College of Veterinary Medicine Offsite Teaching and Research Farms

Utilizing a Public Private Partnership Model

The Education Pyramid(after pre-vet requirements)

4th Yr.

3rd Yr.

2nd Yr.

1st Yr.Basic Sciences

Infectious Agents, Pathology, Pharmacology

Medicine, Surgery, Public Health

Clinical Rotations

2 week clinical experiences

Clinical Rotations4th Year Preparation

Choice of 28 (out of over 65) rotations – 2 week “hands on learning experiences”

Hands-on, “real life” experiences

Small group learning

Top Ten Reasons Offsite Public/Private Partnership for Teaching

and Research Farms 10.Provides access to a full-scale commercially operated

modern farm– This kind of facility and capacity cannot be built on a University

campus and maintained with existing University budgets9. Close integration into routine activities so that students

learn in the context of actual operations

8.Access to all stages of farm management and animal health treatment and control at a scale that guarantees that necessary educational experiences will be available every week

7. Limited managerial responsibilities, no operating risk or subsidy, no liability risk for the farm operation – Faculty and students can concentrate specifics of education and

research, otherwise the farms operates on its own

Top Ten cont. Offsite Public/Private Partnership in Teaching and Research

6. Creates a model that allows research to be conducted on population scale– On campus research facilities accommodate very small numbers

5. Eliminates on campus space availability issues4. Sustained faculty and administrative commitment (5-10 years)

and collaborative/functional faculty teams– Public/private partnerships require formalized agreements (signed MOA)

and win/win situations3. Nature of on farm activities based on faculty research and

teaching needs2. Innovative partnerships allows for presentation for distinguished

Audiences such as CRAD

1. Reduced the cost of research and education– Cost reduced by factor of 5-10 fold versus on campus

Dairy Education and Research Center

Creating a national resource facility for dairy education and applied research

Northern Plains New Sweden

1. Dairy Education and Research Center• the College of Veterinary Medicine has built an academic

center fully integrated into a large commercial dairy operation owned by Davis Family Dairies in southern Minnesota– 3,000 milking cows; 3,000 more at their other nearby dairy– 6,000 calvings total per year– housing for up to 24 students and two visiting instructors– classrooms and clinical teaching facilities – research laboratory: 1,000 ft2

• the result is a premier site for dairy veterinary education, dairy professional education, and applied research

• the facility also serves as a highly visible site for the promotion of modern technology in milk production

Academicbuilding

Milking cows Milking cows

Dry cows andpre-fresh heifers

Just fresh cows

Buildinglayout for New Sweden Dairy

calf hutchesand calf

managementBuilding

Academic building• two floors merging

teaching, research and student dormitory space into the center of the dairy

• first floor:– conference room– wet lab for demonstrations and

hands-on teaching– clinical treatment and teaching area– research lab space– dairy management center: manager’s

and herdsman’s office areas, all computer systems

– 2 offices, student locker room, reception, bathrooms, utilities

Academic Building: ground floor Rotary parlor

Calving stalls

Wet labteaching

Researchlab

Clinicalarea

Conferenceroom

Lockerroom

Academic building: second floor

• large classroom seats 60 at tables– overlooks calving area

• smaller classroom seats 24 at tables– overlooks rotary parlor

• bathrooms for conferences• food service for catered

meals• dormitory:

– rooms for 24 students and 2 instructors

– full kitchen facilities and food storage

Academic Building: second floor

Large classroom

Smallclassroom

Dormitory

Calving pens

Rotary parlor

Academic mission1. to educate veterinary students from across North America in the

care and management of dairy cows and production system management as a member of a dairy’s professional support team

2. to educate professionals serving the dairy industry as well: practicing veterinarians, nutritionists, technical support personnel and dairy managers

3. to serve as a site for applied research and development that will enhance dairy science and veterinary medicine

4. to provide a point of focus for dairy food systems education and research

5. to serve as a demonstration site for the value of modern technologic dairy production facilities: excellent animal welfare, environmental protection and sustainability, and efficient and high quality food production.

Dairy Professional Education

• veterinary continuing education

• nutritionists• dairy professionals• dairy managers• tech service and

sales personnel• farm management

advisors

Dairy applied research and development

• 6,000 transition cows and calvings per year

• full records through each animal’s lifetime

• ability to follow cows through each lactation

• individual daily milk production and daily group dry matter intake

Dairy Food System• education site integrating

modern dairy production, food processing, and the wider commercial and regulatory infrastructure surrounding dairy foods

• vertically integrated site for food safety and food systems research to address issues of safety, sustainability, supply chain resilience, and food security

Contributing Partners for

Dairy Education and Research Center

2. Swine Research and Teaching Farm

• Concept for Farm– Part of focused area of activity (Swine

Disease Eradication Center) – Need to study important production limiting

infectious diseases at population (farm) level– Allows study of aerosols, insects, pig

transport, vectors and personnel • Farm site and source of research pigs

– Developed based on faculty/partner interactions

Swine Research and Teaching Farm Regional Swine Production Model

L (+ ctrl)

SP (PRRSV +)

H M

120m

120m

Aerosol Transmission and Biosecurity Studies

Aerosol Transmission and Biosecurity Studies

Swine Research and Teaching Farm

• Developed to study regional control of disease– Investigate various forms of transmission between

farms – Develop control measures that would allow regional,

state or national eradication– Implement control measures for demonstration

purposes (ie demonstration farm)

• On-site student housing• Graduate students and DVM students live on site• Daily care & record keeping

Swine Disease Eradication Center and Research and Teaching Farm Partners

• Corporate members– PIC– Genetiporc– Boehringer-Ingelheim– Pfizer– Novartis– Noveko– Camfil Farr/Filtration Systems, Inc– Bayer– Japanese Association of Swine Veterinarians

• Practice members– Pipestone Vet Clinic– Fairmont Vet Clinic– Swine Vet Center– Clinique Demeter– Cannon Valley Vets– Carthage Vet Service

3. Small Ruminant Teaching Farm

• Commercial production site for:

antibody production in goats and sheep for use in diagnostic test kits for biomedical research– U of M, CVM provides plasma harvesting,

management and all health care – Site houses 1000 goats and sheep used in

antibody production as well as breeding herd for replacement animals

Small Ruminant Teaching FarmFacility at Cannon Falls is an excellent example of a premier production site, with efficient feeding and cleaning systems as well as ideal animal housing and movement abilities

Small Ruminant Teaching Farm

• The University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine and R & D Systems, Inc. have been in partnership for almost 20 years.

• The project was started by two CVM immunology faculty and immunologists from R & D to produce quality polyclonal antibodies in small ruminants.

Small Ruminant Teaching Farm• Began with 3 part time staff and 50 animals,• program has grown to over 1000 animals, two

different locations, with 5 full-time and 6 part-time staff.

• Staff at the Cannon Falls Farm

& St. Paul campus are all

University employees.

Small Ruminant Teaching Farm• R & D Systems farm provides makes their sheep and

goats available for teaching opportunities for UoM as well as other veterinary students of all four year. Because of the large number of animals, many of these are hands-on learning experiences

• Veterinary students learn about population medicine, reproductive management and sick animal medicine and surgery at this site.

• Provides a site for applied research (2 summer scholars projects)

Small Ruminant Teaching Farm

Benefits of Offsite Teaching and Research FarmsUtilizing a Public Private Partnership Model

• State of the art facilities and extensive learning opportunities for students with outstanding case material

• Real world research findings and learning opportunities

• Significant cost containment at inception and over time • Involves populations and commercial conditions• Constant interaction with private partners pushes

creative thought, problem solving and attention to detail in the involved faculty

• Creates funding opportunities (USDA competitive, corporate donations, federal funding for national centers of excellence for food animal education), educational and research partnerships within CVM, U of M and nations

Issues to be Managed with Offsite Teaching and Research Farms Utilizing a Public Private Partnership Model

• Constant attention must be paid to public/private partnership

• Distant site requires faculty and student travel• Potential risks to U of M based on actions of partners

and on farm activity• Offsite farm and public/private partnerships heavily

dependant on individual faculty expending thousands of hours time to ensure successful partnerships and teaching and research programs

• Requires good working relations with local veterinarians

Davisco / Davis Family Dairies 2 large commercial dairies

• New Sweden Dairy: completed in 2009– 3,000 milking Jerseys– 800 dry cows – 500 pre-fresh heifers– 400 calves in hutches to 2 months old

• Northern Plains Dairy: already operating– 3,000 milking Jerseys