Van Soest named Vita Plus dairy technical specialist

Brandon Van Soest, Ph.D., recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy technical specialist. He will be based in northwestern Indiana, providing technical expertise and primary nutritional responsibilities to help producers have the most success within their milking herd.

Van Soest attended Purdue University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences. He then attended Michigan State University to complete his master’s degree in animal sciences. While working on his master’s degree, Van Soest’s research focused on the effect of feeding transition milk to dairy calves on growth and health in the first few days of life. He also supervised many undergraduate research assistants that assisted in his research.

He then moved from Michigan to the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada to complete his Ph.D. in animal biosciences. At Guelph, his research focused on the optimal nutrition in automatic milking systems. He has published 3 peer reviewed publications while giving 16 research presentations. On campus, Van Soest was active in the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists and American Dairy Science Association as a graduate student member.

Vita Plus Corporation, an employee-owned company, serves dairy and livestock producers throughout the Midwest.  Founded in 1948, the company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to quality feed manufacturing, Vita Plus consultants offer the latest cutting-edge nutrition, technology and management expertise.  For more information about the organization, call 800.362.8334 or go online at www.vitaplus.com.