This summer, visitors to Ithaca’s Sciencenter, a hands-on children’s museum, participated in a special exhibit—an animal agriculture playscape—made possible by a new collaboration between the museum, State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland, and Cornell’s Department of Animal Science.
Children fit parts of a model cow stomach together like a puzzle; engineered trays and jars of cow feed; examined cows’ digestive fluids through a microscope; and even looked into and stuck their hands into a live fistula cow – Cornell’s Sunny.
The July 14 event was part of a National Science Foundation research grant awarded to Joseph McFadden ’03, associate professor of dairy biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), and Amanda Davis, Ph.D. ’20, assistant professor of biological sciences at SUNY Cortland, who sets an additional goal of educating the public about sustainable animal agriculture and dispelling misconceptions about the role of science.
SUNY Cortland student Kyla Young, center, interacts with the public at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market, one of two outreach events to help inform the public about animal husbandry.
“Biotechnologies can be a good way to improve the efficiency of livestock feed production and help reduce environmental impact,” Davis said. “But there are misconceptions about them in the public space. This project gives us a great opportunity to explain what we’re trying to do and show people what sustainable animal agriculture looks like.”
In preparation for the event, two SUNY Cortland biological sciences students, funded through a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) supplement to the research grant, as well as 14 Cornell undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, participated in two workshops hosted by Sciencenter on how to communicate science to the public . A smaller group, led by SUNY Cortland students, then planned and implemented interactive exhibits at the Science Center as well as at the Ithaca Farmers Market.
Exhibits showed how the efficiency of dairy production has increased over time due to improvements in management, genetics, nutrition and biotechnologies, while reducing the resources required and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Others showed how cows’ feed consists of many industrial by-products that would otherwise be thrown away. At the Sciencenter event, Sunny the cow, who has a cannula or porthole mounted in her side, allowed visitors to see and feel inside her rumen, the first of four chambers in the cow’s digestive system, and learn about the importance of the cannula as a research tool.
“We want to highlight the fact that on the research side we are really working hard to improve efficiency and animal health,” said Ananda Fontoura, Ph.D. ’22, a postdoctoral researcher in McFadden’s lab. “There is a lot of research and thinking that goes into the products that are put on the market, and we all want the same thing. We want a better environment and good quality for affordable food, and that’s what we’re all working towards.”
While the children played and explored, the participants said they also had fruitful conversations with the caregivers—even vegan parents who chose not to consume dairy products.
“It was one of the most rewarding moments for me,” Fontoura said. “To be challenged and have a really good conversation about the environmental impacts of these different choices we make — to open that dialogue.”
For rising SUNY Cortland senior Serenity Jean, the events also gave her confidence and joy. “Learning and communicating what you’ve learned is a good way to see if you really know what you’re talking about,” she said. “It also made me really happy to see the kids look under the microscope and say ‘wow’. They really understood more and maybe that changes or influences their energy towards farmers and scientists.”
The outreach events were part of an eight-week summer program, funded by the REU grant, where the two SUNY Cortland students were able to learn about and communicate animal science. They participated in research under the guidance of Davis and McFadden and participated in journal clubs and workshops led by McFadden, Davis, and CALS’ Xingen Lei, professor of animal science, Kristan Reed, assistant professor of animal science, and Dale Bauman, professor emeritus of animal science. On farm visits, they learned about how a dairy farm works, sustainability initiatives and even saw a cow in labor.
“It really opened my eyes,” said Jean, who wants to be a veterinarian. “Some people may think that research on these animals is harming them, but it helps them and it helps the environment. I also saw how farmers really love and care for their animals, and it makes sense – if their animals are stressed or don’t have good living conditions, they’re not going to produce. If you hurt them, you hurt yourself.”
