The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) presented a FAZD Center principal investigator, Dr. Andy Vestal, with its 2009 Partnership Award for Effective and Efficient Use of Resources.
He received the award during the annual meeting of the USDA's National Extension Disaster Education Network annual meeting (EDEN) in Indianapolis on Oct. 6-9.
During 2008-09, Vestal chaired the Professional Development Committee on the Executive Committee of the USDA's National Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), with oversight responsibilities for NIFA funds supporting educational research and Extension outreach. NIFA is the former Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CREES).
NIFA provided partial funding for the FAZD Center's Animal Health Network, a system designed to dramatically decrease the time required for a disease outbreak alert to reach non-commercial producers of livestock and poultry. Vestal is principal investigator for the Animal Health Network, which has has been well received nationally, with adoption in several states – most recently in the state of Michigan.
The Animal Health Network has the potential to reach over 2 million non-commercial livestock and poultry operators through a network of 50 state veterinarians, 2,700 extension educators, and 6,700 feed retailers.
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