This past Monday, I was sitting in my Washington D.C. apartment when I received a phone call from my mother; she wanted to FaceTime. I didn’t even know she knew how to that. I sat down my book, “The Fred Factor” and picked up her call. As I peered into the screen of my iPhone4,…
If you had cream in your coffee this morning or had meat for dinner last night, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wants you to seek help for your “addiction.” PETA supports a new group called Meat and Dairy Eaters Anonymous by providing sites for their meetings. The support group follows a 12-step program like…
Kay Johnson Smith, President and CEO at the Animal Agriculture Alliance, joins us this week to share her experience at Discovery Cove which is owned by Sea World. When I was a child, the worst thing you could do in my home was lie. It was my parents’ most important rule, and we knew no…
In my previous blog post, I examined the various “ag-gag” laws across the country. These laws vary widely in their scope, intentions and effects. Some farmers living in states with these laws may fear they do not go far enough to protect against undercover activists. Farmers living in states without these laws may fear that…
As a rising senior in college, I will soon be tasked with the daunting responsibility of applying for jobs with the hopes of building a career. As a communication major, there are endless industries, companies and organizations that I could join in pursuit of accomplishing my goal of having a career that is meaningful and impactful.…
They wear two faces, two hats, one hidden video camera and have one goal: to put all farming operations that produce meat, milk and eggs out of business. Undercover animal rights activists gain employment on farms across the United States and Canada under false pretenses to help animal rights groups produce undercover video campaigns. Undercover videos…
Just after calving season on my family’s Polled Hereford ranch this year, I helped my father and grandparents treat new calves and their mothers for lice. At one point, a calf inside the barn saw her mother on the outside and tried to jump a fence to reach her – poor thing got stuck, so…
As a millennial, one of my biggest pet peeves is when my elders roll their eyes and use the phrase, “Your generation…(fill in the blank with some comment about how our reliance on technology reflects our inability to interact with others or has hindered our formal written communication and speaking skills.)” Below is a list…
“I believe it is immoral to promote systems that do less with more.” Cameron Bruett, chief sustainability officer and head of corporate affairs for JBS USA Holdings, Inc., introduced this idea at our 2015 Summit during his presentation on sustainability. I knew that being resourceful, efficient and thinking about the future was the smart thing to do,…
During the past week, much buzz has been circulating over Walmart’s new animal welfare and antibiotic-use initiatives. The announcement on Friday, May 22, 2015 is the first time the retailer has established an official position on the treatment of animals used in its supply chain. So, why is this big news? Walmart is the largest…
I think it’s safe to say that my internship with the Alliance has been everything I was hoping for and more. From my first blog post to this one, I have done something I didn’t even know was possible – I’ve become even more passionate and dedicated to agriculture. This is why I am excited to…
All of us at the Alliance just got back from an action-packed, fun-filled week in Kansas City, Mo. for our 2015 Annual Stakeholders Summit. “The Journey to Extraordinary” was our first summit held outside of the Washington, D.C. area and my first Summit ever. What a great way to start my position as membership and marketing…
