Brian Azevedo Merced, California Technical Dairy Support Alltech

What education are you bringing with you to this position?
After graduating from Gustine High School, I began Cal Poly in the fall of 2006, double majoring in dairy science and ag business. For both degrees I concentrated on farm and ranch management.

I graduated in the spring of 2011. In addition to my formal schooling, I also bring more than ten years of hands on dairy experience from my family’s farm.

Please describe your agricultural background.
I was raised on a 500 Holstein cow dairy in Gustine, California. Growing up I learned the inner workings of a dairy, from feeding and weaning calves to treating hospital cows – all while welding, scraping corrals, operating equipment and ordering feed stuffs in between.

I have had a hand in every aspect necessary to run and operate my family’s dairy. Throughout high school I was heavily involved in my local FFA chapter and showed replacement heifers all four years. Upon graduation I also earned the American FFA Degree.

What territory will you cover?
California

What are your new responsibilities?
My job is to support the dairymen and women with technical support and consult with them using a 360 degree approach including cow comfort, technical and nutrition support, forage management, employee training and more.

We realize that dairy management is more than just nutrition, genetics or management practices alone, but rather it is all of these components combined that make a successful dairy remain profitable and sustainable.

What previous positions have you held?
During my time at Cal Poly I held a maintenance position on our campus’ dairy assisting in daily duties to keep it up and running. While at home between quarters throughout college and high school, I worked as a manager at Azevedo Dairy located in Merced, California.

Who has made the biggest impact on your career?
My father Joe Azevedo taught me a lot about hard work. My entire life he has always told me that it’s good to learn something new all the time. It doesn’t cost anything to learn and if you need it, it’s free.

I have always been under the impression that it doesn’t hurt to have too much knowledge in anything. My success today can be attributed to my father’s impact on my life.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
By gaining a basic understanding of dairymen’s philosophies and preferences concerning their dairy, I can better assist each in obtaining their performance goals. One of my strengths is in evaluating cow health and nutrition.

I have confidence in my abilities to further enhance a cow’s potential by trouble shooting and implementing solutions to help meet the needs of the cow in such a crucial stage of production. I also plan to utilize my bilingual skills to better communicate with dairymen and their employees on all levels of production.

Why did you choose this company?
Alltech is an industry leader when it comes to innovative nutritional solutions for animal health and productivity. They are focusing on natural, sustainable solutions to some of the industry’s biggest challenges by researching things like algae.

One acre of algae can produce the same amount of protein in a year as 21 acres of soybeans or 49 acres of corn. These are exciting things that are going to have a huge impact on our industry, and I want to make sure I’m a part of it.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
It is my goal to help dairymen regain economic sustainability across California through the implementation of new technologies and strategies that will reduce cost and increase production.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I want to earn a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition, followed by a PhD. Algae and its potential became a passion of mine while completing my senior project at Cal Poly.

I hope to further my knowledge in this aspect while pursuing higher education. While accomplishing my goals, I want to continue supporting my family’s dairy and hopefully one day gain the position as our operation’s personal nutritionist. PD