CLEAR Conversations

UC Davis CLEAR Center

The way food is produced touches everyone, yet most of us are far removed from the farms and ranches where it all begins. That’s the driving idea behind a new podcast from the UC Davis CLEAR Center. Called “CLEAR Conversations,” the show aims to bring together voices from across the agricultural and scientific communities to spark meaningful dialogue about farming, food, and sustainability. Hosted by CLEAR Center Director and greenhouse gas expert Dr. Frank Mitloehner, along with members of the CLEAR Center communications staff, the podcast will break down complex topics—like climate change, livestock emissions, and the future of food—into clear, relatable conversations.

Episodes

  1. 21 JAN

    Sustainability VS. Stewardship, What's the Difference?

    This week on CLEAR Conversations, Katie Roberti sat down for a conversation that reflects both her roots and her mission. As Director of Communications for the California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), Roberti spends her days translating the realities of ranching into language policymakers, media, and the public can understand. But her connection to agriculture is far more personal than professional. Dr. Kelly Nichols, Assistant Professor at UC Davis sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. The Nichols Lab focuses on characterizing the digestive and metabolic flexibility of dairy cattle to elevate our understanding of dietary protein and energy interactions, mammary gland metabolism, and postabsorptive nutrient utilization to improve the transfer of dietary nutrients into milk. Her lab conducts studies investigating metabolite flux at the tissue level (e.g., mammary gland), energy and nitrogen balance, digestibility, and milk production in response to nutritional interventions. Further, she is interested in how the postabsorptive efficiencies of nutrients (e.g., amino acids) interact and change with the physiological state of the cow throughout lactation. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d

    37 min

  2. 7 JAN

    Can We Really Fix Methane Without Breaking Digestion?

    Dr. Kelly Nichols, Assistant Professor at UC Davis sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. The Nichols Lab focuses on characterizing the digestive and metabolic flexibility of dairy cattle to elevate our understanding of dietary protein and energy interactions, mammary gland metabolism, and postabsorptive nutrient utilization to improve the transfer of dietary nutrients into milk. Her lab conducts studies investigating metabolite flux at the tissue level (e.g., mammary gland), energy and nitrogen balance, digestibility, and milk production in response to nutritional interventions. Further, she is interested in how the postabsorptive efficiencies of nutrients (e.g., amino acids) interact and change with the physiological state of the cow throughout lactation. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d Text File: 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:00:18 Mitigating 00:00:00:18 - 00:00:01:18 enteric methane, 00:00:01:18 - 00:00:02:14 and what could be 00:00:02:14 - 00:00:04:10 the consequences of 00:00:04:10 - 00:00:05:21 drastically reducing 00:00:05:21 - 00:00:07:12 a really essential cycle 00:00:07:12 - 00:00:08:03 in the rumen. 00:00:08:03 - 00:00:09:07 We're very focused 00:00:09:07 - 00:00:10:01 on hitting 00:00:10:01 - 00:00:11:18 those targets, reducing 00:00:11:18 - 00:00:12:07 and coming up 00:00:12:07 - 00:00:13:01 with really innovative 00:00:13:01 - 00:00:14:03 ways to do that. 00:00:14:03 - 00:00:15:09 But we might be missing 00:00:15:09 - 00:00:16:03 some of that down 00:00:16:03 - 00:00:16:12 the road 00:00:16:12 - 00:00:17:15 Consequences, 00:00:17:15 - 00:00:18:10 for example, 00:00:18:10 - 00:00:19:06 how that interacts 00:00:19:06 - 00:00:20:04 with protein 00:00:20:04 - 00:00:28:08 metabolism in the body. 00:00:28:10 - 00:00:28:14 Well, 00:00:28:14 - 00:00:29:22 welcome to the Clear 00:00:29:22 - 00:00:31:05 Conversations podcast. 00:00:31:05 - 00:00:31:15 We're excited. 00:00:31:15 - 00:00:31:23 You're here 00:00:31:23 - 00:00:32:16 with us today. 00:00:32:16 - 00:00:32:20 Today 00:00:32:20 - 00:00:33:11 we're going to be talking 00:00:33:11 - 00:00:35:19 about cows and nutrition 00:00:35:19 - 00:00:36:20 And sustainability. 00:00:36:20 - 00:00:37:09 They're all 00:00:37:09 - 00:00:38:01 tied together. 00:00:38:01 - 00:00:39:10 They're all connected. 00:00:39:10 - 00:00:40:05 And our guest today 00:00:40:05 - 00:00:41:04 is Kelly Nichols. 00:00:41:04 - 00:00:41:20 She's an assistant 00:00:41:20 - 00:00:42:05 professor 00:00:42:05 - 00:00:42:21 of animal science 00:00:42:21 - 00:00:44:03 here at UC Davis. 00:00:44:03 - 00:00:45:11 Welcome, Kelly. Thanks. 00:00:45:11 - 00:00:46:03 Thanks for having me. 00:00:46:03 - 00:00:47:02 Great to be here. 00:00:47:02 - 00:00:47:15 Thanks for 00:00:47:15 - 00:00:48:11 being here with us. 00:00:48:11 - 00:00:49:03 So first of all, 00:00:49:03 - 00:00:49:21 tell us a little bit 00:00:49:21 - 00:00:50:13 about yourself, 00:00:50:13 - 00:00:51:05 your background 00:00:51:05 - 00:00:52:18 and how you got to study 00:00:52:18 - 00:00:53:15 dairy nutrition 00:00:53:15 - 00:00:54:06 in particular. 00:00:54:06 - 00:00:55:05 So yeah, I'm 00:00:55:05 - 00:00:56:16 a dairy nutritionist. 00:00:56:16 - 00:00:58:00 I'm from Canada 00:00:58:00 - 00:00:59:03 originally, didn't 00:00:59:03 - 00:01:00:22 grow up with dairy cows. 00:01:00:22 - 00:01:01:22 I actually grew 00:01:01:22 - 00:01:02:23 up on a horse farm, 00:01:02:23 - 00:01:04:10 so I always knew 00:01:04:10 - 00:01:05:07 kind of the realities 00:01:05:07 - 00:01:06:18 of taking care of large 00:01:06:18 - 00:01:09:18 animals 365 days a year. 00:01:09:20 - 00:01:10:14 At first I thought I 00:01:10:14 - 00:01:11:16 wanted to be a vet, 00:01:11:16 - 00:01:12:22 but when I went to 00:01:12:22 - 00:01:13:19 the University of Guelph 00:01:13:19 - 00:01:15:04 to do my undergrad, 00:01:15:04 - 00:01:17:01 that's where I started 00:01:17:01 - 00:01:17:12 to get involved 00:01:17:12 - 00:01:18:19 in research projects. 00:01:18:19 - 00:01:19:16 And, 00:01:19:16 - 00:01:20:06 one of the labs 00:01:20:06 - 00:01:21:04 I worked in 00:01:21:04 - 00:01:22:10 was a dairy 00:01:22:10 - 00:01:22:19 nutrition 00:01:22:19 - 00:01:24:04 and metabolism lab. 00:01:24:04 - 00:01:25:02 And you combine 00:01:25:02 - 00:01:25:11 that with 00:01:25:11 - 00:01:26:04 some of the courses 00:01:26:04 - 00:01:26:22 I was taking, 00:01:26:22 - 00:01:28:05 and I really fell in love 00:01:28:05 - 00:01:30:12 with ruminant metabolism 00:01:30:12 - 00:01:31:18 and how nutrition 00:01:31:18 - 00:01:32:15 can influence 00:01:32:15 - 00:01:34:00 how, 00:01:34:00 - 00:01:34:20 all of the metabolic 00:01:34:20 - 00:01:35:16 pathways work 00:01:35:16 - 00:01:37:14 in, particularly dairy 00:01:37:14 - 00:01:38:03 cows under the 00:01:38:03 - 00:01:39:20 condition of lactation. 00:01:39:20 - 00:01:40:08 So that's what 00:01:40:08 - 00:01:40:19 I really got 00:01:40:19 - 00:01:41:23 interested in. 00:01:41:23 - 00:01:42:15 I ended up 00:01:42:15 - 00:01:43:14 going to grad school, 00:01:43:14 - 00:01:44:11 so I did a master's 00:01:44:11 - 00:01:45:02 at the University 00:01:45:02 - 00:01:45:17 of Guelph, 00:01:45:17 - 00:01:46:15 and then I had the 00:01:46:15 - 00:01:47:15 really cool opportunity 00:01:47:15 - 00:01:48:08 to move to 00:01:48:08 - 00:01:49:13 the Netherlands, 00:01:49:13 - 00:01:50:17 to do my PhD 00:01:50:17 - 00:01:51:12 at Wageningen 00:01:51:12 - 00:01:52:01 University, 00:01:52:01 - 00:01:53:17 which is kind of like 00:01:53:17 - 00:01:55:18 the UC Davis of Europe. 00:01:55:18 - 00:01:56:14 You could say. 00:01:56:14 - 00:01:57:06 So actually, 00:01:57:06 - 00:01:58:00 they're often 00:01:58:00 - 00:01:59:09 competing a little bit 00:01:59:09 - 00:02:00:01 in the world 00:02:00:01 - 00:02:01:07 rankings around things 00:02:01:07 - 00:02:02:02 like environmental 00:02:02:02 - 00:02:03:02 science programs, 00:02:03:02 - 00:02:04:00 agricultural science 00:02:04:00 - 00:02:06:10 programs, both super top, 00:02:06:10 - 00:02:07:03 in those areas. 00:02:07:03 - 00:02:09:15 So, I lived in 00:02:09:15 - 00:02:10:07 total over there 00:02:10:07 - 00:02:11:07 for ten years. 00:02:11:07 - 00:02:12:10 I did my PhD, 00:02:12:10 - 00:02:13:06 and then I worked 00:02:13:06 - 00:02:14:16 in industry 00:02:14:16 - 00:02:16:18 for the last five years 00:02:16:18 - 00:02:17:08 for a company 00:02:17:08 - 00:02:18:16 called Trouw Nutrition. 00:02:18:16 - 00:02:19:13 In their research 00:02:19:13 - 00:02:20:11 and development 00:02:20:11 - 00:02:22:08 ruminant research team. 00:02:22:08 - 00:02:23:05 So I have 00:02:23:05 - 00:02:23:12 kind of the 00:02:23:12 - 00:02:24:13 academic background 00:02:24:13 - 00:02:24:20 with some 00:02:24:20 - 00:02:26:03 industry experience. 00:02:26:03 - 00:02:27:02 And then I joined 00:02:27:02 - 00:02:27:22 the animal science 00:02:27:22 - 00:02:29:00 department here, 00:02:29:00 - 00:02:31:06 in March 2024. 00:02:31:06 - 00:02:32:06 So what is that, 00:02:32:06 - 00:02:32:21 a year and a half? 00:02:32:21 - 00:02:34:04 Yeah, I've been here. 00:02:34:04 - 00:02:36:03 Yeah, yeah. Excellent. 00:02:36:03 - 00:02:36:22 Well, you touched upon it 00:02:36:22 - 00:02:37:07 there. 00:02:37:07 - 00:02:37:22 Tell us a little bit 00:02:37:22 - 00:02:38:16 about your time 00:02:38:16 - 00:02:39:13 in the Netherlands 00:02:39:13 - 00:02:41:02 and how they're dealing 00:02:41:02 - 00:02:42:18 with cows in the climate. 00:02:42:18 - 00:02:44:03 Very small country, 00:02:44:03 - 00:02:45:15 but a lot of livestock. 00:02:45:15 - 00:02:46:06 And they, 00:02:46:06 - 00:02:47:05 they're dealing with it 00:02:47:05 - 00:02:48:17 in some interesting ways. 00:02:48:17 - 00:02:49:05 Yeah. 00:02:49:05 - 00:02:50:21 So, indeed, 00:02:50:21 - 00:02:51:11 the Netherlands 00:02:51:11 - 00:02:52:20 is a very tiny country, 00:02:52:20 - 00:02:53:10 and there are 00:02:53:10 - 00:02:53:16 there's a 00:02:53:16 - 00:02:54:20 lot of livestock. 00:02:54:20 - 00:02:56:17 So that kind of poses 00:02:56:17 - 00:02:57:19 an interesting challenge. 00:02:57:19 - 00:02:58:19 It's very dense 00:02:58:19 - 00:02:59:20 with, 00:02:59:20 - 00:03:00:21 agricultural animals 00:03:00:21 - 00:03:02:11 that are producing manure 00:03:02:11 - 00:03:03:22 on a very small landmass. 00:03:03:22 - 00:03:05:01 And like, everywhere 00:03:05:01 - 00:03:06:01 that manure, 00:03:06:01 - 00:03:07:19 can be very useful 00:03:07:19 - 00:03:08:10 for being spread 00:03:08:10 - 00:03:09:01 on the land 00:03:09:01 - 00:03:10:20 and fertilizing crops, 00:03:10:20 - 00:03:11:19 and that's fine. 00:03:11:19 - 00:03:12:16 But when the amount 00:03:12:16 - 00:03:13:09 of manure 00:03:13:09 - 00:03:14:13 and the nutrients 00:03:14:13 - 00:03:15:04 in the manure, 00:03:15:04 - 00:03:15:20 like nitrogen 00:03:15:20 - 00:03:16:20 and phosphorus, 00:03:16:20 - 00:03:17:03 starts 00:03:17:03 - 00:03:18:14 to exceed the boundaries 00:03:18:14 - 00:03:18:21 of what 00:03:18:21 - 00:03:19:11 the land 00:03:19:11 - 00:03:21:00 can really manage 00:03:21:00 - 00:03:22:05 and use efficiently, 00:03:22:05 - 00:03:23:09 you start to get impacts 00:03:23:09 - 00:03:24:13 on the environment. 00:03:24:13 - 00:03:25:01 So this has 00:03:25:01 - 00:03:25:12 been happening 00:03:25:12 - 00:03:26:02 in the Netherlands 00:03:26:02 - 00:03:27:03 already for years 00:03:

    21 min

  3. 03/12/2025

    How We Can Make Dairy More Climate-Friendly (Real Farm Solutions)

    Conor McCabe sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. At the CLEAR Center at UC Davis, researchers spend their days asking a big question with global stakes: how can we raise livestock in ways that are more climate-friendly? For PhD student Conor McCabe, now approaching the end of his fifth year in the Mitloehner Lab, that question has fueled not just one research project—but nearly an entire year of long days, early mornings, and a sprawling scientific effort that spans animals, microbes, emissions, and the future of food systems. McCabe didn’t start out as a dairy kid. He grew up on a small farm in Oregon—“pretty much an Old McDonald’s farm,” he jokes—with pigs, cattle, pumpkins, and Christmas trees. His mother once served as a dairy princess, but dairy cattle weren’t part of Connor’s life until college. After studying animal science across Cornell, Purdue, and now UC Davis, he’s seen “different pockets of cows across the country,” as he puts it. But it wasn’t until arriving at Davis that he found the right intersection of ruminant biology and real-world impact.   Text File: 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:00:11 Because at the 00:00:00:11 - 00:00:01:07 end of the day, 00:00:01:07 - 00:00:02:06 what we're 00:00:02:06 - 00:00:02:18 thinking about 00:00:02:18 - 00:00:03:19 how can we 00:00:03:19 - 00:00:04:22 improve nutrition, 00:00:04:22 - 00:00:06:07 how can we reduce 00:00:06:07 - 00:00:07:02 environmental impacts, 00:00:07:02 - 00:00:08:12 and how can we help with 00:00:08:12 - 00:00:09:09 the billions of people 00:00:09:09 - 00:00:10:12 that are involved 00:00:10:12 - 00:00:12:01 in livestock systems. 00:00:12:01 - 00:00:12:12 Think about 00:00:12:12 - 00:00:13:08 how do we create more 00:00:13:08 - 00:00:14:07 sustainable food systems, 00:00:14:07 - 00:00:14:23 at least for 00:00:14:23 - 00:00:15:23 for the rest of my 00:00:15:23 - 00:00:23:10 my career here. 00:00:23:12 - 00:00:24:03 Welcome to 00:00:24:03 - 00:00:25:14 Clear Conversations. 00:00:25:14 - 00:00:25:20 You know, 00:00:25:20 - 00:00:26:11 the clear center. 00:00:26:11 - 00:00:27:03 Our researchers 00:00:27:03 - 00:00:27:23 are testing ways 00:00:27:23 - 00:00:28:19 to make livestock 00:00:28:19 - 00:00:30:01 more climate friendly. 00:00:30:01 - 00:00:30:10 And today, 00:00:30:10 - 00:00:31:02 we're going to be talking 00:00:31:02 - 00:00:31:08 to one of 00:00:31:08 - 00:00:32:08 those researchers. 00:00:32:08 - 00:00:32:21 His name is 00:00:32:21 - 00:00:33:13 Conor McCabe, 00:00:33:13 - 00:00:34:10 and he's a 00:00:34:10 - 00:00:35:06 PhD student in the 00:00:35:06 - 00:00:36:07 Mitloehner lab. 00:00:36:07 - 00:00:36:20 He is working 00:00:36:20 - 00:00:38:00 with feed additives 00:00:38:00 - 00:00:38:17 with dairy cows. 00:00:38:17 - 00:00:39:09 And he's going to tell us 00:00:39:09 - 00:00:39:20 a little bit 00:00:39:20 - 00:00:41:01 about his research today. 00:00:41:01 - 00:00:41:09 Conor, 00:00:41:09 - 00:00:42:07 thanks for joining us. 00:00:42:07 - 00:00:43:11 I'm so happy to be here 00:00:43:11 - 00:00:44:01 and looking 00:00:44:01 - 00:00:44:13 forward to it. 00:00:44:13 - 00:00:45:02 All right. 00:00:45:02 - 00:00:45:21 We are looking forward 00:00:45:21 - 00:00:46:13 to talking to you. 00:00:46:13 - 00:00:47:04 So first of all, 00:00:47:04 - 00:00:47:18 tell us a little bit 00:00:47:18 - 00:00:48:13 about yourself 00:00:48:13 - 00:00:49:06 and your background. 00:00:49:06 - 00:00:50:16 You've done a lot, 00:00:50:16 - 00:00:50:22 even 00:00:50:22 - 00:00:51:18 before you came to UC 00:00:51:18 - 00:00:52:13 Davis. You've done a lot. 00:00:52:13 - 00:00:53:04 So tell us a little bit 00:00:53:04 - 00:00:54:00 about that. Yeah. 00:00:54:00 - 00:00:55:07 So I'm currently 00:00:55:07 - 00:00:55:23 wrapping up 00:00:55:23 - 00:00:57:03 the fifth year of my, 00:00:57:03 - 00:00:58:20 my PhD here at Davis. 00:00:58:20 - 00:01:00:08 The last couple of months 00:01:00:08 - 00:01:01:02 of my time 00:01:01:02 - 00:01:02:09 is coming up here, 00:01:02:09 - 00:01:03:08 but I'm originally 00:01:03:08 - 00:01:04:04 from the West Coast, 00:01:04:04 - 00:01:05:14 originally from Oregon 00:01:05:14 - 00:01:06:11 as my hometown where 00:01:06:11 - 00:01:08:02 my family has a 00:01:08:02 - 00:01:10:05 small farm where we have, 00:01:10:05 - 00:01:11:11 pigs, 00:01:11:11 - 00:01:12:15 cattle, Christmas 00:01:12:15 - 00:01:14:10 trees, pumpkins, 00:01:14:12 - 00:01:15:03 all that order. 00:01:15:03 - 00:01:15:19 So a big 00:01:15:19 - 00:01:17:11 old McDonald farm, 00:01:17:11 - 00:01:18:11 and that got my interest 00:01:18:11 - 00:01:20:22 in animal science. 00:01:20:22 - 00:01:21:19 And then 00:01:21:19 - 00:01:22:18 I went to New York, 00:01:22:18 - 00:01:24:10 to Cornell for undergrad, 00:01:24:10 - 00:01:25:16 did a masters at Purdue, 00:01:25:16 - 00:01:26:05 and now 00:01:26:05 - 00:01:26:22 I've come here to UC 00:01:26:22 - 00:01:28:00 Davis. 00:01:28:00 - 00:01:28:12 There's cows 00:01:28:12 - 00:01:29:05 across the country. 00:01:29:05 - 00:01:29:19 So I've kind of seen 00:01:29:19 - 00:01:30:09 a little different 00:01:30:09 - 00:01:31:18 pockets of, 00:01:31:18 - 00:01:33:10 cows throughout my work. 00:01:33:10 - 00:01:34:06 My mom was a dairy 00:01:34:06 - 00:01:35:13 princess growing up, 00:01:35:13 - 00:01:36:15 but we had no, 00:01:36:15 - 00:01:37:12 no experience 00:01:37:12 - 00:01:38:10 or affiliation 00:01:38:10 - 00:01:39:11 with dairy cattle myself 00:01:39:11 - 00:01:39:22 because the cows 00:01:39:22 - 00:01:40:12 were sold off 00:01:40:12 - 00:01:42:07 before I was born. 00:01:42:07 - 00:01:43:05 But it came 00:01:43:05 - 00:01:43:21 on back to me, 00:01:43:21 - 00:01:44:08 and I've since 00:01:44:08 - 00:01:45:01 been involved 00:01:45:01 - 00:01:45:22 ever since here 00:01:45:22 - 00:01:46:08 with different 00:01:46:08 - 00:01:47:11 research projects 00:01:47:11 - 00:01:49:03 across different places 00:01:49:03 - 00:01:49:16 of the country. 00:01:49:16 - 00:01:50:19 And I knew all along 00:01:50:19 - 00:01:51:10 that I had an interest 00:01:51:10 - 00:01:51:21 in coming back 00:01:51:21 - 00:01:52:17 to the West Coast. 00:01:52:17 - 00:01:54:08 I had an interest in, 00:01:54:08 - 00:01:54:16 looking 00:01:54:16 - 00:01:55:02 at the 00:01:55:02 - 00:01:55:20 environmental 00:01:55:20 - 00:01:56:13 opportunities 00:01:56:13 - 00:01:58:02 in animal agriculture. 00:01:58:02 - 00:01:58:15 And UC Davis 00:01:58:15 - 00:01:59:09 was really the place 00:01:59:09 - 00:02:00:07 for that to be 00:02:00:07 - 00:02:01:04 and for me to come to. 00:02:01:04 - 00:02:02:10 So, 00:02:02:12 - 00:02:03:14 this lab and this 00:02:03:14 - 00:02:04:08 opportunity here 00:02:04:08 - 00:02:05:02 with Dr. Mitloehner 00:02:05:02 - 00:02:05:14 really checked 00:02:05:14 - 00:02:06:09 all those boxes 00:02:06:09 - 00:02:08:01 and then led into me 00:02:08:01 - 00:02:08:21 coming here to 00:02:08:21 - 00:02:10:07 to Davis five years ago. 00:02:10:07 - 00:02:11:02 Where were I 00:02:11:02 - 00:02:11:08 I know 00:02:11:08 - 00:02:11:20 I'm in 00:02:11:20 - 00:02:12:15 the final stages 00:02:12:15 - 00:02:13:19 right now, so why 00:02:13:19 - 00:02:14:10 why dairy cows 00:02:14:10 - 00:02:15:06 and why sustainability? 00:02:15:06 - 00:02:15:18 Why was that 00:02:15:18 - 00:02:16:12 interesting to you? 00:02:16:12 - 00:02:17:04 Why did you know 00:02:17:04 - 00:02:18:09 you wanted to do that? 00:02:18:09 - 00:02:18:17 Yeah. 00:02:18:17 - 00:02:20:21 So I think there's 00:02:20:21 - 00:02:21:09 I mean, it's 00:02:21:09 - 00:02:22:05 one of the hottest topics 00:02:22:05 - 00:02:24:19 for sure right now. 00:02:24:19 - 00:02:25:06 You know, 00:02:25:06 - 00:02:26:01 I had a lot of 00:02:26:01 - 00:02:26:22 opportunities with pigs, 00:02:26:22 - 00:02:27:05 and that's 00:02:27:05 - 00:02:27:23 actually my first 00:02:27:23 - 00:02:30:10 entryway to, 00:02:30:10 - 00:02:31:09 to livestock. 00:02:31:09 - 00:02:32:05 But then when I 00:02:32:05 - 00:02:33:12 went to undergrad, 00:02:33:12 - 00:02:34:19 the only opportunity 00:02:34:19 - 00:02:35:05 to get involved 00:02:35:05 - 00:02:35:13 in production 00:02:35:13 - 00:02:36:19 agriculture was 00:02:36:19 - 00:02:38:05 dairy cattle. 00:02:38:05 - 00:02:38:15 Because that's 00:02:38:15 - 00:02:40:22 what Cornell offered. 00:02:40:22 - 00:02:42:02 And, you know, at 00:02:42:02 - 00:02:42:10 first 00:02:42:10 - 00:02:43:12 I started learning more. 00:02:43:12 - 00:02:43:21 So I gained 00:02:43:21 - 00:02:44:12 a liking to it. 00:02:44:12 - 00:02:45:13 And then really 00:02:45:13 - 00:02:46:20 seeing opportunities 00:02:46:20 - 00:02:47:20 are open to you 00:02:47:20 - 00:02:48:13 through what 00:02:48:13 - 00:02:49:12 I had in undergrad, 00:02:49:12 - 00:02:50:04 from research, 00:02:50:04 - 00:02:51:18 from teaching, from, 00:02:51:18 - 00:02:52:21 on farm opportunities. 00:02:52:21 - 00:02:53:09 You know, 00:02:53:09 - 00:02:54:09 no dairy farm 00:02:54:09 - 00:02:55:20 is the same, you know, 00:02:55:20 - 00:02:57:04 in terms of management, 00:02:57:04 - 00:02:57:15 in terms 00:02:57:15 - 00:02:58:17 of different practices, 00:02:58:17 - 00:02:59:03 in terms 00:02:59:03 - 00:03:00:10 of what different 00:03:00:10 - 00:03:01:15 situations, 00:03:01:15 - 00:03:02:11 are spread out 00:03:02:11 - 00:03:03:20 and like the different 00:03:03:20 - 00:03:04:19 management strategies. 00:03:04:19 - 00:03:05:12 I felt like, wow, 00:03:05:12 - 00:03:06:05 this is really cool. 00:03:06:05 - 00:03:06:17 There's a lot of 00:03:06:17 - 00:03:08:14 opportunities here. 00:03:08:16 - 00:03:09:09 Plus, I 00:03

    22 min

  4. 19/11/2025

    Utilizing Genetics to Reduce Methane Emissions in Animal Agriculture

    Dr. Troy Rowan sits down with CLEAR Conversations host, Tracy Sellers. Dr. Rowan was a featured speaker at the 2025 State of the Science Summit at UC Davis. The event will return next year on June 16-18, 2026, continuing its focus on advancing livestock methane research and collaborative solutions. Rowan, now an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, grew up surrounded by cattle on his family’s Charolais operation in Iowa. His family has been farming and ranching there for more than a century — long enough for the rhythms of agriculture to get in his blood. Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-conversations/id1844923534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EsxxMUuHGRysasRq5k1bS iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/299490214 Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/94808eee-a498-49ec-a3da-9bae97d0250d

    11 min

  5. 05/11/2025

    World’s First Carbon Tax on Livestock Emissions!

    When it comes to climate action, Denmark has rarely been content to sit on the sidelines. Now, the small Nordic nation is taking another pioneering leap — becoming the first country in the world to implement a carbon tax on livestock emissions, set to begin in 2030. During a CLEAR Conversations podcast, which was filmed at the 2025 State of the Science Summit held at UC Davis, Anna Trillingsgaard from the Embassy of Denmark shared how this ambitious plan came to be and what it means for farmers, the environment, and the global agricultural community who is watching closely.

    12 min

  6. 22/10/2025

    Investing in Technologies to Capture Methane Emissions

    When it comes to talking about methane and cattle, few people can make the science sound both accessible and hopeful quite like Dr. Sara Place. A former UC Davis graduate student and now an associate professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, Place has built her career around understanding how livestock can be part of the climate solution — not just part of the problem.

    9 min

  7. 08/10/2025

    How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

    For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality. In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself. Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.

    44 min

  8. 08/10/2025

    Salute to Agriculture and Football!

    UC Davis football will charge into their Big Sky Conference opener against conference rival Weber State, setting the stage for a night packed with excitement. With students back on campus, the energy will be electric—complete with the thrilling First-Year Field Storm, and a stadium full of Aggie spirit. Kickoff is expected at 7 p.m., but the festivities fire up well before then. At 5 p.m., join us for an ag-tastic tailgate that brings the farm right to the field. Back by popular demand, this pre-game showcase will feature cattle, sheep, goats, tractors, and more—turning the tailgate into a tribute to the roots that make UC Davis a leader in agricultural excellence. It’s a chance to honor the Animal Science Department and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and to gather with friends, faculty, students, and supporters in a true Aggie-style celebration. “To see agriculture celebrated in such a high-energy, crowd-filled space like a football game is incredible," said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, director of the CLEAR Center. "It’s a reminder that farming isn’t just essential—it’s also deeply connected to our everyday lives. And this game brings that message to life in a way that’s fun and exciting and it will be a powerful tribute to the people driving agriculture forward.”

    12 min

  9. 18/09/2025

    Welcome to CLEAR Conversations

    Hosted by CLEAR Center Director and greenhouse gas expert Dr. Frank Mitloehner, along with members of the CLEAR Center communications staff, the podcast will break down complex topics—like climate change, livestock emissions, and the future of food—into clear, relatable conversations.

    21 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

The way food is produced touches everyone, yet most of us are far removed from the farms and ranches where it all begins. That’s the driving idea behind a new podcast from the UC Davis CLEAR Center. Called “CLEAR Conversations,” the show aims to bring together voices from across the agricultural and scientific communities to spark meaningful dialogue about farming, food, and sustainability. Hosted by CLEAR Center Director and greenhouse gas expert Dr. Frank Mitloehner, along with members of the CLEAR Center communications staff, the podcast will break down complex topics—like climate change, livestock emissions, and the future of food—into clear, relatable conversations.

Information

  • Creator
    UC Davis CLEAR Center
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    CLEAR Conversations