If you’ve ever slathered your bread with rich Irish butter, you may have wondered if the Emerald Isle’s grasses impart some sort of magic to its grazing dairy cows.

And perhaps there is a sort of magic. We’ve put together four reasons why Ireland is a promised land for dairy cows, a place where blessings flow out to the world in the form of butter, milk, infant formula, yogurt and cheese.

1. The comfortable climate

Pack your wellies! There’s a reason Ireland’s rolling hills appear so green and lush.

Rainfall is common on the island. The east typically experiences 30 to 40 inches of rainfall per year, and the showers are even more abundant in the west, which receives between 40 and 50 inches. But the mountainous regions of Ireland top them all, literally; rainfall there can exceed 118 inches per year!

In the winter months, the average temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers stay cool, with temperatures ranging from 57 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the rain, the climate remains relatively comfortable for cows and farmers all year long.

2. The greener grass

Generous rainfall, mild weather conditions and rich soils contribute to an abundance of grass for pasture.

In Ireland, the dairy farming schedule is dependent on this grass. When cows calve in the spring, they eat as much grass as they can during their 300-day lactation period. More than 80 percent of Ireland’s agricultural land is devoted to pasture, hay and grass silage for this exact reason! The land area of Ireland is 6.9 million hectares, of which 4.4 million hectares is used for agriculture (DAFM, 2014).

3. A growing milk market

In 2014, the Irish dairy industry had an estimated value of €3.06 billion ($3.61 billion) in exports to 140 countries, and its milk production is expected to increase approximately 50 percent by 2020!

According to the Central Statistics Office in Ireland, 2016 domestic milk output checked in at 6,654 million litres, which led to the production of:

• 527 million litres, or 139 million gallons, of milk sold for human consumption.
• 198,700 tonnes (219,000 U.S. tons) of butter.
• 117,700 tonnes (129,700 U.S. tons) of skimmed milk powder.
• 205,000 tonnes (225,900 U.S. tons) of cheese.

There are approximately 139,600 family farms in Ireland. Although they manage only 1 percent of the world’s dairy cows, they are responsible for producing more than 15 percent of the world’s infant formula!

4. There is more than one cow for every four Irish people!

In 2016, the total number of dairy cows in Ireland hit a record high of 1.39 million cows. Comparing this to the population of Ireland of 4.773 million, this means there is just about one cow for every four Irish people.

Come see Ireland for yourself on our Great Green Getaway. U.S. dairy producers with a minimum herd of 50 cows are invited to enter our sweepstakes for a trip to Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day week 2018.

Sources

CSO statistical release, 28 July 2017

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/ms/milkstatisticsjune2017/

Irish Meteorological Service. July 2017. Climate of Ireland. Retrieved from https://www.met.ie/climate/climate-of-ireland

The Irish Times. March 7, 2015. There’s one cow for every four Irish people: the milk facts. Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/there-s-one-cow-for-every-four-irish-people-the-milk-facts-1.2129270

World Trade Center Dublin. March 16, 2016. The Emergence of the Irish Dairy Industry: a Success Story or a False Hope? Retrieved from http://wtcdublin.ie/the-emergence-of-the-irish-dairy-industry-a-success-story-or-a-false-hope/

In just over one year since being acquired by Alltech, fish feed specialist Coppens International is on its way to achieving one of its primary objectives: to replace fish oil DHA with algae.

Over the course of the last 12 months, Alltech Coppens has progressively replaced the fish oil source of DHA in its diets with Alltech’s innovative, DHA-rich algae technology, ForPlus™.

“Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food sector in the world,” said Patrick Charlton, CEO of Alltech Coppens. “People are consuming more fish, but they want that fish to be produced sustainably, so the goal of many companies, including our own, has been to significantly reduce reliance on fish-derived products such as fish oil and fish meal.

“Research done in multiple species with Alltech’s ForPlus has enabled us to reformulate our diets,” continued Charlton. “Our aim is to replace all of our DHA requirements in our fish feeds with ForPlus by the end of this year. In fact, we are already marketing a range of trout feeds under the Neogreen brand that include Alltech’s revolutionary ForPlus and have absolutely no fish-based raw materials in them, and these have been very well-received by the market. We expect to expand this technology into other fish species based on the success we have seen with trout.”

This positions Alltech Coppens well to weather increasing pressures on the aquaculture industry from consumers and limited resources.

“These are exactly the steps the aquafeed industry needs to be taking to ensure our fish supplies remain sustainable and financially viable,” stated Dr. Patrick Wall, professor of public health at University College Dublin’s School of Public Health and Population Sciences, which hosts Ireland’s National Nutrition Surveillance Centre. “We cannot keep feeding fish back to fish and expect the consumer to turn a blind eye. The goal of all fish feed companies should be to minimize and ultimately remove all fish-based ingredients in their diets, and Alltech Coppens has clearly shown this can be done.”

ForPlus is a completely traceable and sustainable source of high-DHA omega-3. By incorporating the algae technology into aquatic feeds, producers have an opportunity to offset the trend of declining DHA omega-3 levels in farmed fish and offer consumers a distinct, value-added functional food.

Alltech Coppens gained compliance with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council in 2016, a confirmation of its reputation as an innovative, high-quality aquatic feed producer for almost a quarter century. With a strong production infrastructure in the heart of Europe, Alltech Coppens’ specialties include temperate and tropical marine and freshwater diets for a variety of juvenile and adult species, as well as top-quality ornamental, specialty and bait feeds, which are distributed to more than 60 countries.

To find out more about Alltech Coppens’ innovative range of aquatic feeds optimized with algae, visit www.coppens.com.

Aquaculture, also known as aqua farming, is believed to have first begun around 4,000 years ago in China with the production of carp and is now the fastest-growing animal food production sector in the world. For the first time in history, the consumption of farmed fish has exceeded that of wild-caught fish, and by 2030, aquaculture is expected to account for two-thirds of the fish that humans consume. Aquaculture also includes the production of shellfish, crustaceans and seaweeds that provide both important sources of human nutrition and molecular components for the pharmaceutical industry.

The increased demand for fish has put a strain on resources and sustainable practices among fisheries, requiring the innovative use of existing and new technologies. Fortunately, there is great potential to produce this protein source sustainably, particularly through the advent of technology.

Like other agricultural industries, the technologies being introduced within aquaculture are the focus of interest from the farming community and its investors. According to AgFunder, aquaculture investment increased 271 percent in 2016 over the previous two years.

The demand for fish is ever-increasing, particularly as its health benefits continue to gain acclaim with consumers, who, overall, are becoming more interested in the nutritional advantages of their food choices. While the production of fish as a primary protein source is considerably more efficient than other protein sources such as cattle or pork by as much as six and four times, respectively, on a feed conversion basis, much can still be done to improve production and efficiency in aquaculture. In a previous article, I identified eight technologies that possess the power to transform agriculture. I’d like to outline specifically how these eight technologies are having a profound impact on aquaculture.

1. Could 3D printing save lives?

Believe it or not, you can print your own hydroponic system! That is, of course, if you have a 3D printer. While many people still do not have one for personal use, 3D printers are becoming more affordable, and it’s possible that home 3D printers could become as ubiquitous as coffee makers in the near future. 3Dponics is a company that offers downloadable instructions for printing hydroponic systems. Not only could this technology be used by the aquaculture industry to produce hybrid aquaponic systems, but it could potentially lead to personal at-home aquaculture gardens.

Another example of 3D printing in aquaculture is a fish robot printed by MIT that almost perfectly mimics an actual fish’s motions and movements. Technology like this could allow for opportunities to further study and understand the natural environments of aqua-related species. A better understanding of fish in their natural environment could aid in improving welfare conditions and provide a more natural experience for fish used in production.

This soft robotic fish was developed by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Photo Credit: M. Scott Brauer

A very different aspect of 3D printing involves the production of seaweed. Aquaculture includes plant stocks raised in bodies of water, and within this space, algae hold particular promise for causing disruption and even saving lives. Algae have been used to create an environmentally friendly, inexpensive material in the form of a gel used to 3D print medical implant devices. If demand increases enough to drive the need for increased production, companies such as Australian-based Venus Shell Systems could reap the benefits. The production of human tissue and organs is also already on the agendaalgae could lead to the next generation of life-saving procedures.

2. Will robots farm our fish?

While considered a sustainable alternative to wild fishing, farmed fish are not without their own sustainability concerns. Fish farms are often cramped conditions that can exacerbate issues such as diseases and parasites, leading to lower yields and higher production costs. A remarkable company that is using this technology to actively sort sick or harmed fish as well as those that are ready for processing is Cermaq. 

The future of fish farming could very well lie in giant, autonomous roaming robotic cages, called aquapods, such as the SeaStation by InnovaSea. While these impressive cages might seem costly when compared to other costs of aquaculture, the technology is likely to prove its efficiencies against stationary fish farms, particularly as demand for protein from fish sources increases.

The Aquapod is a free-floating fish farm that can accommodate several hundred thousand fish. Image Credit: InnovaSea.

If aquapods grow fish in the open ocean, what happens when repairs are needed? Norwegian company SINTEF is developing an underwater robot that will be able to examine and repair these nets, providing a safer and more cost-effective way to manage the operation.

How will we then get these offshore fish to market? Rolls Royce believes robotic cargo ships will be used for more efficient, clean and cost-effective shipping, and this concept could potentially become a vehicle for transporting the fish raised offshore to commercial entities. In fact, Rolls Royce has already signed contracts to transport construction materials for offshore aqua farms, though these will most likely be facilitated through usual cargo methods initially.

Other robotic opportunities in our oceans include SeaVax, which is working to create a large-scale, solar-powered robotic vacuum cleaner that could pick up around 150 tons of plastic from the ocean. OceanOne is a bimanual underwater humanoid that allows for safer underwater exploration. This innovation could potentially serve as a human avatar, allowing the operator to work underwater while staying onshore. Maritime Robotics and Deep Trekker both provide robotic or unmanned ocean monitoring devices to be used in exploration and aqua farming.

3. Drones dare to take on dangerous dives for data

Similar in many ways to robots, drones also offer applications for aquaculture both above and below the water. Drones can be utilized for monitoring offshore fish farms, for example, and can take on any number of tasks that currently require specialized and expensive human intervention, such as inspecting underwater cages for damage or holes.

Companies like Apium Swarm Robotics use drones en masse to survey the ocean and provide analysis through the use of sensor technology. Blueye Pioneer offers live video streaming of underwater exploration through the use of the Blueye app on a smartphone, tablet or with goggles. Companies like SeaDrone, Aquabotix, PowerRay and OpenROV are making affordable drones for underwater exploration of both a professional and personal nature.

This PowerRay drone can even include a virtual reality headset that allows users to explore open water while staying dry. Image Credit: PowerRay website

Drones are also able to collect information that can be used to create algorithms that further develop the technology or applications available in the production of aquaculture and offshore fish farms. Saildrone, for example, offers data collection, fish stock analysis and environmental tracking and could easily be applied to offshore aquaculture. This aquatic drone connects with a producer’s tablet, smartphone or computer and allows for information to be gathered and analyzed.

4. Sensors for smarter, more sustainable aquaculture

Many of the drones and robots mentioned above use sensors to navigate underwater and collect data such as water pH, salinity, oxygen levels, turbidity and pollutants.

From salmon to oysters, biosensors such as those created by Sense-T are helping to create efficiencies in the industry through the analysis of oxygen levels and water temperature; even heart rate and metabolism can be measured! Shrimp farms in India are using Sensorex to monitor dissolved oxygen levels and balance pH to create an ideal atmosphere for improved shrimp efficiencies and yields.

One of the coolest technologies is that of eFishery, which uses sensors to detect the hunger level of the fish and feed them accordingly. It can be used in any size farm and can reduce feed costs by up to 21 percent.

eFishery’s sensor technology can reduce feeding costs by up to 21 percent. Photo courtesy of eFishery.

Real Tech uses sensors to monitor water quality and uses ultraviolet transmission to disinfect water of pathogens and clean aquaculture production facilities. Norwegian AKVA Group builds an entire cage with cameras, sensors, feeding and recirculation systems for use in open ocean or inland farming.

Osmobot focuses exclusively on land-based aquaculture and allows for cloud management and mobile connectivity. YSI has an array of handheld sensing devices, automatic feeding technology and transportation tanks that maintain the fishes’ ideal environment. Other neat companies that offer entire monitoring systems include IPI Singapore, which offers real-time monitoring and connects for cloud-based analytics, and Pentair, which offers a complete suite of sensor-enabled aquaponic equipment for the small-time hobbyist all the way up to commercial production companies.

5. Artificial intelligence empowers aquaculture decision-making

Collecting most of their information from sensors, many aquaculture technology companies are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve decision-making. The Yield, an Australian company that provides technologies for all types of agriculture, uses its Sensing+Aqua technology to create predictive analytics for enhanced data-driven decision-making.

Shoal’s robotic fishes work collectively using AI to locate sources of pollution underwater. Credit: SHOAL Consortium/handout

A robotic fish known as Shoal uses AI, or swarm intelligence (SI), to detect pollution underwater. The robots are sent out as a group and must be able to navigate their environment, avoid obstacles, including those of other robotic fish, recharge themselves at charging stations and generally make decisions autonomously of humans. Even companies that are considered market leaders in simpler technologies such as camera and feeding systems, such as Steinvikare making strides to incorporate AI and system learning into their technology in order to remain competitive and accommodate customers’ rising expectations.

According to The Economist, nearly 32 percent of wild-caught fish are procured unsustainably. The introduction of AI can greatly reduce overexploited fish species through camera and data collection systems that use AI to identify species and enable greater accountability of harvesting practices.

The Seafood Innovation Cluster launched the AquaCloud platform, which aims to help managers, researchers and scientists gain new insights through its massive data collection and analysis. Particularly focused on sea lice management, the platform then uses AI to aid in the monitoring of infestations' development and spread within the environment, effectively promoting more effective area management systems for the control of pathogens.

6. Augmented reality (AR) adds a new dimension to dives

The U.S. Navy developed this diver’s helmet that uses augmented reality. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

There is great potential for the use of AR in the aquaculture industry. Already the U.S. Navy uses DAVD (Divers Augmented Vision Display), which superimposes high-resolution sonar imagery on a diver’s visual world. NASA has tested Microsoft’s HoloLens in a similar way. Comparable masks include Scubus S by Indiegogo, which has a camera, or Smart Swimming Goggles by Yanko Design, which even allows for calls between divers. The implications for this from an aquaculture industry standpoint are significant. Producers could use this technology to improve the efficiency of operations, analyze mortalities, health status and a variety of environmental parameters.

One of the best ways to incorporate AR into the aquaculture industry is to use it for teaching and instructional purposes. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) designed an aquaculture simulator using virtual reality and AR, incorporating Oculus Rift’s technologies. The program has been designed to teach about fish welfare, disease prevention, escaping fish and dangerous working conditions. This last concept is of particular importance to students, as salmon farming is one of Norway’s principle industries.

7. Virtual reality (VR) is opening the eyes of the next generation to aquaculture

Currently, the most practical applications for virtual reality are training and education.

The opportunities for VR in the aquaculture industry are many, particularly for training and education. VR is being used by NTNU to pique the next generation’s interest in aquaculture. NTNU has developed an aquaculture simulator that uses VR to allow students to virtually visit a fish farm. It is quite clear how such developments could also be used for training purposes in the aquaculture industry.

8. Blockchain verifies sustainability, improves transparency from fishery to finished plate

Blockchain is best known as a financially secure method of payment, which could greatly benefit the aquaculture industry. Due in part to the lifecycle of the fish and in part to the significant values involved in the transactions, the industry suffers from a poor reputation for payment contracts.

Much like the concept of open ocean fishing, the interconnectivity of blockchain should elicit more sustainable practices in aquaculture.

Blockchain is a digital record of transactions that is accessible publicly and is incorruptible by any one person. What it would mean for the aquaculture industry is the opportunity for transactions between suppliers and purchasers to occur immediately and safely. There would be no need for the exchange of physical monies, potentially saving the added expense of transaction and currency exchanges. Furthermore, information about individual harvests and production methods could be stored here and made accessible to other producers and consumers. Privacy is always a critical concern when discussing these matters, but the way blockchain is set up maintains privacy while enforcing transparency. Fish that is claimed as sustainably produced could, in fact, be verified as such.

Connecting all of these disruptive technologies is the internet of things (IoT). It is this technological revolution of computing and communications that makes the robot capable of performing tasks as assigned by a remote user or that transfers information obtained through sensors to producers for analysis on smartphones, tablets or computers. For prime examples of IoT technology, look no further than Eruvaka Technologies or Cargo Zippers.

The adaptation and adoption of these eight digital technologies are occurring at an ever-increasing rate in many industries. Aquaculture has been a relatively late adopter, and what we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg. When considering that the industry is the fastest-growing sector in food production and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations anticipates that an additional 27 million tons of fish production will be needed just to maintain the present level of consumption in 2030, it should come as no surprise that additional ag-tech investments in aquaculture will be at record levels. The future of fish farming looks more sustainable, more traceable and more profitable.

I want to learn more about aquaculture nutrition.

Peer into the abode of today’s modern millennial couple, and there’s something striking: the baby bassinet is missing and in its place is a perfectly plush dog bed.

Millennials, as the largest consumer group, are the ultimate game-changers for pet food companies and product retailers.

Millennial family portraits: Pet parents and the pooch

The modern millennial family is being formed with pets instead of, or well before, the much later addition of children. As such, for pet companies and retailers, the ubiquitous “millennial mom” being chased by most major mainstream brands today is instead the powerful pet parent.

These pet parents are more than willing to reach deep into their bank accounts for their beloved beasts. But they also possess similar characteristics to the traditional millennial mom: a demand for convenience, transparency and sustainability in the products they purchase.

New to the pet-purchasing scene: Socially conscious spenders

Now that millennials have reached the point in their lives to be engaged consumers with expendable incomes, big brands’ boardrooms are paying heed to the group’s demands and desires. While there is much negative stereotyping about the generation, millennials have matured into a group of socially aware consumers. With this comes a demand that the brands that they purchase are transparent about every aspect of their business, from the types and sources of their ingredients to the manufacturing processes and even sustainability initiatives in place at the corporate level.

Small brands are in the spotlight

The distrust that millennials have for large corporations has led to an embracing of smaller brands with a real message that feels personal to them. This is particularly evident in regard to ingredient sourcing and sustainability initiatives. Small brands have made a name for themselves by displaying their quality ingredients with transparency. Similarly, brands that tout the sustainability of their foods’ ingredients receive high marks from this generation.

In the past, many of these smaller brands were ignored by the big players in the industry, but now those brands are prime targets for acquisition. Recognizing what these small players are doing right but realizing the inherent challenge for a large firm to morph into this new image is the precise reason behind these purchases.

But a strong story with healthy, wholesome ingredients is not enough for millennials. Convenience is critical.

Special delivery for Fido

The online market for pet products has exploded recently. PetSmart purchased chewy.com in the largest e-commerce acquisition to date in order to rev up its lagging presence in the online space. Amazon Prime has set the expectation, and now today’s busy consumer can’t understand not having the option of fast, free delivery to their door. Brands without a value proposition for online convenience will be left behind.

Four-legged social media stars

Finally, companies must learn to embrace the new normal of pets as children. Social media is where we see the strongest evidence of the role that pets play in people’s lives. Pets themselves are commanding their own online “pack” of followers on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. The Huffington Post even published an article in March 2017 listing the best dogs to follow on Instagram. Obviously, the dogs are not posting, but their “parents” are, and these adorable pets and their antics are winning quick acclaim with generations that have grown up with cruising cat videos on YouTube.

Just as grain-free sparked a revolution in the pet food industry, now millennials are fanning the flames of a new normal.

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Is delicious pet food only about choosing the best ingredients? No. There are many factors that affect palatability in dogs and cat foods.

Pet foods have many goals. At a basic level, they need to meet nutritional requirements. Beyond that, they should include ingredients that differentiate the product on crowded store shelves and echo a brand philosophy to which consumers, particularly millennials, feel connected.

But, none of this matters if dogs and cats don’t like it.

Choosing ingredients is the easy part. Ensuring the food tastes amazing to Fido and Kitty is a whole other science that involves parameters such as:

• Texture
• Shape
• Hardness
• Surface area
• Moisture
• Particle size

Dogs and cats have different opinions on what makes their food taste good.

The cat’s cravings

Cats prefer a slightly acidic taste and a lower moisture content. As carnivores, it’s in their nature to have an affinity for animal protein, which is an excellent source of amino acids, contributing to an overall acidic taste. Organic acids, such as citric acid, can also be used as a finishing touch to provide cats with that “meow” factor!

The pooch’s preferences

Dogs prefer a product with a higher moisture value, around 8–10 percent. Historically, they are obligate omnivores with a diet comprised of animal proteins as well as high moisture content fruits and vegetables.

Dogs also enjoy a slightly sweet flavor. Using ingredients with a slightly sweet taste, such as a nutrient-dense yeast extract, can have a big impact on boosting palatability.

Cats and dogs agree on food shapes

We used to believe that cats and dogs differed greatly in their preference of food shape, too, but recent studies have shown that dogs and cats are surprisingly similar.

Dogs prefer round discs, while cats prefer ovals. This could be due to the fact that a round disc or oval shape has more surface area to distribute the delicious fats and coatings applied to the exterior of the kibble.

Kibble: Chunky and crunchy

The hardness of the kibble is important as well. Both cats and dogs appreciate a crunch, yet the kibble has to break into chunks in their mouth rather than flake apart.

No cat or dog wants to eat a kibble that has a grainy texture or an uneven texture. Small particle size is a key factor to developing a smooth kibble.

Fresh is best in pet foods

Lastly, make sure food is, and stays, fresh. Dogs and cats can detect rancidity or spoiled ingredients from a mile away. Using a natural antioxidant, such as mixed tocopherols, goes a long way in ensuring fats don’t deteriorate during the shelf life of the product.

Ironically, dogs will happily seek out whatever the neighbor’s dog has left on the lawn or sniff around the kitchen garbage. But, when it comes to what’s in the food bowl, our best friends demand the best to satisfy their exceptionally sophisticated palate.

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How many of us floss daily?

How many of us are brushing our pet’s teeth?

We have good intentions. We buy the floss for ourselves but don’t use it regularly. We may even add the doggie dental care kit to our Amazon order, but we have a hard enough time taking care of our own teeth (ahem, unused floss). In fact, according to Packaged Facts, only 20 percent of dog owners and 11 percent of cat owners brush their pet’s teeth at all!

If you’re on the receiving end of doggie affection, you know why this is important. No one likes bad breath, even if the offender is your best fur friend.

Pet maladies: A malodorous cue?

But bad breath is more than just offensive to us; it can be an indication of a more serious health issue.

According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health Report 2016, 76 percent of dogs and 68 percent of cats are affected by dental disease, which not only impacts the teeth, gums and mouth, but can potentially affect a pet’s heart, liver and kidneys.

Brushing and professional teeth cleaning are key to oral and dental health, but treats, chews and supplements can also play a significant role. Building a pet’s immune defenses with the right nutrition is critical for oral health.

Perfecting your pet’s pearly whites

The form of the pet diet is important. Hard kibble cleans teeth better than wet foods.

Composition is also critical. Nutrition influences tooth, bone and mucosal integrity, oral bacterial composition, resistance to infection and tooth longevity.

A nutritionally adequate diet will prevent any mineral or vitamin deficiencies, but we can do better. By providing our pets with ingredients that support immunity, prebiotics like Bio-Mos® and probiotic bacteria help support gut health and nutrient absorption. Bio-Mos is designed to feed the gastrointestinal tract, promoting beneficial bacteria and building natural defenses.

Feeding organic trace minerals like Bioplex® and Sel-Plex® ensure our pets absorb the minerals in a way that their bodies can fully utilize. Immunity starts in the gut, but it affects a pet’s entire body, including its oral and dental health.

Place that Amazon order for a doggie or kitty dental care kit, but don’t ignore what’s going into the food bowl. Supporting immunity from the inside out through nutrition is a crucial step in keeping breath fresh and preventing dental disease.

Your pets will appreciate it, and the resulting kisses will be a little more pleasant for you, too!

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This is the story of a brave woman, a misunderstood horse and how each brought courage and happiness to the other.

Brave woman

Lisa Murray, executive assistant to Dr. Mark Lyons, global vice president and head of Greater China at Alltech, comes from a long line of horsemen. She grew up in Cincinnati because that’s where her parents could find work. But the family's hearts were in their Eastern Kentucky hometown of Berea, where her uncle John Murray had a farm.

“When I was 13, they thought I was old enough to handle myself and not be in the way, so I was allowed to go stay with him,” said Lisa. “And he was the man in my life that I looked up to — my dad’s oldest brother out of a family of 12.”

Lisa’s formative years were devoted to riding in field trials and competing in the show horse industry.

She could not have known in those days that she was on a path to a friendship that would endure through the brightest and the darkest moments of her life.

The stars began aligning in 2001 when friends in Michigan had bred a foal, hoping for a winner in breed show performance classes, only to be informed by their trainer that the horse just didn’t have what it takes. Upon hearing this, Dr. Harv and Brenda Carlon thought of Lisa and her daughter.

“Brenda approached me and said, ‘Hey, would you like him for Jeren? Maybe he could be a good 4-H project,’” Lisa recalled.

Weeks later, the double-registered Tennessee Walking and Spotted Saddle Horse Repeat the Beat, aka “Pete,” was on his way south to Lisa, who then lived in the Franklin/Murfreesboro area of Tennessee.

It was a difficult transition for Pete. Lisa had trail riding in mind. He had trouble fitting in.

“He was kind of goofy,” she said. “He had only been in a show barn. He had never had any real-world experience out on a trail. So, his nickname was ‘Unpredictable Pete.’”

A misunderstood horse

It turned out, however, that instead of being a goofy hothead, Pete simply had been misunderstood, and there seemed to be no way to tell the humans in his life.

The breakthrough came as he was turning 4, Lisa recalled. Friends visiting from Germany had taken Pete on a trail ride while she stayed behind to tend to chores. When they returned, they excitedly reported, “Wow! Pete can jump!”

Pete was the first Tennessee Walking Horse ever invited to give a demonstration at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, pictured here with rider, Victoria Gomez.

Lisa was sure they must be talking about her gray Arabian, a former jumper. She thought to herself, “Pete doesn’t know how to jump. He’s a Tennessee Walking Horse. Gaited horses don’t typically jump.”

“I walked outside with them, and they had my whole field set up with jumps,” she said. “They said, ‘He jumps so nice!’”

Until the visitors from Germany pointed it out, no one would have even tried to jump him, she said.

By her own admission, Lisa knew nothing about jumpers. But after consulting other women who knew the ropes, she started taking Pete out to events all around the middle Tennessee region.

“Initially, people would just stand and stare because when you see Pete next to a regular horse, first of all, he’s kind of small — he’s only 15 hands — but he’s this lit-up color that they’re not used to seeing,” she explained.

Pete’s coat resembles that of a blue heeler dog: a roan body with a tail and mane of black and silver and some spots on his belly. He’s officially registered as a Black Roan Sabino.

“But when you see him jump, that is the happiest horse on the planet,” Lisa said. “He’s very ‘ears forward,’ and everybody comments that he has this ‘tail flip’ as he lands from a jump. It’s obvious that he’s so happy.”

Still, she wondered: “Why is this horse doing this? Why does he like it? How is he doing it?”

Then she recognized that Pete’s body confirmation is such that he is actually built to jump. So, she started calling around to barns, asking for help, and nobody wanted to talk to her because Pete is a Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed that has been under a cloud of controversy over the practice by some in the industry of soring and the use of chains and pads to produce a distinctive show-ring gait.

Pete had not been subjected to the practices, but as a registered Tennessee Walking Horse, he had been tarred with the same brush. And perhaps, as Lisa would later discover, deep down in his DNA was a sensitivity for those who have been abused.

Lisa did eventually find a willing trainer. And, in 2004, the Carlons, thrilled to learn of his new career as a jumper, gifted Pete to her.

She built a team to compete with Pete. It became a collaboration among a group of young riders, and eventually Pete won competition after competition.

But not at first.

Lost in the translation

Anyone who shares space with an animal — a dog or cat, for example — knows that over time you find a way to communicate: a “lexicon.” Lisa and Pete developed theirs.

“He has great respect for me,” she explained. “There are things that he’ll do for me that he won’t do for anyone else. We’re in synch.”

This became crystal clear one day when Pete was taken to his first horse show and entered in the novice jumper class.

“And he wouldn’t jump anything. He stopped at every jump and just stood there,” Lisa recalled with horror.

The rider said, “I’m so sorry, I don’t understand. I’m talking to him, and every jump, he’s just: nope.”

Lisa, wracking her brain for an explanation, asked, “What are you saying to him when you’re approaching the jump?”

The rider said, “I’m just saying, ‘Easy, Pete, easy.’”

It turned out that when trail riding, as Lisa and Pete approach a creek crossing or any obstacle, she always says to him, “Easy, Pete.”

“He knows that every time he hears the word ‘easy,’ it means stop, assess the situation and then walk over it,” she said.

The trainer returned Pete to the ring.

“He went double-clear (no time or jumping penalties),” said Lisa. “He was brilliant.”

Pete, and his rider Ashley Jones, under the training of Dauntless Performance Horses and Chelsea Kolman, in Ocala, Florida, Spring 2017. Photo credit: Darlene Wohlart.

Winner, icon and all around nice guy

Pete’s been a winner. But now, as he retires at 18, he’s also an icon.

In July, he became the official 2017 Breyer Horse model, a limited edition of his plastic likeness selling out at BreyerFest 2017, now in its 28th year at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Pete and some of his former riders were on hand for the event, which drew an estimated crowd of 20,000, many children among them. And Pete likes kids.

“He stood at that gate with his ears completely up, and when a child would come, he would lower himself to the level of the child,” said Lisa.

Lisa attributes Pete’s fitness and good looks at age 18 to his customized diet of Alltech-owned McCauley's. feed and the company’s vitamin and mineral supplement, Trinergy®.

“Pete needs a specific diet, and they answered all of my questions and came up with a fantastic plan for me,” she said.

You’ve got a friend

To fully understand the very special bond between Lisa and Pete, you have to dig a little deeper.

Lisa’s first marriage to a horse trainer in 1985 was at the tender age of 19. They had a daughter, Jeren. The marriage, like many that begin at such an early age, ended in divorce in 1994.

In the following years, Lisa devoted her energies to her daughter’s riding career, and, in 2003, Jeren, riding her own horse Ali Ali, won her first world championship. She went on to repeat the feat in 2004 and 2005.

Jeren Guthrie McCluskey with three-time world champion Ali Ali. Photo Credit: Jack Greene

Many years passed before Lisa would again feel comfortable about the commitment of marriage. The day came in 2007 when she married the Nashville-based Dutch sport horse trainer Arnold Warmels.

In 2010, the decision was made to relocate Warmels’ training center, Fryslân Valley Sport Horses, to Lexington.

They had been attracted to the Horse Capital of the World at a time when the city was buzzing with energy. For the first time in its history, the FEI World Equestrian Games, eight world championships in equestrian sport, were being hosted by the United States. And the events were to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park.

It was through the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 that Lisa became acquainted with the title sponsor, Alltech, and learned that the company was in search of an executive assistant to president and founder Dr. Pearse Lyons’ son, Mark.

She was hired. Her first day on the job was Jan. 3, 2011.

And within the year, Lisa’s life was suddenly and horrifically upended when abuse no one knew she had been enduring at home escalated into violence.

It’s a story that she wants told in the hope that it will inspire other battered women to persevere and help drive changes and improvements in domestic violence law and support programming.

What happened to Lisa on the night of Sept. 21, 2011, is summarized in the book “Violence Against Women in Kentucky: A History of U.S. and State Legislative Reform” by Carol E. Jordan, executive director of the University of Kentucky Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women.

When Lisa Murray first met him (Warmels), he was like no man she had ever known. He was European and spoke five languages. He was attentive and thoughtful — always doing little things to impress her. His family was accomplished, creative and professional, and when she was with them she felt like she was part of something important.

What she didn’t know about him seemed mysterious and attractive.

Three years after they met, they married, and subtle signs began to emerge — so subtle that she recognizes them only in hindsight: his strange behavior when they were with a group of people, his criticisms and rude statements, his tendency to put her down in front of others, his withdrawal of intimacy. Most disturbing was his lack of empathy. When she was thrown from a horse and hospitalized, he showed no concern. When his friend died in an automobile accident, he seemed not to care.

Over time, his verbal abuse grew. He screamed at Lisa, accused her of stealing his belongings and ruining his life. He broke glass objects and threw things at her.

One night, in September of 2011, his verbal and emotional assaults peaked, and Lisa had finally had enough. She turned around and, with all the confidence she could muster, told him never to say those things to her again.

She turned to walk away and never heard him coming. He grabbed her, threw her down, beat her with his fists, and repeatedly slammed her head against the wooden floor until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, still lying on the floor, she knew she had to flee. She mustered her strength and ran to a nearby gas station, where she collapsed. Police were called, and she was taken to the hospital, confused, frightened and injured.

These days, Lisa feels like she can breathe freely again. But even in the silence she revels in, the fear is there. As she says, “I’m always looking over my shoulder.”

Jordan had gotten to know Lisa and regards her as an extraordinary model for other women who have experienced domestic violence. She emphasizes that the Lisa Murray who was knocked unconscious on that awful September night and the Lisa Murray who is the consummate professional are the same person.

As a testament to the strength of Lisa’s character, she immediately filed for divorce and took her abuser to criminal court, an excruciating ordeal during which she was forced to move three times and totaled her car.

Warmels was convicted and subsequently spent a year in prison in Kentucky, followed by five months in a federal prison.

Since his release, Warmels no longer resides in Kentucky but remains in the U.S.

Lisa has reunited with her daughter, Jeren, who now has two children of her own. They love horses.

Lisa and Pete with grandchildren Madison and Alexis.

After discovering a lack of resources for battered women in Kentucky, Lisa has gone public with her case, appearing on the radio and becoming a member of the Kentucky Survivors Council.

“It's a platform that I've stood strong about,” she said. “I prefer to see myself as a survivor and not a victim.”

She gives enormous credit to Greenhouse17, an intimate partner abuse victims advocacy organization, for helping her through those terrible times.

She is grateful to colleagues at Alltech, including the Lyons family and many of the company’s top executives, for their patience and unwavering support as she navigated troubled waters.

And always there for her has been Pete and his barn companion, Jiltsjke, a big Friesian mare.

“Those two horses are what saw me through that very traumatic, difficult time in my life,” she said. “Every day I could go out to the barn and it was just this smile. He’s silly and goofy. Anybody who’s around him will say, ‘Oh my gosh, you should see what he just did.’ He interacts with people.”

Jiltsjke has since been sold, but Lisa says that Pete “is the one horse that I’ve had in my life that was never for sale. I’ve been offered a lot for Pete, but I will never let him go.”

The brave woman and the misunderstood horse

Pete found happiness by prevailing over a stereotype to reveal his truth: “I’m not a walker, I’m a jumper!”

Repeat the Beat, or Pete as Lisa calls him. Photo Credit: Heidi Rockhold

Lisa Murray has found her own truth in the discovery that as bad as things can get, “there is nothing I can’t do. Nothing I can’t achieve.”

“I have a lot of strong, independent women friends, and those horses bring so much to us,” she said. “There were several times when I could’ve shipped Pete off for awhile and said ‘Hey, take care of him, I’m going through something.’ But if I were to sell Pete, I’d be selling my soul. I’m not going to compromise that.”

The buzz of the beehive is growing silent. A mysterious grim reaper has been killing off large percentages of the insect population responsible for the majority of the food we consume.

Colony Collapse Disorder is the term scientists have coined for the little-understood cause of an approximately 30 percent annual reduction in the number of bees on our planet. The trigger of such “beecide” may be multifactoral, possibly involving pathogens, parasites, pesticides and environment stressors such as climate change and habitat loss.

The potential impact of this perplexing problem could sting much more than the bees’ own memorable pokes. Seventy-five percent of all cultivated crops are unable to produce without pollination!

Morehead State University in Kentucky is already beginning to feel that sting. The university is home to Browning Orchard, a 250-acre farm that produces 23 varieties of apples. The apples are processed by several local cider mills, are used by the University of Kentucky for hard cider research and also serve as the centerpiece of the university’s much-loved Apple Festival held each autumn.

“We use bees to pollinate our trees. For the past three years, we have lost some of the bees — not all of them, but some of them,” said Amy Poston Lentz, then-horticulture supervisor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Morehead State University and team advisor to the 2016 Alltech Innovation Competition undergraduate winners.

Each time they experienced bee losses, a new hive needed to be started, driving up their production costs at the orchard.

So they decided to craft a plan B.

The Pollinizer: A drone alternative to real bees

An undergraduate team of Morehead students, representing a collaboration between the school’s agriculture and business programs, designed “The Pollinizer,” a drone attachment capable of mimicking the pollination activities of a real bee.

Not only does The Pollinizer present an alternative should worst fears be realized and more of the bee population is decimated, but the team noted that their drone attachment can increase and improve yield by working in conjunction with the bees.

After winning first place in the undergraduate category of the 2016 Alltech Innovation Competition in Kentucky, the student team — Jordan Bach, Tessa Combs, Adam Lyon and Dalton Shepherd — is still considering their next steps but plan to pursue a patent. The team is being advised by Janet Ratliff, assistant professor of management/entrepreneurship, director of the Center for Economic Education and advisor for the student organization Students in Free Enterprise at Morehead State University.

Most importantly to them, they say, is the impact this project could have on their school’s orchard as well as the surrounding community. Morehead State University is located in eastern Kentucky, a region that has been hit hard economically by the decline of coal. Lentz noted that reclaimed mountain tops in the area are now becoming apple orchards and small farms.

Have a question or comment?

“Winter is coming.” While our winters don’t last as long as those in Westeros of the “Game of Thrones,” preparation is key in readying ourselves for the coming spring.

Once harvest is complete, it is the perfect time to take stock of the previous growing season and look ahead to what the next year will bring. In particular, we have four winter planning suggestions for growers to maximize the potential of their operation in the coming seasons.

Soil testing:

Post-harvest is an important time to get your soil testing done. The testing will create a baseline for spring and help you plan for nutrient applications. It can also allow for more economical alternatives to nutrient applications that are usually administered in the spring. For example, phosphorus and potassium tend to be more economical during the offseason.

“Historically, the least expensive time to buy phosphorus and potassium is late in the year,” said Chuck McKenna, Alltech Crop Science sales manager. “As soon as facilities start filling up with those ingredients, the price goes up.”

McKenna also noted that applying these nutrients in late autumn and winter frees up the grower to potentially only apply nitrogen, if needed, in the spring.

Cover cropping:

The use of cover crops in autumn and winter allows for increased aeration and water-holding capability in the soil. A growing crop will also help support microbes in the soil and allow them to break down organic matter well into the winter and spring. Depending on the blend of cover the grower chooses, it can also target compaction and weed control issues.

Weed control:

An effective weed control program will allow you to plant earlier, as the soils will tend to warm up faster if they are not affected by a weed problem. If there is a problem with breakthrough weeds or weeds that haven’t been seen before, this is a good time to plan for how to manage these challenges.

Review the information from your yield monitor:

Are you finding that there are trouble spots that you are not able to see? Is there an issue with sudden death syndrome that was not noticeable while the crop was growing? Are there areas that are more susceptible to weeds, therefore decreasing yield? Have insects caused a problem with your yields? A bird’s-eye view from the yield monitor, paired with the field record, will give you a broader image of what is going on in the field.

In order to make the most of the time between harvest and planting, gather all the information from the previous year and create a map for the upcoming year, including financial aspects such as ROI and whether or not you plan to use more acres for a particular crop. Sit down with your agronomist and talk about your issues and your plan now, because winter is coming but spring is just around the corner.

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Through the incorporation of new technology, efficiency in crop production has soared; however, so has the demand for more sustainable management practices. Today, there is more scrutiny than ever before from consumers regarding conventional herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, and regulations are tightening.

“Complete replacement of synthetic chemistries is impractical for producers,” said Dr. Steven Borst, Alltech Crop Science compliance manager. “Unfortunately, however, we are running out of silver bullets.”

Borst believes the future of integrated pest management (IPM) programs will include the best tactics from a variety of approaches, including nutritional and natural technologies.

“Used in conjunction with the best conventional approaches, producers can reduce inputs while maintaining crop quality and improving sustainability measures,” he said.

Nutritionals: Giving crops the building blocks to defend themselves

A balanced plant nutritional program is a key component of an effective IPM program.

“If a plant is not healthy from a nutritional standpoint, it will not be able to defend itself against a potential pathogen attack,” said Borst.

Healthy plants can have a better chance of resisting disease pressures, and bioavailable micronutrients can naturally support plants’ inherent defenses.

“If you can trick a plant into thinking it’s going to be attacked, then the plant can develop its own metabolic pathways to fight the disease,” he explained.

However, plants are not naturally proactive.

“They are reactive organisms,” explained Brian Springer, CCA, Alltech Crop Science technical services manager. “They respond to their environments. Something has to trigger a reaction in a plant to be defensive, unlike an immune system that can react on its own. By using biologicals, such as nutritionals and activators, we can elicit a response in the plant.”

The dynamics between plants and their environment, including the complex microbial world in which they live, is being further researched by Alltech Crop Science and others. This week in an article titled “Scientists Hope to Cultivate an Immune System for Crops,” The New York Times reported that it is a dense ecological web to untangle.

Untangling the ecological web calls for a new approach

Efficient crop management is moving to a prescriptive/proactive management of inputs, rather than a reactive approach.

“We’ve been taught to scout fields, find what’s wrong and then fix it,” said Springer. “We’re moving to a new perspective where we can not only act on plant health, but also improve soil health instead of acting on disease.”

Better nutrient management, especially nitrogen, is a key component of this movement and is important to sustainability.

“The definition of soil health is different for every farmer, since every cropping system is different,” added Springer. “It’s important to find out what amounts of nutrients are going to be available during the growing season.”

This includes organic nitrogen in the soil that can be fed through amino acids. To this end, he mentioned that the University of Illinois is now including an analysis of amino acids as part of their soil sampling. The goal is to help reduce the amount of fertilizer applied to fields and hopefully improve the environment by minimizing application of excess nitrogen. An additional benefit of incorporating biologicals is that the nitrogen in the soil is not as volatile and won’t leach like nitrates.

Biofungicides are another tool in the natural crop protection arena. To read more about the use of this microbial technology in conjunction with conventional fungicides, click here.

A total systems approach

Alltech experts agree that a total systems approach will serve crop farmers best in the future.

“We continue to research how and when to use biologicals — whether it’s natural activators, foliar micronutrients, natural inoculants or biofungicides — with conventional methods in cropping systems to help producers with environmental stewardship,” said Borst.

“As any market progresses, we see increasing management of smaller and smaller pieces of the total system,” concluded Springer. “This is the next layer down that we are fine-tuning.”

Dr. Steven Borst was a presenter at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Audio recordings of most talks, including Steven's, from ONE are available by clicking the button below.