DFO funds two faculty positions at the University of Guelph

by SUSAN MANN

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s gift of $3 million to the University of Guelph to fund two faculty positions is “all about the future,” says Bill Emmott, the organization’s chair.

“We need the university to help us to teach the next generation (of farmers) and to teach the next generation of teachers as well,” he says. “We’re trying to look out for the future of the industry and where our education centres are going to be.”

The organization representing the province’s dairy farmers is spending $200,000 a year for 10 years on a permanent faculty position in dairy microbiology at the Ontario Agricultural College.

The college will conduct a search through the food science department for someone to fill the dairy microbiology faculty position, according to a University of Guelph press release that announced the gift on Monday.

The university’s press release says the dairy microbiology faculty person will focus on validating milk’s health benefits, studying probiotic and other beneficial microorganisms, including the survival of probiotics in dairy products, and proposing strategies to increase dairy product growth.

DFO will also spend $200,000 annually for five years on a research chair in dairy cattle health at the Ontario Veterinary College.

Population medicine professor David Kelton, an expert in dairy cattle health and disease surveillance, holds that position.

Kelton’s work will be focused on dairy cattle infectious diseases, reproductive health, welfare, on-farm milk quality and biosecurity. BF