Gonzalo Ferreira

Dairy Financial Management. When attending some (if not all) of his workshops, you will hear from Dr. Ferreira that the most effective means for improving farm profitability and ensuring farm sustainability is discussing farming as a business. Since 2015, Dr. Ferreira has been delivering educational workshops about dairy enterprise management to dairy farmers. These workshops intend to build a holistic management strategy to help farmers to successfully manage their agricultural operations through periods of high risk, volatility, and financial stress. This holistic management strategy implies developing a strategic plan, building financial balance sheets and budgets, analyzing partial budgets and capital investments, and analyzing marketing or pricing strategies. These educational workshops have been delivered in several regions within Virginia and several States throughout the nation.

Forage Quality and Management. Dr. Ferreira’s extension program focuses heavily on forage quality and management. For this program, Dr. Ferreira delivers educational on-farm workshops and produces diverse extension fact-sheets and educational videos. He also writes popular press articles in several magazines, such as Hoard’s Dairyman, Hay & Forage Grower, and Dairy Herd Management among others.

Labor Management. Dr. Ferreira is convinced visual and hands-on learning experiences accelerate the learning processes of employees. As such, Dr. Ferreira develops educational videos, some of them in Spanish with scripts in English, to improve the training process of the labor force of dairy farms.

Applied Dairy Nutrition. Dr. Ferreira’s research program evaluates how agronomic practices and abiotic stresses affect the nutritional composition of forages, as well as dairy cattle production performance and nutrient utilization. Dr. Ferreira’s laboratory also investigates the effects of B-vitamin supplementation on performance and metabolism in dairy cattle.

Although Dr. Ferreira does not have a teaching appointment, he lectures in a few courses of the Department of Dairy Science, such as and Applied Dairy Cattle Nutrition and Advance Dairy Management Evaluation (also known as Dairy Challenge).

2006    PhD   The Ohio State University-OARDC, Dairy Nutrition

2002     MS    University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dairy Nutrition

1998      BS     Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias: Agricultural Production

Invited Lectures

Invited Lecturer for Dairy Production, Dairy Nutrition. Especialización en Lechería de la Facultad de Agonomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires (2012). 

Invited Lecturer for Dairy Production, Dairy Nutrition. Especialización en Lechería de la Facultad de Agonomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires (2010).

Invited Lecturer for Dairy Production, Dairy Nutrition. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (2008).

Invited Lecturer for Animal Nutrition, Dairy Nutrition. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (2005).

Lectures and Extension Presentations

Extension presentation: “Forrajes Conservados: Parámetros, Interpretación y Uso en Dietas.” Presentación para Asesores Técnicos en Lechería – Asociación Argentina de Consorcios Regionales de Experimentación Agrícols. August 2012; CABA, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Que Información Necesitamos para Balancear una Ración Eficientemente.” 1er Seminario Técnico para Rumiantes – Cámara Argentina de Empresas de Nutrición Animal. September 2008; San Nicolás, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Consideraciones generales en la nutrición de la vaca lechera” and “Suplementación con biotina a vacas lecheras.” 1º Jornada de Actualización Técnica by Nutrevill (feed compounder). June 2007; Gral Villegas, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Suplementación de Biotina a Vacas Lecheras.” Presented to distributors of DSM Nutritional Products Argentina. June 2006; Pilar, Buenos Aires.

Abstract presentation: “Effect of Biotin Supplementation on Biotin Status of Lactating Dairy Cows of Different Milk Yields.” Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, July 2005, Cincinnati, OH.

Extension presentation: “Biotin status of lactating dairy cows of different milk yields supplemented with different amounts of biotin.” Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. May, 2005, Fort Wayne, IN

Lecture: “Forage Quality and Management” and “General Aspects of Biotin on Metabolism.” Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Católica Argentina. Sep 2005; Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Forrajes Conservados: Parámetros, Interpretación y Uso en Dietas.” Presentación para Asesores Técnicos en Lechería – Asociación Argentina de Consorcios Regionales de Experimentación Agrícols. August 2012; CABA, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Que Información Necesitamos para Balancear una Ración Eficientemente.” 1er Seminario Técnico para Rumiantes – Cámara Argentina de Empresas de Nutrición Animal. September 2008; San Nicolás, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Consideraciones generales en la nutrición de la vaca lechera” and “Suplementación con biotina a vacas lecheras.” 1º Jornada de Actualización Técnica by Nutrevill (feed compounder). June 2007; Gral Villegas, Buenos Aires.

Extension presentation: “Suplementación de Biotina a Vacas Lecheras.” Presented to distributors of DSM Nutritional Products Argentina. June 2006; Pilar, Buenos Aires.

Abstract presentation: “Effect of Biotin Supplementation on Biotin Status of Lactating Dairy Cows of Different Milk Yields.” Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, July 2005, Cincinnati, OH.

Extension presentation: “Biotin status of lactating dairy cows of different milk yields supplemented with different amounts of biotin.” Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. May, 2005, Fort Wayne, IN

Lecture: “Forage Quality and Management” and “General Aspects of Biotin on Metabolism.” Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Católica Argentina. Sep 2005; Buenos Aires.

DSM Nutritional Products. 2008 Ruminant Research and Marketing Plan for Latin America (funding granted). Presented as the Leader for Ruminants in Latin America (2007).

American Dairy Science Association. ADSA Dairy Production Graduate Student Paper Competition (3rd place). Title: "Effect of Biotin Supplementation on Biotin Status of Lactating Dairy Cows of Different Milk Yields." July, 2005, Cincinnati, OH.

Ohio State University Nutrition (OSUN) Program. Graduate Student Poster Competition (3rd place). Title: "Biotin status of lactating dairy cows of different milk yields supplemented with different amounts of biotin." June, 2005, Columbus, OH.

Ohio Dairy Producers Competitive Grant. “Biotin status of lactating dairy cows of different productions and supplemented with different levels of biotin.” Ferreira, G. and W. P. Weiss (2005).

2013- present
Assistant Professor, Department of Dairy Science
Virginia Tech                  

2008–2013     
Extensionist and Consultant in Dairy Business
CREA Navarro and CREA Lincoln Asociación Argentina de Consorcios Regionales de Experimentación Agropecuaria

2007–2008
Regional Leader of Ruminant Species for Latin America
Animal Nutrition and Health DSM Nutritional Products

2006–2008
Nutritionist and Technical Manager, Animal Nutrition and Health
DSM Nutritional Products Argentina SA

2003–2006
Graduate Research Associate. Department of Animal Sciences
The Ohio State University-OARDC

2000–2002     
Graduate Research Associate. Dairy Science Department
University of Wisconsin-Madison

1999
Research Intern. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, WI
United States Department of Agriculture

1999
Junior Nutritionist and Grazing Manager. La Leocadia Beef Ranch
Lincoln, Buenos Aires, Argentina     

1998
Intern (monitoring weeds and pests in soybean and sunflower crops)
Lacau Hnos, SRL Lincoln, Buenos Aires, Argentina

ABSTRACTS

Ferreira, G., and W.P. Weiss. 2006. Effect of biotin supplementation on enzyme activity and gene expression of biotin-dependent carboxylases in the liver of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (Suppl. 1):231 (Abstr.).

Ferreira, G., and D.R. Mertens. 2006. Effect of corn silage maturity and mechanical processing on nutrient digestibility by lactating dairy cows of different lactation stages. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (Suppl. 1):192 (Abstr.).   

Ferreira, G., W.P. Weiss, and L.B. Willett. 2005. Effect of biotin supplementation on biotin status of lactating dairy cows of different milk yields. Journal of Dairy Science 88 (Suppl. 1):80 (Abstr.).

Ferreira, G., and D.R. Mertens. 2003. Measuring detergent insoluble protein and fiber in corn silage using crucibles or filter bags. Journal of Dairy Science 86 (Suppl. 1):287 (Abstr.).

Ferreira, G., D.R. Mertens, P. Berzaghi, and R.D. Shaver. 2002. Effect of corn silage maturity and crop processing on performance of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 85 (Suppl. 1):94 (Abstr.).

Ferreira, G., and D.R. Mertens. 2001. Physical and chemical characteristics affecting in vitro digestibility of corn silages of different particle sizes. Journal of Dairy Science 84 (Suppl. 1):348 (Abstr.).

Mertens, D.R., and G. Ferreira. 2001. Partitioning in vitro digestibility.

EXTENSION ARTICLES AND INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS

G. Ferreira. 2011. Silajes de Cereales de Invierno para Suplir Deficits de Reservas En Esta Campaña. Mercoláctea 2011.

G. Ferreira. 2009. Sin Grandes Sorpresas. Revista CREA Número 346.

G. Ferreira. 2008. Calidad y Costos de Silajes. Revista CREA Número 336.

G. Ferreira. 2008. Biotina para Vacas Lecheras: Dogmas, Verdades y Novedades. Mercoláctea 2008

G. Ferreira. 2008. Foco en la preñez. Revista Infortambo Número 227.

G. Ferreira. 2007. Concentración de β-caroteno en sangre de vacas lecheras en rodeos de la Argentina. Revista Negocios de Nutrición Animal Año 1, Número 1.

G. Ferreira. 2007. Suplementación con biotina para disminuir la incidencia de rengueras en vacas lecheras. Conciencia Rural Año 2 (Número 8):40-42.

G. Ferreira. 2007. En materia de estructura esquelética, no todo es nutrición. Revista Negocios de Avicultura Año 3 (Número 13):6,8.

G. Ferreira. 2006. Importancia y usos de la vitamina D y sus metabolitos en pollos parrilleros.  Revista Negocios de Avicultura Año 2 (Número 10):24,26.

G. Ferreira. 2006. Semilla de algodón sí, pero cuidado con los excesos. Revista Producir XXI Año 15 (Número 181):48-50.

Weiss, W.P, and G. Ferreira. 2006. Water soluble vitamins for dairy cattle. Proceedings of the Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. Fort Wayne, IN.

G. Ferreira. 2006. Biotecnología para aumentar la utilización de la proteína en silajes de alfalfa. Revista Producir XXI Año 14 (Numero 174):42-45.

Weiss, W.P, and G. Ferreira. 2006. Are your cows getting the vitamins they need? Proceedings of the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar. Advances in Dairy Technology 18:249-259.

Martens, D. R., and G. Ferreira. 2002. Factors affecting variation in the in vitro digestibility of corn silage. Proceedings of the American Forage and Grassland Council. Bloomington, MN.