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.

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.

‘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.

When I went to college, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but where I actually ended up - at times working for a few companies who made animal feed and now working for the trade association representing those companies - turned out to be so much better!

Today and every day, the U.S. feed industry celebrates America Recycles Day. The feed industry is and always has been a big recycler through its use of co-products in animal feed. Recycling products that would otherwise be discarded into co-products to be used in feed significantly helps to reduce our environmental footprint.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” U.S. Postal Service’s unofficial motto.