Fall is in full swing, and our customers are in the midst of their harvest. They deserve our thoughts & prayers for a safe and bountiful harvest. Taking a moment to be safe and encourage others to do the same can save lives, limbs, and more.
One of the important annual fall events for the animal nutrition industry took place recently. The 81st Annual Cornell Nutrition Conference is rich in tradition and gathers approximately 500 people in Syracuse to spend 2.5 days learning and networking with others. NEAFA’s longstanding relationship with the Cornel College of Animal Life Sciences (CALS), and specifically their Animal Science Department, is something that we work diligently to maintain and strengthen. We are fortunate to have leaders like the CNC Committee, particularly Larry Chase, Tom Overton, Mike VanAmburgh and most recently Joe McFadden and Kristan Reed. Thank you to Heather Darrow who does an amazing job coordinating the whole event.
Autumn also brings the hope and anticipation of planning for next year. In the case of our customers, even before the full crop has been harvested, they are gathering information and planning for spring planting. How much, where, and what crops will be planted. It amazes me the information that is now available that literally fits in the palm of their hand.
NEAFA is currently putting the final touches on our Annual Meeting plans, which is scheduled for Feb 4th and 5th at the Albany, NY Marriott. A great speaker lineup is coming together to address the wide-ranging interests of our members. Keynote speakers include Chris Wolf, Cornell’s new Professor of Applied Economics and Policy, and Delaney Howell, the host of Ag News Daily.
Speaking of the NEAFA Annual Meeting… Have you signed up to show your support for NEAFA and the work it does to represent our integral industry in New England & New York?
NEAFA prioritizes three main objectives: advocacy, collaboration, and education. We work as a voice representing you in state capitals from Augusta to Albany, as well as in Washington DC. NEAFA collaborates with numerous groups, including feed and grain associations such as AFIA, NGFA, VT Feed Dealers and NYSABA, or at the producer level with groups like NEDPA, Farm Bureau, and others. NEAFA also collaborates with land grant institutions to help advance the efforts of PRO-DAIRY for example. Continuing education is important as well, and is demonstrated each spring with the Herd Health Conferences and the New England Dairy Conferences.
NEAFA will continue to be a strong voice for agriculture and specifically the feed industry, but we can only do that with your help. That means becoming a member and annually renewing your membership. My good friend and fellow Board Member Jeff Matuszczak, says it best: “We need to remember we are all in this together. We need to consider if we don’t stand up to be counted, who will?” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
NEAFA needs your continued support as we act as your voice and provide professional services. The future is uncertain, but to help manage those ambiguities, organizations like NEAFA can help. We hope to see you in Albany this upcoming February 4-5. You will come away knowing more about our industry and related ones, feeling refreshed and enthused. It’s your industry, and you make it a little better by being part of it.
John’s Jottings out for now.
John