Cornell Nutrition Conference

Nearly 500 dairy nutritionists, consultants, and industry professionals from around the world gathered in East Syracuse, NY for the 87th Annual Cornell Nutrition Conference. Participants gained insight into the latest research and developments in animal nutrition, leaving with actionable practices to help their farmer clients feed the world. Attendees represented feed manufacturers, dairy nutritionists, consultants, industry suppliers, and university and extensions professionals. The conference has been coordinated and presented by the Cornell Animal Science Department since 1938.

“We were excited to welcome another large domestic and international crowd to the Cornell Nutrition Conference,” said Dr. Tom Overton, Professor and Overall Conference Chair.  “A robust agenda that features cutting edge research from Cornell and other leading faculty programs from around the country is a highlight for us.” 

Leading researchers and industry experts shared recent advances in dairy cattle, nutrition, health, and sustainability. This year’s sessions explored the physiological impact of stacked stressors, transition cow management, calcium metabolism, and metabolizable energy systems—highlighting strategies to improve cow performance and resilience. 

Presentations also addressed methane mitigation, feed efficiency, and the evolving composition of the milk supply, offering insights into how nutritionists and producers can adapt to genetic shifts and environmental demands. From young stock nutrition to novel feed ingredients like hemp, CNC 2025 highlighted practical tools and emerging research to support a more efficient, sustainable future for dairy production. 

At the conference, awards were presented to four graduate students to honor their graduate studies and research efforts: 

• The Leonard A. Maynard Graduate Student Awards are given to Cornell University graduate students with outstanding performance in a nutrition-related program, in honor of Maynard, one of Cornell University’s most distinguished nutritionists. Vishwa Basnayake and Miranda Farricker received this award.
• The Danny G. Fox Graduate Fellowship recognizes Fox’s 35-year career at Cornell focused on development of data, methods, mathematical models, and computer software to more accurately predict cattle nutrient requirements and nutrients derived from feeds with wide variations in cattle type, environments, and feeds. Rebeca Villalobos, Cornell University, received this fellowship.
• The Charlie Sniffen Graduate Student Award was established at the Cornell Nutrition Conference in 2016 by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health in recognition of Sniffen’s dedication and enthusiasm for dairy nutrition research. The award honors students from Cornell University and University of Vermont/Miner Institute who exemplify Sniffen’s leadership in conducting and communicating impactful research. Vishwa Basnayake, a PhD student at Cornell University, received this award.

The Department of Animal Science thanks the industry partners whose sponsorships help make this event possible. This year’s pre-conference symposium was presented by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health. Breakfast presentations were sponsored by MarSyt and Elanco Animal Health. Additional sponsors are recognized on the conference website.

Join us next year!

The next Cornell Nutrition Conference will be hosted on October 20 to 22, 2026. To join the mailing list and for more information, visit cals.cornell.edu/animal-science.