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.
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.
Among the special days of the holiday season, National Milk Day (January 11, if you haven’t already marked your calendar) may not get the attention Christmas gifts and New Year’s kisses may attract. But the day, believed to be the anniversary of the first delivery of milk in bottles in the U.S. in 1878, is a good occasion to look at where milk stands with consumers and where it’s heading next.
It’s hard to believe that it has already been four months since we launched the AFIA Feed Bites blog! We are so proud to bring our readers a different perspective to issues impacting the animal food industry, correct misinformation, discuss the latest trends, share stories about our industry and have a little fun explaining what animal feed and pet food production is all about.
Happy Holidays from the American Feed Industry Association and the Institute for Feed Education and Research! Please note that AFIA's offices will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 1.
‘Tis the season of giving.
Now that you’ve had a few days to recover from the splendors of food and family, it’s important to take a second and reflect on what you’re thankful for and how you can affect positive change not only within your community, but across the globe as well.
Before we sit down to give thanks and fill our plates, let’s take a look at the dinner table. We all know what we like to eat for Thanksgiving (turkey of course!), but what are the turkeys eating? The feed industry plays a very important role in ensuring turkeys (and down the line, you!) are fed safe and nutritious food.
As we near that time of year when we think of all the things we have in our lives to be thankful for, I often think of our ancestors who came to America. I imagine the hardships we have all read about as they slowly crossed our country and found a place to become their home.
Let’s talk about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and animal feed. Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably have heard of GMOs in some capacity and have heard many misconceptions about them. Is GMO food some kind of Frankenfood? Are they safe? Will they make me sick? (No, yes and no, for the record). GMOs serve a very important purpose in the animal feed industry – providing reliable, nutritious and affordable ingredients to make animal feed.