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University of Idaho conference not a waste of time but time spent on waste
IBR STAFF//January 28, 2025//
Linda Schott
University of Idaho conference not a waste of time but time spent on waste
IBR STAFF//January 28, 2025//
Key Highlights
- The University of Idaho and ISAID host a national conference on animal waste.
- Event dates: April 7-11 at The Grove Hotel, Boise.
- Focus on sustainable practices for managing swine, poultry, and cattle waste.
- Includes expert presentations, networking opportunities, and Idaho agriculture tours.
A conference focused on agricultural practices is digging into the topic of waste, and not the administrative kind.
The University of Idaho (U of I) and Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy (ISAID) are partnering up to host a national conference focused on “creative and valuable ways to make use of animal waste.”
The conference will be held April 7 through 11 at The Grove Hotel in downtown Boise. Organizers for the event are expecting more than 100 attendees who represent cooperative extension, research entities, producers, regulators, conservation groups and industry experts.
Assistant Professor Linda Schott and Professor Mario de Haro-Marti, both with the U of I Extension, are co-chairing the conference with Professor Rhonda Miller from the Utah State University agricultural environmental quality Extension. The conference is held in a different region every few years and is hosted by the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community.
According to U of I, “the conference encompasses all aspects of animal agriculture, also including management of swine, poultry and cattle feedlot waste. It represents an opportunity to showcase the diversity of Idaho agriculture and the scope of the state’s dairy industry.”
When it comes to dairy, Idaho is the third-largest producer in the U.S.
“Idaho is a really unique location and climate for dairy production, which is different from other dairy states in the U.S.,” Schott said. “The sizes of our dairies are large, and they’re irrigated, which is a different production system. We also have small agricultural producers and lots of diversity in Idaho agriculture in general that folks coming in from other parts of the country may never have experienced before.”
Schott added that having the input of professionals in other states can “get the ball rolling for collaboration.”
The conference will host a variety of speakers, presentations and three tours that highlight Idaho agriculture.
