I-29 Moo University

What is the I-29 Moo University?

The I-29 Moo University is Extension and Industry Personnel from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska all working to grow the dairy industry via outreach education.

Join us for our october beef on dairy dialogue webinar

Impacts of early-life Bovine Respiratory Disease on growth and carcass traits in Beef Dairy Crosses

The I-29 Moo University Beef On Dairy Dialogue Webinar Series continues Tuesday, October 28 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Ingrid Fernandes will discuss how her study followed BXD cattle from weaning through slaughter to understand how early-life respiratory disease influences performance and carcass value.

Ingrid Lara Bordin Fernandes is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Animal Science, at Pennsylvania State University and is co-advised by Dr. Tara Felix and Dr. Melissa Cantor. Her study shows that bovine respiratory disease can leave lasting effects beyond the initial illness, underscoring its importance for both animal health and industry profitability.

She is originally from Brazil and has a background in ruminant nutrition and management, calf health, and livestock production systems. Her academic and professional experiences across Brazil and the United States have given her a comprehensive understanding of animal science, with a special emphasis on calf development, traceability, and feedlot management. She is passionate about integrating research with industry practices to support sustainable and profitable animal agriculture.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at:

https://go.iastate.edu/BOVINERESPIRATORY

November beef on dairy dialogue webinar

November 13 webinar to discuss transporting newborn dairy calves

The I-29 Moo University Beef On Dairy Dialogue Webinar Series continues Thursday, November 13 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Dr. Catie Cramer will discuss how transporting newborn dairy calves can be a bottleneck to success, if not managed correctly.

The presentation will review how early life transport can impact calves, management practices that can help reduce the negative consequences, and supply chain considerations.

Dr. Catie Cramer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University and has been on faculty since 2019. Dr. Cramer received her MS and PhD in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she focused on dairy calf health, welfare, and behavior. The overall goal of Dr. Cramer’s current research program is to identify effective solutions that improve human and animal wellbeing on livestock operations. Her recent projects regarding calf health have investigated strategies to prevent disease in calves and provided valuable information about the condition of dairy calves prior to and after transport in the Western United States. She enjoys productive collaborations with dairy stakeholders, students, and colleagues to co-create solutions that help dairy cattle and the people that care for them.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at:

https://go.iastate.edu/CALFTRANSPORT

Dr. Catie Cramer

Training and Pre-training Heifers for Robotic Milking

The I-29 Moo University Dairy Webinar Series continued on October 21, 2025 focusing on Training and Pre-training Heifers for Robotic Milking Success with University of Minnesota Dairy Educator James Salfer.

October forages webinar

The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association Forage Webinar Series continued on October 14, 2025 with a variety of forage topics including an overview of using forage to meet nutritional requirement for small ruminates, the economics of grazing heifers plus the monthly hay market outlook.

Manure scoring to see how cows are working with their diets

Dr. Mary Beth Hall, owner of The Cows Are Always Right dairy consulting business, counsels with producers to improve feeding and profitability. In this presentation, she’ll discuss how rumen and gut function can change manure characteristics, what those changes look like, and how evaluation of manure, feeds, diets, cow performance, and management can be brought together to look for ways to improve herd performance. This webinar was recorded on September 16, 2025.

Beef on Dairy Dialogue: Implications of Herd Rebuilding

This I-29 Moo University webinar was recorded on August 28, 2025, listen as Dr. Derrell Peel shares insights on cattle supply, prices, and herd rebuilding outlook.

2025 Forage Field day recap

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in partnership with I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association, hosted producers, agronomists and forage enthusiasts for the 2025 Forage Field Day on July 31 at the Western Research and Demonstration Farm near Castana. This video features drone footage and clips from the presentations.