Agustin Olivo: Transforming dairy sustainability from farm to classroom

Olivo worked closely with NMSP Research Associate Olivia Godber on the Dairy Sustainability project, a key pillar in NMSP’s applied research and extension program primarily funded by Chobani. This project aims to evaluate key performance indicators related to environmental outcomes of dairies and help farmers effectively implement whole-farm evaluation tools.

To diversify the scope of the Dairy Sustainability project beyond conventional dairy systems, Olivo focused on evaluating whole-farm nutrient management efficiency and GHG emissions in certified organic and grazing farms.

The study analyzed six case-study dairies and found that these farms exhibited high levels of nutrient use efficiency and many opportunities to reduce GHG emissions through the implementation of beneficial management practices. The findings of this project were recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Olivo and his collaborators also developed and implemented a high school curriculum aiming to expose younger audiences to new agricultural concepts, especially the  whole-farm nutrient mass balance environmental assessment. The curriculum was implemented in 30 classrooms throughout New York State, reaching close to 300 students. 

The researchers recently published their findings: that the curriculum enhanced student knowledge of nutrient management in dairies and effectively conveyed the importance of whole-farm environmental assessment tools.

“It’s been invaluable being a part of NMSP. I gained a stronger sense of impact-driven work, and an amazing network of friends and mentors that will continue to support and inspire me as I progress on my professional journey.”

Together with another group of collaborators, Olivo submitted three other papers from his PhD program for review and potential publication in scientific journals. These focus on the development of a framework for assessing nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency in corn silage production. 

These results seem promising, Ketterings stated, as a way for farmers to experiment with application rates and refine nutrient management in fields.

“It’s been invaluable being a part of NMSP. Over the last four years I learned tons from my teammates and grew a lot personally and professionally,” Olivo said. “I also gained a stronger sense of impact-driven work, and an amazing network of friends and mentors that will continue to support and inspire me as I progress on my professional journey.”

Olivo presented his findings on June 4 in front of an audience of over 80 people and successfully defended his PhD dissertation that same day.

During his PhD, Olivo was part of the FFAR Fellows program, and recently he received multiple awards, including  the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship and the CALS Outstanding TA Award.

“Agustin’s enthusiasm for his work is inspiring,” Godber said. “Not only is he eager to progress the science, he also focuses on keeping his work relevant, meaningful and accessible to diverse audiences.” 

Olivo will be a postdoctoral research associate at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph under professor Claudia Wagner-Riddle. 

“I am looking forward to expanding my greenhouse gas emission modeling skills and contributing to Dr. Wagner-Riddle’s valuable research, that supports the achievement of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in Canadian agriculture,” he said.

If you’re interested in reading more about similar projects, opportunities and individuals, visit the NMSP website. If you’d like to receive updates about the program, sign up for our newsletter, The Spear.

Madeline Hanscom is a writer for the Nutrient Management Spear Program.