PHILADELPHIA– A new
virtual symposium series presented by the University
of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), in
collaboration with PennPraxis,
the community engagement arm at the University
of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, will explore the
advantages, challenges, and opportunities surrounding animal agriculture and
food production systems within Pennsylvania, the surrounding region, and across
the United States.
Comprised of seven individual virtual sessions, the Farm
of the Future Symposium series is set to deliver practical, applicable
insights from a cross-section of experts and thought leaders, including
agriculture industry innovators, farmers and other agricultural producers,
ecologists, landscape architects, as well as industry advocates and
policymakers.
The series’
speakers will be structured to stimulate conversations on a broad range of
topics pertinent to farming practices such as agribusiness economics and
profitability; food security and urban wellness; water and natural resource
management; on-farm biodiversity; pasture and nutrient management; rotational
grazing; and beyond.
“Our primary goal for this immersive series is to cultivate
an authentic and pragmatic discussion about agriculture and how our food is –
or could be – produced,” said Gary Althouse, DVM, PhD, Associate Dean of
Sustainable Agriculture and Veterinary Practices at Penn Vet.
“While offering a platform to raise awareness of the many
critical challenges facing agriculture today, the Farm of the Future Symposium
series is also a token opportunity to hear directly from producers and other
members of the industry about their own needs and desires for tangible
livestock farming systems,” Althouse added.
Ultimately, the symposium’s grassroots conversations will
serve as the bedrock for designing an interdisciplinary, living “farm of the
future” model to be built on Penn
Vet New Bolton Center’s nearly 700-acre campus in Chester County,
Pennsylvania. Once established, the model operation will be a critical tool in
advancing environmentally, and economically, sustainable farming practices
while simultaneously serving as a regional resource for producers to gather
more on-farm information to aid in their decision to incorporate these
practices into their own agribusiness operations.
“As a veterinary school, our role does not simply begin and
end with animal health,” added Althouse. “On one hand, we can intimately
understand and appreciate the specific challenges that agricultural producers
face. On the other, we have direct access to a robust, multi-disciplinary
expertise network – both within Penn Vet and across Penn’s tapestry of schools
and centers – to collectively offer inventive solutions to unmet regional and
societal needs under the One Health umbrella,” he said.
“Together, we hope to forge a viable, progressive animal
production-based farming model that will ultimately bolster the resiliency of
Pennsylvania’s leading industry: agriculture,” Althouse added.
The series, which is scheduled to begin on September 30,
2020, will be held every Wednesday afternoon from 2pm-4pm through November 18,
2020.
After kicking off with a live introductory event, each
session will include distilled presentations, followed by a 45-minute live
discussion with the featured speakers. Participants will have the option of
reviewing material in advance of the live discussion at a time that best fits
their schedule.
The Farm of the Future Symposium series is free to attend
and open to the public.
To learn more about the series, view the complete speaker
schedule, or to register, visit https://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/penn-vet-events-calendar/farm-of-the-future-symposium