Cornell Nutrition Conference

October 20 - 22, 2026

Doubletree by Hilton | East Syracuse, New York

The CNC, first held in 1938, has grown into a premier international conference dedicated to advancing the field of animal nutrition. Attracting a diverse audience of feed manufacturers, nutritionists, consultants, researchers, and university faculty, the event showcases recent research and insights, primarily focused on dairy nutrition.

Attendees can expect to gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends and developments in animal nutrition, as well as practical insights and actionable advice that they can apply to their own work. Whether you are a seasoned industry veteran or just starting out in the field, the Cornell Nutrition Conference is an invaluable resource that can help you take your career to the next level.

Registration and sponsorship open!

Agenda

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Pre-Conference Symposium sponsored by Zinpro Corporation

From forage to formulation: Enhancing dairy performance through rumen health and feed technology application

1:00 PM

Welcome and introduction

1:10 PM

Holistic overview forage quality: From forage production, to ration formulation, to cow performance
Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

1:55 PM

Strategies to improve nutrient digestibility and optimize microbial protein synthesis
Dr. Jeff Firkins, The Ohio State University

2:40 PM

Using branched-chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFAs) to enhance nutrient digestibility, rumen performance and sustainability
Dr. Elias Uddin, University of Connecticut

3:25 PM

Break

3:45 PM

Nutrition and gut health nexus: What do we really know?
Dr. Kirby Krogstad, The Ohio State University

4:30 PM

Advancing dietary formulation techniques for optimal ruminal and cattle performance
Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University

5:15 PM

Closing remarks

5:30 PM

Evening reception

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

6:30 AM

Breakfast, sponsored by Actus Nutrition

7:00 AM

A paradigm shift? New perspectives on metabolism of oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids in dairy cows

Dr. James Drackley, University of Illinois

8:05 AM

Welcome

Dr. Tom Overton, Cornell University

8:10 AM

Innovations in corn silage

Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, University of Wisconsin - Madison

8:50 AM

Diet, dose and duration: Practical nutrition for mastitis control

Dr. Kirby Krogstad, The Ohio State University

9:30 AM

Practical assessment of TMR quality in dairy herds

Dr. Marcos Marcondes, Miner Institute

10:10 AM

Presentation of Maynard Award and Danny Fox Graduate Fellowship
Dr. Tom Overton, Cornell University, Department of Animal Science

10:20 AM

Break

Sponsored by Chemlock Nutrition

10:50 AM

Progress toward developing a novel technology to enhance choline bioavailability in lactating dairy cattle

Dr. Joseph McFadden, Cornell University

11:30 AM

Advancing dairy cattle nutrition with cutting edge microbiome research

Dr. Hugo Monteiro, Cornell University

12:10 PM

NEAFA update

12:20 PM

Lunch

1:30 PM

How nutrition evidence becomes dietary guidance

Dr. Sarah Booth, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

2:30 PM

Benefits and potential of feeding hempseed meal to poultry as an alternative protein

Dr. Xingen Lei, Cornell University

3:00 PM

Break
Sponsored by Forage Genetics International

3:30 PM

More great sessions announced soon!

5:15 PM

Evening Reception
Sponsored by Novus

Thursday, October 22, 2026

6:30 AM

Breakfast, sponsored by US Soy

7:00 AM

New insights into optimizing dietary fat levels and opportunities to integrate high-oleic soybeans

Dr. Kevin Harvatine, Penn State University
Moderated by Corwin Holtz, Comsen Dairy Consulting

8:05 AM

Welcome

8:10 AM

Research Spotlights

What gaps are molecular approaches revealing about the protein nutrition of dairy cows? – Dr. Adeel Arshad, Cornell University (Monteiro lab)
Camryn Yeager, Cornell University (Trottier lab)
How does altering the dietary supplies of amino acids and fatty acids effect milk composition in lactating dairy cattle? - Alex Benoit, Cornell University (Van Amburgh Lab)

9:10 AM

Charlie Sniffen Graduate Research Presentation, sponsored by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health

Prepartum phosphorus within a fully acidogenic diet
Emily Bourdeau, Miner Institute

9:50 AM

Break

10:10 AM

How far can genomic selection for milk components take the dairy cow?

Dr. John Cole, Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding

10:50 AM

Improving the efficiency of nitrogen use for milk component production

Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University

11:30 AM

Anything AI - Is artificial intelligence changing our role as nutritionist?

Dr. Miel Hostens, Cornell University

12:10 PM

Adjourn

October 20, 2026

Pre-Conference Symposium presented by Zinpro

From forage to formulation: Enhancing dairy performance through rumen health and feed technology application

Holistic overview forage quality: From forage production, to ration formulation, to cow performance - Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Strategies to improve nutrient digestibility and optimize microbial protein synthesis - Dr. Jeff Firkins, The Ohio State University
Using branched-chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFAs) to enhance nutrient digestibility, rumen performance and sustainability - Dr. Elias Uddin, University of Connecticut
Nutrition and gut health nexus: What do we really know? - Dr. Kirby Krogstad, The Ohio State University
Advancing dietary formulation techniques for optimal ruminal and cattle performance - Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University

October 21, 2026

Wednesday breakfast sponsored by Actus Nutrition

A paradigm shift? New perspectives on metabolism of oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids in dairy cows

Dr. James Drackely, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Milk fat output in dairy cows routinely exceeds the supply of absorbable dietary palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids, forcing cows to rely heavily on mobilization of adipose tissue to meet milk fatty acid demands. Ruminal biohydrogenation severely limits intestinal availability of oleic acid, making endogenous desaturation of stearic acid and body fat mobilization the dominant sources of cis 9 C18:1 in milk. Fatty acid metabolism must be understood through whole animal mass balance, not fixed proportional contributions, and nutrition models should explicitly account for dynamic fatty acid supply and mobilization.

October 22, 2026

Thursday breakfast sponsored by US Soy

New insights into optimizing dietary fat levels and opportunities to integrate high-oleic soybeans

Dr. Kevin Harvatine, Penn State University
Moderated by Corwin Holtz, Comsen Dairy Consulting

Dietary fat is not essential, but there is likely a feeding rate that best supports milk and milk fat yield while maintaining body condition. We will focus on insights provided by a new experimental approach that quantifies total de novo fat synthesis and a recent meta-regression of the transfer of dietary fat to milk fat. Brought to you by U.S. Soy. Fully funded by the Soy Checkoff.

Conference hotel and lodging

Doubletree by Hilton

6301 State Route 298, East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 432-0200

Conference room block and rates

Group Room Rate: $146.00 per night single/double occupancy
Reservation Deadline: September 18

Reserve online

The conference rate applies to reservations checking in on or after Sunday, October 18 and checking on or before Thursday, October 22. Reservations outside of these dates may indicate no availability.

Room Reservation Policies

Book your hotel by September 18 to receive the reduced conference rate.
All hotel rates are subject to state, local and occupancy taxes.
Rates apply to reservations between October 18 and 22 only. If you choose to make a reservation beyond these dates, the system will respond with no availability.
You may cancel your individual reservation up to 48 hours before your arrival without charge.
Individual names should be used when making reservations. If requesting multiple rooms under the same name, you will be asked by the hotel to supply individual names no later than 45 days prior to check-in. We have received an increasing number of cancellations which limits the availability of rooms to other guests. We appreciate your assistance in making accurate reservations so that we can continue to offer discounted rates to conference attendees.

Location

Address: 6301 State Route 298, East Syracuse, NY 13057

Just off I-90 in east Syracuse, the hotel is within 15 minutes of Destiny USA shopping, Syracuse University, and the famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. A complimentary shuttle is available from the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, a six-mile ride from the hotel.

Changes to Hotel Services

Restaurant services have been limited to breakfast (6:30 - 9:30 AM) and dinner/bar (5:00 - 10:00 PM).
Room service and lunch are currently unavailable.