Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the integration of automated COW…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the integration of automated COW monitoring systems (ACMS) on dairy farms is becoming ever popular to address rising costs of production and to improvecow health and comfort. Despite their rise in popularity across the industry, the university of new hampshire (UNH) lacks an ACMS on either of its two dairy research farms. To continue producing innovative research that addresses the needs of regional and national dairy producers IT is imperative that an ACMS is installed at the UNH dairy farms and integrated into research explorations. This will allow UNH to stay at the forefront of innovative dairy research that contributes to and fosters the sustainability of dairy farms that are central to the socioeconomic fabric of new england. This project will support the acquisition of an ACMS at the UNH dairy farms. Through on-going collaboration and hands-on trainings, university dairy farm staff will be trained on the ACMS and its integration into existing herd management protocols, thereby streamlining efficiency and productivity. Undergraduate and graduate students will become familiarized with the system through classroom instruction as well as independent research endeavors. Exposing students to the ACMS and highlighting its utility as well as considerations with its adoptionwill position the next generation of dairy professionals with valuable knowledge and insight as they enter the workforce, thus ensuring the continued sustainability and success of the industry. With access to data collected from the ACMS, researchers at UNH will be at the forefront of precision dairy management and will be well-positioned to develop novel algorithms that optimize the management and environmental impact of dairy production.