NCI Future of Feeding Webinar Series | Featuring Adam Fahrenholz

Adam Fahrenholz, Associate Professor from North Carolina State University.

Each month, NCI holds a new update in the Future of Feeding webinar series, which focuses on using innovation in the processing of animal food, the equipment being used, as well as using grains from our region for co-products.

This month’s webinar featured Future of Feeding with Adam Fahrenholz, Associate Professor from North Carolina State University. The hour-long webinar revolved around the meaning of optimization in animal feed manufacturing. His presentation included looking for and implementing process efficiencies, balancing manufacturing and nutrition, finding new (or better) ways of measuring quality and process variables, and many other interesting topics.

In his presentation, Fahrenholz took viewers through the entire process involved in a feed mill. He made sure that viewers were able to understand what optimization truly means when it comes to running a feed mill. He began his presentation by discussing the grinding process and how there will be issues within the rest of the mill if the grinder isn’t operating at the fastest level that it can. He discussed what it means to have more ingredients and more sampling when it comes to grinding. 

The next step discussed was the batching and mixing process. Fahrenholz explained that they are always looking to shorten batching/mixing time to give more flexibility when it comes to flushing/sequences. These time-consuming processes will only decrease the optimization of the feed mill. He examined strategies like reducing non-system ingredient inclusions that will help to eliminate inefficiencies. 

Fahrenholz also discussed pelleting and the ways in which the pelleting process is optimized. He made sure to explain that numbers for formulations are never set in stone and stressed that we can’t always take the best pelleting route because there are so many different needs and ways for pelleting to be used. Millers can look to control the process with nutrition in mind, but in the end, it depends upon the needs that the pelleting is used for. Fahrenholz gave a great presentation that explained the very interesting process of feed mill optimization. 

Northern Crops Institute greatly appreciates Adam Fahrenholz’s involvement and input in our webinar. At NCI, we continue to work towards fulfilling our mission to support regional agriculture and value-added processing by conducting educational and technical programs that expand and maintain domestic and international markets for northern grown crops. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the innovative ideas of guest speakers like Adam Fahrenholz.

To watch the recording, click the video below.

For more information about future webinars offered at NCI, click here.