Greetings from Carrington!  My name is Anna Taylor and I am the new Animal Scientist at the Carrington Research Extension Center (CREC).  I’ve returned to North Dakota after spending several years at South Dakota State University (SDSU) for my education.  I am originally from Mandan, where I grew up on a hobby farm.  I pursued an animal science degree at SDSU thinking I wanted to be a veterinarian.  During my undergraduate studies I was able to be involved with beef research, which ultimately became a turning point in my career path.  I have a broad scope of experiences from my time at SDSU including reproductive physiology, immunology, meat science and ruminant nutrition.  My most recent research focused on fetal programming, feedlot nutrition and management, and meat quality.

At the CREC Livestock Unit, I look forward to exploring numerous topics including:

• Utilizing cover crops and crop residue to reduce feed costs
• Optimizing backgrounding management techniques
• Evaluating North Dakota agriculture by-products in cattle diets as they impact cattle performance, logistics, and  economics
• Impacts of facilities design on beef cattle performance
• The value of being a farmer-feeder
• And the many collaborations at the CREC and at NDSU

I am excited about the opportunities the CREC has to address the needs of crop and livestock producers in North Dakota.  I look forward to meeting you down the road!

Anna Taylor
Animal Scientist