been with the information that has become available here. Please encourage your colleagues, undergraduate and graduate students at your institution, be it academia, government, or industry, to visit our site. As we implement our strategic plan to increase our range of services and activities, this site will be key to effective communication. Moreover, as we aspire to become an international dairy science society, this Web site can become central to worldwide communication of dairy science related activities. However, to make this happen we need your help: first by becoming a regular visitor to the site, and second, by advising us on the activities and/or types of information that you would find most useful there. So again, please encourage other members and non-members (it may become an excellent recruiting tool) to use our site.

Our Print-on-Demand publications have gotten underway with the first publication in our ADSA Scientific Reader Series entitled "Dairy Management Practices, Housing, and Cattle Health."  The second book in the series, edited by Bill Crist, entitled "Mastitis Control and Milk Quality" was available at the National Mastitis Council Meeting in early February (for additional information on both books, click here). We are excited about the potential of this approach to reach targeted groups as a means of communication of scientific information and as an additional source of income for ADSA. To facilitate development of this activity, we have appointed an ad hoc Print-on-Demand Publications Committee composed of members from both Divisions and Chaired by Bill Crist.

Some good news about our membership status. Compared to the same time last year, our graduate student numbers have increased by nearly 150% and our institutional and professional members have increased slightly. As members you can help us as we shift our emphasis to new member recruitment by encouraging any of your colleagues that have any connection to dairy science to examine our member benefits, including our publications, the Discover Conferences and our quality National Meeting.

By all criteria, we should have an excellent National Meeting this year. A total of 1331 Abstracts were submitted and over 30 symposia are planned. Interpretive summaries of the symposia papers will be on the Web prior to the meeting. Please encourage colleagues that might have an interest in these topics to peruse these summaries and attend the meeting. I also want to remind members in the dairy foods area of the pre-meeting workshop on development of cheese flavors that is targeted to graduate students and industrial scientists. I feel confident that we can meet our goal of 2000 registrants if each member actively promotes attendance.

An important part of the experience of being a member of a professional society is the opportunity to serve on committees, task forces, editorial teams, and meeting/event planning groups. In fact, the future of ADSA depends upon members who are willing to share their time and expertise through committee service while building a broader, more diverse network of professional colleagues. To help match your interests with committee service opportunities that may emerge, please click here to go to a form that lists disciplines or topics that may appeal to you. By filling out the online form and submitting it, your name will be entered into a database of potential future volunteers (you will always have the opportunity to accept or decline any appointment offered, so even if you don’t have time to serve now, please don’t let that deter you from filling out the form).

To get a head start on the meeting registration process and ensure that you get into special ticketed events, workshops and events on the program, take a moment now to go to the Meeting 2000 registration form (http://www.baltimore2k.org). By the middle of March, you should find everything you need to register—a general program description (full session titles and locations won't be available until April), a hotel registration form, even a map of downtown Baltimore. With an impressive number of abstracts submitted and array of interesting speakers invited from the U.S. and abroad (click here for a thumbnail sketch--general program to be available in April), this promises to be a truly worthwhile scientific meeting. For those who prefer to register by mail, you can expect to receive a paper copy of the program with registration materials in April.

The ADSA CD containing every issue published between January 1997 and December 1999 will ship to purchasers at the end of March, and should arrive by mid-April. It is still possible to order the CD by going to the ADSA membership/publications order form. You also may want to order the first two books in the ADSA Scientific Reader Series, Dairy Management Practices, Housing, and Cattle Health and Mastitis Control and Milk Quality, on the form. These books are compilations of recent Journal of Dairy Science articles that should provide a comprehensive overview of current research perspectives on the topics they cover. To purchase a copy, go to  http://www.fass-secure.org/reader.htm 

The topic of probiotics, while relatively new to the general public, is not new to the scientific community. A number of symposia and conferences have been conducted addressing the use of probiotics in humans. Very little, however, has been done in the area of probiotic use in livestock. The ADSA Foundation/DISCOVER Conference Series is pleased to present the Fourth DISCOVER Conference on Food Animal Agriculture: Priobotics for Food Animals.

Program Chair Stanley Gilliland (Oklahoma State University) announced that the program will focus on the use of probiotic microbials to improve various aspects of growth and performance as well as control of undesirable microorganisms that might enter the food supply from animal sources. To review the program outline, click here.

In-depth discussions among participants and speakers will enable all to gain a better understanding of factors that can result in the successful uses of probiotics in the livestock industry. Various species of microorganisms along with their potential benefits and applications will be discussed.

Scientists involved with farm animal nutrition or health, scientists working with probiotics, consultants for the livestock industry, veterinarians, livestock producers or feeders, companies involved in developing probiotics, suppliers of probiotics (direct-fed microbials), and suppliers of feeds and animal health products will find this program of particular interest. The program is not restricted to ADSA members.

If you are interested in participating in this Conference, visit the ADSA DISCOVER Web site at http://www.adsa.org/discover for complete programming, registration and travel information. The registration fee is $350.00, which includes all sessions and most meals. Registrations must be received by July 31, 2000 to ensure participation.

This fourth conference will be held at Abe Martin Lodge, nestled in the 15,000 acre Brown County State Park near Nashville, Indiana. Nashville is about one hour south of Indianapolis. The park and immediate area offer registrants miles of hiking trails, lakes and golf courses, as well as pool and tennis facilities. Nashville is a popular vacation site because of the pleasant countryside, abundance of artist studios and galleries, and variety of crafts.

The DISCOVER Conference Series is coordinated by Bill Baumgardt, and supported  by the ADSA Foundation and a variety of sponsors. The first DISCOVER Conference was held in June 1998. DISCOVER Conferences offer a retreat-type setting and maintain an informal format that encourages candid exchanges among scientists focusing on topics of importance in food animal agriculture. Sessions primarily are held mornings and evenings with afternoons available for discussion or recreation.

ADSA and ASAS have partnered to sponsor a series of industry roundtable discussions this spring, and the first gathering of dairy/animal agriculture industry executives was held on February 24 in connection with the Southwestern Nutrition Conference. These roundtable discussions are designed to help our organizations gain a clearer view of how we can provide better service to the industries tied to our scientific fields while also maintaining a neutral, objective stance with regards to industry matters.

Opinions expressed at the first meeting touched on the role we should be playing in the GMO controversy and other public policy matters, how we can work to make the voice of scientists heard in media debates, the importance of certification, and other services we should consider developing to stregthen our position over the long-term. Future roundtable discussions are scheduled for Des Moines, Indianapolis, Chicago, and New Jersey.

In late January, elected leaders and staff from 27 of the organizations that make up the Council on Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST) met as part of an on-going dialogue on change in scientific societies. A number of ambitious collaborations were either initiated or extended at the meeting, including:

• Creation of a "Web Ring" linking the internet web pages of the member societies. Through the ring, it will be possible to read many of the societies’ newsletters, to learn of new meetings, grants, scientific/educational projects, and major research initiatives they may be pursuing. This initiative could lead to an "on-line neighborhood" of scientific societies that would be accessed by scientists and the members of the general public interested in unbiased "expert opinions" on policy issues.

• The development of model board practices and non-profit board education resources. A related committee has begun work on an emerging leaders’ support program. Through it, potential society leaders who have recently entered the profession or who have started a new phase of their professional life (retirement) would be identified and given opportunities to learn leadership skills and society practices before they are thrust into a leadership role.

• A review of best membership development and service practices. By sharing insights and techniques, society leaders gained insights on matters like how to improve journal delivery service, how to involve more members in meaningful volunteer work, and how to run more effective board meetings.

• Discussions of how to best engage in public policy dialogue with the press and other non-scientists. The need for coordinated communication through entities like Co-Farm and the FASS Scientific Liaison office was recognized by many participants. The consensus among participants is that we will only be effective in bringing a scientific perspective to the debate if we speak with one voice and keep our messages brief and clear.

• Model K-12 curricula units and projects were reviewed, and discussions about how our societies can foster an interest in science among students followed. There is no program in development at this time, but many CAST members appear to be very interested in exploring ways to cultivate the next generation of life/agricultural scientists.

Among the participants from the ADSA membership were Vice President Dave Schingoethe and CAST representative Don Beitz. From the animal agriculture societies, representatives from ASAS, PSA, and the American Meat Science Association also participated in the meeting. Like many meetings, some of the most valuable lessons were learned in the hallways and lobbies, where attendees learned how other societies introduced transitions and changes needed for non-profit groups to thrive in an information age.

News/Professional Opportunities/Grants/Meeting Schedule

News and Notes 

These news articles have been forwarded from Jack Cooper's Food Industry Environmental Network Newsletter (FIEN) electronic newsletter. For subscription information, contact:

Jack L. Cooper
Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN)
33 Falling Creek Court; Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Phone: 301/384-8287 --- Fax: 301/384-8340
E-Mail: JLC@fien.com

"Mad Cow Disease," Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)  

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reportedly have identified a new class of compounds that slows the development of a "mad cow"-like prion disease in mice. Prion diseases involve aggregation of toxic proteins in the brain, a process blocked by these compounds. If future studies extend these findings to humans, this research may one day benefit not only patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), but also patients with non-prion diseases involving protein aggregation such as Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. Their research report is published in the February 25 issue of Science. A copy of the NIH, NIAID February 24 News Release is posted at the following www site: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/prionmice.htm - 

NIH Contact: Sam Perdue at (301) 402-1663; e-mail: sperdue@nih.gov

Prevention of the Establishment and Amplification of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States  

- FDA Seeks Public Comments by April 24 on Extension of an Existing Information Collection Request, Titled: "Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed; Animal Proteins Prohibited in Ruminant Feed--21 CFR Part 589," which is intended to prevent the establishment and amplification of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States by ensuring that ruminant animal feed does not contain animal protein derived from mammalian tissue - FDA Contact: Denver Presley, Office of Information Resources Management at 301-827-1472 - FDA February 22 Federal Register:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=00-4023-filed

According the USDA announcement: "The Program's emphasis is on risk assessment, which is defined as the science-based evaluation and interpretation of factual information in which a given hazard, if any, is identified, and the consequences associated with the hazard are explored. Research funded through this program will be relevant to risk assessment and the regulatory process. When evaluating transgenic organisms, regulators must answer the following four general questions: (1) Is there a hazard (potential hazard identification)? (2) How likely is the hazard to occur (quantifying the probability of occurrence)? (3) What is the severity and extent of the hazard if it occurs (quantifying the effects)? and (4) Is there an effect above and beyond what might occur with an organism, with similar traits, developed using other technologies? ... Accordingly, program applicants are encouraged to address the following questions in their proposals: (1) What is the relevance of this research to the evaluation of transgenic organisms? (2) What information will be provided by this research to help regulators adequately assess transgenic organisms? and (3) How does this research model appropriate studies necessary to identify and/or characterize hazards associated with introducing genetically-modified organisms into the environment?"

USDA Seeks "Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems" Competitive Research Grant Applications 

"Big-Picture" Issues for Animal Agriculture
Drive National Conference Docket in Corpus Christi

What will be technology's affect on animal agriculture in this new
century? How will consumer trends affect the global food supply; where
will biotechnology fit in with animal production, and when will food animal
information systems fully replace traditional record keeping?

Ranchers who answer these "global-issue," questions can target food animal
production to suit consumer demand, market more profitably and use
technology more effectively. These topics of national and international
concern will be addressed April 10-13 in Corpus Christi at the "Animal
Agriculture in the 21st Century" meeting, hosted by the National Institute
for Animal Agriculture (NIAA), the "umbrella" group for all animal
agriculture species and organizations.

"The NIAA will have sessions of national interest to all livestock
producers, regardless of the species they raise," said Dr. Max Coats,
deputy executive director for Animal Health Programs at the Texas Animal
Health Commission, the state's livestock health regulatory agency. Dr.
Coats, a former director for the organization, serves on the program
planning committee for the 2000 meeting.

"Sessions will be offered also on animal identification, care and handling,
animal health emergency management, food safety, and new diseases, that
eventually, could affect production. The NIAA meeting is open to all
producers, and associations are encouraged to use this opportunity to send
delegates to gain national perspective on animal health issues, as well as
regulatory and voluntary programs that will affect Texas," he said.

Several other meetings to be held in conjuction with NIAA include the
National Johne's Working Group, the National Pseudorabies Control Board,
and the U.S. Animal Health Association's Equine Passport Committee.
Sessions also are set for the National Livestock Ethics Council, and the
National Assembly of Chief Livestock Health Officials.

For a registration kit or conference information, contact the NIAA at
1-270-782-9798, or call Dr. Coats at the TAHC at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 727.
All sessions are scheduled in the Omni Bayfront Hotel in Corpus Christi.

Rumen Conference Scheduled This November

Rumen Function Conference, Chicago, IL Dates: November 14-16, 2000. For
information: M. S. Allen, 2265G Anthony Hall, Department of Animal Science,
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (517-432-1386; FAX
517-432-0147; email: allenm@pilot.msu.edu; www.msu.edu/user/rumen/).

Other Upcoming Conferences of Interest to ADSA Members

For a comprehensive list of upcoming animal agriculture meetings and associated web sites, click here. Here are a few highlights from the list of more than 30 meetings scheduled between March and May.

Midwestern Section of ADSA and ASAS, March 13 - 15, Des Moines, Iowa

New England Dairy Feed Conference, April 6, West Lebanon, NH 207-622-3940

Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, April 18 - 19, Fort Wayne, IN, phone: 765-494-7220

Bio 2000, March 26 - 30, Boston, Massachusetts

New England Dairy Feed Conference, April 6, West Lebanon, NH 207-622-3940

Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, April 18 - 19, Fort Wayne, IN, phone: 765-494-7220

World Congress of Veterinary Science, April 25 -29  Amsterdam, Netherlands

American Dairy Products Institute Annual Meeting, April 30 - May 3, Chicago, IL phone: 312-782-4888

36th Annual Dairy Production Conference, May 2 -3, Gainesville, FL Phone: 352-392-5594