Recently, we read an article about an organization in the United Kingdom that launched a program, “Organuary,” to promote consumer awareness and the human consumption of organ meats, citing their nutritional and environmental benefits. It’s an interesting concept.
2020 was a year that I have been looking forward to for so many years. My entire family was. 2020 is the year my family’s farm in Fairmont, Minn., turned 100 years old. A century farm! That’s a pretty big deal and a reason to celebrate…until we couldn’t celebrate.
For the most part, 2020 is not a year most people will look back on favorably (I know I won't). It turned the world upside down and brought all of our everyday lives to a screeching halt. However, one thing that I will look back on with fond thoughts is that our AFIA Feed Bites blog turned one year old.
Happy Holidays from the American Feed Industry Association and the Institute for Feed Education and Research! Please note that the AFIA's offices will be closed Dec. 23 - Jan. 1, 2021.
We know it’s been a challenging year, which is why the American Feed Industry Association staff are more thankful for our members than ever. To show our gratitude, several staff members got together and created a fun video.
Halloween is one of our staff's all-time favorite holidays. We love everything about it – the candy, costumes, scary stories, haunted houses – you name it! Our communications team made some spooky #FeedFacts, which you are welcome to share on social media. Happy Halloween from the American Feed Industry Association!
Every year, the American Feed Industry Association has the honor of thanking those who have greatly impacted our industry in a positive way. These outstanding individuals represent the ‘best of the best,’ exhibiting amazing expertise to help the AFIA achieve its goals and objectives, providing outstanding support to the entire feed industry throughout their careers and making significant contributions to animal feed.
As I sit down to write this blog, my home office is shared with my second grader, while my sixth and ninth graders work from their bedrooms. The 2020-21 school year is not exactly how I planned it would be, but we are all adjusting. It’s been a while since I have shared an office with anyone and I’ve learned that noise cancelling headphones for both of us is very helpful! As teachers are pivoting to teach online (and parents who are supplementing during asynchronous time so they can do their jobs), I thought about all the agricultural groups that have pulled together great educational resources that can be used for school-aged children.
Earlier this year, the animal food industry released a really great research report chock-full of information about America’s pet food manufacturing industry. The Institute for Feed Education and Research and American Feed Industry Association have been sharing this information to interested stakeholders far and wide, telling the story of how the country’s 500+ pet food manufacturers not only provide balanced, safe meals for America’s dogs and cats, but also stimulate the overall agricultural economy through the purchase of ingredients, labor and services from related industries.
In some parts of the country, the air is starting to turn crisp and has taken on a decidedly fall-like feel – not weather we normally associate with the Kentucky Derby. But in 2020, we have learned to accept the good things that come our way, no matter how strange the timing. For the trainers and owners of horses heading to the post at Churchill Downs this Saturday, Sept. 5, many things have changed over the last five months, but the training regimens and diets provided to the horses preparing for the Run for the Roses still include the carefully crafted routines and ingredients essential to the development of equine superstars.