“This is a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable.”
– The UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The American Cheese Society presents
The Code Red Series
From makers to mongers, from retailers to customers – we all play an integral role in the world of cheese. As stakeholders in food supply, we have a responsibility to sustainability, both to the consumer and the changing climate of Earth. But with sometimes competing domains what do we really have a say on the matter? What are we doing now? What more can we do?
Climate change affects us all.
The Code Red Series will feature conversations between industry experts in the dairy and agricultural industries through the lens of sustainability and climate change. Each subject matter expert will engage in conversation with our host and co-host and share insights based on their research and practical expertise. Not only will you get to hear from these specialists, but you’ll be able to bring your own specific questions.
Together we will better understand food supply and sustainability around this food we all love – cheese!
Register Here
Meet the Code Red Host:
Tim Ham
merich, Communications Consultant, Cogent Consulting
Tim Hammerich is a communications consultant and the creator of the Future of Agriculture weekly podcast which has received over 1.5 million downloads. He is also a speaker and writer about topics related to agricultural innovation, agtech, and sustainability.
Hammerich is the voice behind several other podcasts, including Soil Sense, Growing Pulse Crops, and The Almond Journey. He consults with clients in areas of industry relations, content strategy and agtech adoption.
Hammerich is a former National FFA President and graduate of the University of California, Davis with a degree in Crop Science and Management. He and his family reside in Eagle, Idaho.
Check Tim out on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Meet the Code Red Co-Host:
Bill Wavrin, D.V.M, Ferndale Farmstead
Bill Wavrin, D.V.M, a veterinarian and dairy farmer, brings a long industry history to the Code Red Series. Bill and his family have a long history of farming and conceived the idea of Ferndale Farmstead dairy farm in 2009. In 2013, the process of building a creamery began and they are committed to responsible food practices throughout the cheesemaking process.
In this commitment, the Wavrin family takes on the responsibility that their cheese is not adulterated, the animals in their care are respected, and in their production practices, natural resources, the communities they serve, and the people that work with them are all better off.
Check out Ferndale Farmstead here!
Part One – Dairy & Human Health
The Power of Dairy to Positively Effect Human Health
Thursday, April 28th – 4:00pm Mountain Time
Meet the Expert:
Pablo Monsivais, PhD, MPH, University of Washington
Dr. Monsivais an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. After doctoral and post-doctoral training in neuroscience and physiology at the University of Washington and University College London, Dr. Monsivais returned to the UW to retrain in nutrition and public health in 2004.
His research on the social and behavioral epidemiology of food consumption and obesity is aimed at identifying population-level drivers of social inequalities in diet and health.
Learn more about Dr. Monsivais here and check out his Google Scholar articles here!
Register Here
Part Two – Dairy & Animal Welfare
Why Humane Treatment of Animals is Good Business
Friday, May 6th – 2:00 PM Mountain Time
Meet the Expert:
Jennifer Van Os, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Animal Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jennifer Van Os is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Animal Welfare on the faculty of the Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Van Os received her PhD in the interdisciplinary Animal Behavior graduate program at the University of California-Davis and conducted postdoctoral research in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia. The research in her lab at UW-Madison focuses on understanding, evaluating, and improving the welfare of dairy animals from biological- and social-science perspectives. The goal of Dr. Van Os’ extension program is to promote best practices in management and housing to help the dairy industry adapt as our scientific knowledge about animal welfare continues to grow.
Learn more about Jennifer Van Os here and check out the Animal Welfare Science at UW-Madison here!
Register Here
Part Three – Dairy & Water
Our Most Valuable Resource
Wednesday, June 15th – 4PM Mountain Time
Meet the Guest:
Alan Rotz, Agricultural Engineer, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Al Rotz is an Agricultural Engineer with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. His work has included the development, evaluation, and application of the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) used to evaluate and compare the performance, economics, and environmental impacts of farming systems. IFSM is distributed through the Internet for use in research and education. Recent work includes life cycle assessment and sustainability analysis of beef and dairy production systems and adaptation of farming systems to climate change.
Rotz grew up on a dairy farm in southern Pennsylvania. He holds degrees from Elizabethtown College and The Pennsylvania State University. He spent three years as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University before joining the Agricultural Research Service. For 16 years, he led the East Lansing Cluster of the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center. For the past 24 years, he serves as a lead scientist at the Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit in University Park, Pennsylvania. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He is also a member of the American Dairy Science Association, the American Forage and Grassland Council, and the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council.
Register Here
Part Four – Dairy & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Saturday, July 23rd – 11:00 AM Pacific Time – Portland, OR
This final part of the Code Red Series will be hosted as an in-person panel for the 2022 ACS Annual Conference. Joining our moderator Tim Hammerich will be panelists Bill Wavrin, D.V.M. from Ferndale Farmstead Cheese, Kurt Dammeier, founder of Beechers Handmade Cheese & Mishima Reserve, and Curt Gooch, Animal Science Environmental Systems & Sustainability, Cornell University, and Board Member of Dairy Management Inc.
Register Here
Can’t make it to a session? All webinar series are being recorded and will be available on the ACS Learning Center this fall.