Last week, I had the opportunity to join National FFA Organization members from across the country at FFA’s brand new NextGen Conference, which focused on animal system career pathways. The room was full of high school juniors and seniors who were eager to learn from industry representatives about potential careers as nutritionists, veterinarians, marketing managers and salespeople in the animal agriculture industry. I was there to talk about my career and the animal food industry, but I learned far more from the young people sitting in that room who will be responsible for solving some of agriculture’s greatest and most daunting challenges.

While much of the fuss in the government affairs world is made about the federal government, state government decisions have significant impacts on the animal food industry as well. Most states have a state feed law that gives state regulators the primary authority over all animal food and ingredients.

Today is National Love Your Pet Day. What a great day - everyone loves their pets! And that certainly includes the staff at the American Feed Industry Association and the Institute for Feed Education and Research. AFIA staff and members have a unique tie to the pets we love – the work we do every day helps to feed them high-quality, safe and nutritious food! Hear from some AFIA staff members below on not only why they love their pets, but the work they do at AFIA and IFEEDER as well.

A fond memory from my childhood is of my mother at the dining table in the morning, enjoying her cup of black coffee as she doled out five dog biscuits to our little button-eyed, poodle-cross dog, Jack. For meals, Jack gobbled up his canned dog food, but his breakfast time treats were dog biscuits. There must have been some balance in the diet my mother provided to her doting dog; he traveled with our family to two continents and across seven states, living a happy and bouncy 15 years.  Mom and Jack have both been gone for a long time, but in recognition of National Dog Biscuit Day, I looked into the history of dog biscuits and the role they play in a modern dog diet.

For the U.S. beef industry, Valentine’s Day marks heavy activity with regard to spring calving season.  Somewhat following nature’s season for birth of prey animals (think deer, elk and wild sheep), cattle producers often manage their cow herds so that calves are born about 70 days prior to some of the best grazing conditions of the year. A cow’s milk production usually peaks about that same time. During peak milk production, her nutritional demands are also greatest. Thus, spring calving season often affords the most abundant nutritional resources at a time when the cow’s nutritional needs are highest for many parts of our great nation. 

Most people can count the number of animal rights groups they know on one hand. If only that were how many actually exist. Not only are there hundreds of animal rights groups, but they are working together to make farming and ranching more difficult and cause distrust with your customers.

Cow bubbles - sounds like something out of science fiction, right? Wrong! Cow bubbles are not fiction nor are they from the future – they are currently helping our industry fight against misinformation on the environmental impact of cows.

Oh, IPPE. Three days of new friends, new learnings and new blisters on your feet. Every January, herds of meat, machinery, poultry and feed folks flock to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). The world’s largest annual feed, poultry and meat industry event of its kind, IPPE brings together a diverse crowd to showcase the industry’s newest technological advances, learn about the latest issues and network with new people.