Exploring Sustainable Solutions: CLEAR Center Welcomes Groups to Campus

Whether they're just beginning to explore careers in agriculture or already helping lead one of the nation's largest pork-producing states, recent visitors to UC Davis came for the same reason: to better understand the science shaping the future of livestock sustainability.

That mission recently brought two very different groups to campus. One was a class of high school students from across the United States and around the world participating in UC Davis’s Continuing and Professional Education's Pre College course: The Future of Agriculture. The other was a cohort of emerging leaders from the Minnesota Pork Board Leadership Program, representing producers committed to advancing the future of the pork industry.

Although their backgrounds differed, both groups spent time at the UC Davis Swine Teaching and Research Center and other campus agricultural facilities, where they saw firsthand how livestock are raised and how research is helping producers meet the challenges of a changing world.

Industry Leadership Visits Campus

Members of the Activate: Minnesota Pork Leadership Cohort, an 18-month leadership development program through the Minnesota Pork Board, which prepares emerging pork industry advocates, toured part of the campus to learn more about California agriculture and the university's research programs. Also joining the visit was Neal Hull, director of state and regional marketing at the National Pork Board, who helped coordinate some of the cohort's California itinerary, including retail tours, and participated in the UC Davis campus tour to learn more about the university's research and educational programs.

"We wanted to see all of the facilities here, but especially the swine unit because it's both a teaching and research facility," said Kate Maddock, director of farm outreach for Minnesota Pork. "It's been incredible to see California agriculture and the similarities and differences compared to Minnesota."

Minnesota ranks among the nation's leading pork-producing states, with approximately 3,000 family farms generating billions of dollars in economic activity each year while supporting thousands of jobs across the state's agricultural economy. The group toured the UC Davis Swine Teaching and Research Center with swine barn manager Shelby Sopocy leading the group through every stage of swine production—with an emphasis on research and education—both trademarks of UC Davis. 

"One of the best parts of hosting producer groups is the opportunity to exchange ideas and find opportunities for collaboration," Sopocy said. "UC Davis is doing incredible research work in animal agriculture and training the next generation of young agricultural professionals, but hearing directly from producers ensures that research and training stays connected to the current and future realities of farming. At the end of the day, we're building relationships and partnerships that bring collegiate swine units and the commercial swine industry closer together."

The visit extended beyond the barns and research facilities to one of the industry's biggest challenges: communicating agriculture's story.

CLEAR Center Director Dr. Frank Mitloehner met with the Minnesota Pork Leadership cohort for an in-depth conversation on public trust, sustainability and the importance of helping consumers better understand modern animal agriculture. Drawing on examples from the CLEAR Center's storytelling work with Minnesota pork producers Dave Mesnick and Randy Spronk, Mitloehner showed how authentic, producer-led stories can resonate with audiences by highlighting the people behind the food they eat.

The conversation centered on a simple but powerful idea: farmers are already doing incredible work to meet growing demand while continually improving how they care for their animals and resources they are entrusted with, but those efforts have little impact if consumers never hear about them.

"The people raising livestock have some of the best stewardship stories to tell," Mitloehner said. "And work with your land grant universities in particular and talk to them about people who can help you to communicate your story. They can be very important.”

Following the discussion, Mitloehner led the group through the UC Davis beef feedlot, where they learned about ongoing research examining enteric methane emissions and feed additives, as well as other strategies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production. The tour gave participants an opportunity to see how university research is helping develop solutions that producers can implement directly on farms.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders

Just days before, another group arrived with a different perspective—but had the opportunity to experience the same behind-the-scenes look at research and education in action at the UC Davis Swine Teaching and Research Center. Rather than industry professionals, these visitors were high school students eager to explore careers in agriculture. While many teenagers spent their summer on vacation, a dozen students chose to spend theirs exploring the future of food and agriculture at the nation's top-ranked agricultural university.

The UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program offers a pre-college 10-day course, The Future of Agriculture, which introduces students to agricultural science through hands-on experiences, faculty lectures and visits to research farms, laboratories and production facilities. Leading the course is Maya Shydlowski, a UC Davis graduate and Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant Sciences, who designed the curriculum to expose students to every corner of modern agriculture—including livestock production.

"I think people forget that a big part of agriculture is livestock production and animal science," Shydlowski said. "I really want students to understand that animals are a big part of sustainability in agriculture, and it's often misunderstood."

Many students came from urban communities in California, other states and even overseas. Few had ever stepped inside a livestock facility before.

"A lot of them became interested in agriculture because of food, cooking and nutrition," Shydlowski said. "They're curious about where their food comes from."

Throughout the week, students visited research fields, greenhouses, the Student Farm. Designed to spark curiosity and inspire future leaders in agriculture, the program offers a collaborative and encouraging environment for students passionate about food, sustainability and the science behind feeding the world.

"I hope the future of agriculture is sustainable," Shydlowski said. "And I want students to see that research in animal science is constantly working to improve sustainability."

Students also had the opportunity to explore other areas of animal agriculture at UC Davis. At the feedlot, Sharissa Anderson, master’s student in Dr. Frank Mitloehner’s lab, guided students through a tour of the feedlot, offering an up-close look at beef cattle production while sharing details about her research around feed additives to reduce methane emissions. She also created a workbook for students to write notes down and answer questions about cattle production. Students learned how cattle are managed, fed and cared for, while gaining insight into the science driving improvements in livestock sustainability.

At the UC Davis Dairy, Alexis Wivell, also a master’s student in the Mitloehner Lab, introduced students to dairy production and discussed her work studying strategies to reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle. She also highlighted the important role dairy cows play in a circular food system by consuming byproducts from food and fiber production that would otherwise go to waste, converting them into nutrient-dense foods such as milk.

“We feed cows items like cotton seeds and almond hulls. When an almond is harvested, the almond is removed and the hull goes into a cow’s ration,” Wivell explained to the group. “So from an economic standpoint that benefits the almond farmer and the dairy farmer. And from a sustainability standpoint, we’re reducing the amount of food waste when we’re able to utilize those products for animal feed.”

Briana Adock, who recently earned a master’s degree in animal biology from UC Davis led the tour of the swine facility, introducing students to livestock production was personally very meaningful.

"I love getting to show students our facilities," she said. "My first exposure to agriculture wasn't until high school, so it's exciting to introduce them to opportunities I didn't know existed at that age."

While California is home to a diverse agricultural industry, relatively few people have the opportunity to see swine production firsthand, thus making the experience especially memorable. Of course, seeing newborn piglets quickly became a highlight—but so did the conversations.

"The students asked really thoughtful questions," Adock said. "They wanted to know about genetics, herd management, feed, water usage—even what the hardest part of raising pigs is. They were thinking beyond just seeing pigs."

By welcoming visitors from far and near to see animal agriculture up close and in person, UC Davis—and the CLEAR Center—continue to bridge the gap between research and practice, helping students and producers alike see how education and research are shaping the future of sustainability in animal agriculture.

(Photos by Tracy Sellers/UC Davis)