Ian Garnett Heads Animal Agriculture Research Center

Ian Garnett, Animal Science Senior Lecturer, recently assumed duties as Director of the Animal Agriculture Research Center (AARC), now in its fourth year of operation. He succeeds Emeritus Professor Eric Bradford who was AARC's director from its inception.

AARC was conceived in 1992 as a broadly based organization to promote and to carry out issue-oriented research in animal agriculture that is often too broad to be effectively addressed by any one department. AARC has a board of directors drawn from industry, government, the State Universities, and UC Davis whose function is to prioritize projects, or areas of research, and assist in fund raising.

In 1993-94, AARC conducted a study of the impact of animal agriculture on water quality in California. This was followed by a Statewide conference co-sponsored by the UC Agriculture Issues Center (AIC). Other projects completed by AARC include the printing of a photographic and descriptive guide to aid in the identification of endangered plants on public lands used for grazing in Northern California and a directory of animal science departments in the UC and CSU systems.

Currently AARC is coordinating the gathering of technical information for the completion of four AIC reports on animal waste handling and impacts for the State Water Resource Control Board. In August, AARC will sponsor a Grazing Impacts Workshop led by former director Bradford. This will be followed by a report summarizing the available scientific information on this topic.