10/16/06 Dairy research/teaching center

It's been talked about and in the planning stages for more than six years. Now a Jerome County site has been identified as a possible home for the Dairy Environmental Research and Teaching Center. Dairyman Mike Quesnell is on the design committee QUESNELL "Study the environment and when I say the environment I'm talking about soil, water, air and people, how it relates to large scale modern day agriculture." Quesnell says they're working with the state, the College of Southern Idaho and the four years schools, plus other government entities to develop the research and teaching center. They'll need from 640 to 2000 acres. QUESNELL "Somewhere around 15 hundred milking cows, young cattle, some beef cattle, maybe even some other livestock." Quesnell says if they can study issues like nutrient management as well as they have studied milk production it will help the environment and bring new income or lower costs to many dairy farms. QUESNELL "How can we capture what comes out of the back of the cow and use it to the advantage of our entire population? Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott