College football fans know that a successful team requires a knowledgeable head coach. But how many assistant coaches do you think most college football teams have? And how does this compare to animal food safety?
Having been personally involved with the Animal Agriculture Alliance for many years, I got to know Hannah Thompson-Weeman well and know she is one of the greatest champions for animal agriculture out there. She was appointed as president and CEO last year and I recently had the opportunity to learn more about her and her exciting plans to lead the organization into the future.
Last week, recent college graduate Marisa Crowhurst joined the American Feed Industry Association’s communications team as our spring intern. When I interviewed her for this role, she stood out to me as a go-getter, having worked her way through college as a dog (and cat!) groomer to earn her bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and communication, with a specialization in communication and leadership development. She has experience in multimedia content development and is already bringing fresh ideas to our communications projects. Learn more about her in the Q&A below and meet her in person at the upcoming AFIA Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference.
Wow, we’re already in week two of the new year, and I am still getting used to writing “2023.” Before we completely wrap up 2022, I wanted to briefly share an interesting development that happened just prior to everyone putting up their out of office messages for the holidays. In late December, the American Feed Industry Association submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), asking the agency to expand the expertise and use of the feed management standard in current government conservation programs.
Are there links between soluble fiber and diet-related heart failure in beagles? What role does dried brewer’s yeast play in the gastrointestinal health and immune function of dogs? What is an accurate method to determine amino acid digestibility and protein quality of mealworm-based ingredients? These are just some of the questions attendees will hear addressed at the upcoming American Feed Industry Association Pet Food Conference (PFC), where researchers will present their studies for the pet food industry.
Rebecca Kane, CMP, recently joined the American Feed Industry Association, taking the helm of directing our meetings and events. I asked her about working in events and what she is excited about for this upcoming year.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with the new executive director of the Assocation of American Feed Control Officials, Austin Therrell, on his plans for the industry.
Another year of discussing topics affecting the U.S. animal food industry has passed. As the end of the year is always a time of reflection, we looked at the top blog articles that readers loved the most (so we can continue to bring you content you love!).
The AFIA's offices will be closed Dec. 26, 2022, through Jan. 2, 2023. For urgent requests, please leave a message on the main line at (703) 524-0810 and someone will get back to you within 24 hours. Happy Holidays!
Mallory Gaines, the American Feed Industry Association's director of market access and trade policy, recently returned from Egypt where she represented the U.S. animal food industry at the Conference of the Parties (COP). Watch her video blog to see how the week went and what happened and read her previous blog for details of the meeting and why it’s important for U.S. agriculture to participate.