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Traditionally, dairy farms have used simple data for decision-making, such as milk production metrics. But newer approaches involving more sophisticated biometric data - akin to "Fitbits for cows" - can track metrics like steps, eating habits, and milking patterns. Joao Costa, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and a Food Systems Research Center faculty fellow, has found that by monitoring and integrating this detailed data, farmers can make more informed decisions, such as identifying health issues when a cow's behavior deviates from the norm. 

Costa highlights the importance of data integration within the broader food system, involving not just farmers but also veterinarians, nutritionists, and consultants. The ultimate goal is to advance the dairy industry by fostering technology adoption and data-driven decision-making at the farm level.

Read more and see a video of Joao Costa explaining his work here.

Research of this type has contributed to ¶¶Òõ̽̽'s designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 institution, placing it in the top tier of research universities in the U.S.