Peña-Lévano and team win 2025 IFAMA World Best Case
By Luis Garcia Covarrubias, postdoctoral scholar in dairy economics, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Luis Peña-Lévano, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in dairy cattle production, health and management economics in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and his team were awarded World Best Case by the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) in their Global Conference in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
The case study “Automated Milking Systems: A Challenge and Opportunity for U.S. Midwest Dairy Farmers” examines the Schmidt family’s decision at Pioneer Farm in the U.S. Midwest on whether or not to adopt automated milking systems (AMS) – milking robots that can autonomously milk dairy cows.
Peña-Lévano and Shaheer Burney, associate professor of agribusiness at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, represented the team in the global finals at the IFAMA Symposium on June 24 alongside two finalist teams, from Harven Agribusiness School (Brazil) and Austral University (Argentina).
The case study explains the conundrum faced by farmers: AMS can potentially increase operational efficiency, reduce labor reliance and improve milk quality. However, installing AMS requires high upfront costs, maintenance expenses and adjustments to farm management practices, making it a challenging and crucial decision for small and mid-sized dairy operations.
During the 40-minute workshop, Peña-Lévano and Burney presented the major key points of the study, engaging the audience to act as consultants, explaining the pros and cons of adopting AMS, and finally, providing the decision taken by the farm. The goal of the workshop was to highlight how this case study offers valuable lessons for policymakers and educators, contributing to the ongoing discourse on technological innovation in agriculture.
“Engaging students in the decision-making process of adopting new technologies in the farm gives them valuable insights into the opportunities and trade-offs associated with technological innovation in the U.S. Midwest dairy industry,” Peña-Lévano said.
The award was presented to Peña-Lévano and creative project manager Victor Queirolo during the conference dinner on June 26.
We’re incredibly proud of this achievement, as this award reflects our multidisciplinary and multistate teamwork with Louis Lab Partners.
This case study was written by Peña-Lévano, who visited the dairy farm and led the overall project; Burney, who helped in the data collection and led the financial analysis; University of Minnesota Professor Jim Salfer, who contacted the farmer and shared his experience with robotic milking in the Midwest; Jennifer Clark, University of Florida senior lecturer, who co-wrote the teaching objectives and teaching notes; Luis Garcia-Covarrubias, UC Davis postdoctoral researcher, who developed the financial projections and NPV as well as contributed in the literature review of the case; and University of Georgia Professor Cesar Escalante, who provided insights into the role of labor when adopting AMS.
Huge thanks also to our Louis Lab Media, Design and IT team; Victor Queirolo who developed the design of the documents, logos and characters; Jose Briceño who was the specialist in the animations and PowerPoint development; and Pedro Saravia, who helped in the edits of the AMS video and formatting of financial budgets. Their creative input undoubtedly improved the final product and made it stand out!
See the presentation video at https://drlouis.us/louis-lab/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-IFAMA-Case-Study_v-1.mp4.
Kearney REC interns graduate, show summer research
High school students in Fresno County had the opportunity to show their summer projects to their parents at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier on July 29.
“We had a great event yesterday in partnership with Reedley College and USDA graduating the interns who were hosted at KREC and USDA this summer,” said Atef Swelam, director of Kearney and West Side Research and Extension Centers.
The event was part of Reedley College's Upward Bound Program, which connects high school seniors interested in research with local scientists.
“Thank you to Hannah Johnson for the connection and facilitating the collaboration,” Swelam said. “And a big thank you to my staff and researchers at KREC who did not save any effort to make it a great success.”
The event was attended by students; parents; Jerry Buckley, the president of Reedley College; Sandra Fuentes, Reedley College dean of early college and program directors; USDA-ARS leadership and researchers; and KREC staff and researchers.
The event was covered by ABC30, the Fresno affiliate of ABC News: https://abc30.com/post/high-school-students-showcase-summer-research-projects-agriculture/17355393/