The summer season is finally upon us! Memorial Day weekend tends to mark the unofficial beginning of summer. We start to hear all about backyard renovations and the best BBQ recipes. Stores start to pay attention to changing consumer trends. So, what are some of the newest trends…
Sustainability. We hear that word often, but do we really understand what it means. The Oxford dictionary defines sustainability as the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. A simple Google search of the word provided a similar, but more relatable definition: “Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”…
The holidays are over, and a new year is upon us. New opportunities, new experiences, a chance to make new resolutions, leave the old behind and start fresh. But, how much of 2022 are we bringing into 2023? Unfortunately, we are still going to hear about HPAI this year. Just in January new cases of HPAI were confirmed in Virginia and Iowa. Although vaccination is part of the long-term solution, it is still 2 – 3 years away for the U.S., if ever. This is mostly due to the fact…
Happy Holidays!
Another holiday season has come and gone. Children and adults alike hopefully found what they wished for underneath the Christmas tree. Were you able to sing popular songs around your tree while enjoying the fresh pine scent this year or did you fall prey to news stories of tree shortages…
November – a month centered around giving thanks. A month that signals the start of the holiday season. A month to gather with family and share a meal. According to Farm Bureau’s 37th annual survey, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner this year was up 20% from 2021. The cost increase might have to do with…
Tired of the political ads? I’m sure most people can answer with a resounding yes to that question, especially in October. As November 8th approaches, there is no shortage of political ads on television, social media, and radio. In an article featured on WattPoultry, a very important point is made by Senior Editor, Roy Graber. He states that although politicians tend to blame the current or opposing party for anything bad happening, blaming the administration for high egg prices is simply not right…
August seemed to have flown by, taking the carefree days of summer but leaving the extreme heat in its wake. Many parts of the US are experiencing a heat wave and living in Southern California, I’ve seen one too many 100 degrees plus days…
The 4th of July is typically celebrated with fireworks, families, and most importantly food! According to the National Retail Federation Americans spend $7.1 billion on food items for the Fourth of July holiday. Your weekend barbeque might have seemed a little more expensive than usual this year, considering prices at the grocery store are still at all-time highs…
Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas… what do these states all have in common? They are the largest egg producing states in the country, with the top three producing more than 10 billion eggs each during this past year! Some states on the Top 10 list might surprise you…
In the news this past month we were still reading about concerns surrounding the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza. In fact, this month we saw the first case of HPAI in Dakota County, Minnesota and the 59th overall in commercial poultry in Minnesota. So far this year it seems that more turkey flocks in the US are being infected by AI than layer and broiler flocks combined. Interestingly, scientists have observed that the virus is more transmissible from turkey to turkey than it is for chicken…
April is usually a month we associate with spring flowers and the Easter season. In March we saw many articles addressing concerns about egg shortages and increased prices as we approached the Easter holiday. Some believe that so much focus on shortages being caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza led to a higher consumer demand. We saw unusually high prices in April compared…
March 20, 2022 was the first official day of Spring. However, throughout the month of March it seemed like winter wanted to linger a bit longer. As usually is the case, the weather has been unpredictable throughout the country. It was as if mother nature couldn’t decide if Spring should start now or if colder temperatures should continue. Rain or shine we typically equate Spring with the Easter holiday…
Just as we start hearing talks of a what a post-covid world will look like, we’re hit with another major crisis. The news throughout the month focused on the continuing crisis in the Ukraine. Early on February 24th the Russian military began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since before that day social media pages…
We’ve made it one month into the new year and topics that were hot in 2021 are still making headlines this month. Of course, you can’t have a month without a few news articles mentioning Covid-19 and its effect on food demand. Once again, we’re seeing empty grocery store shelves and according to OpenTable, dine-in restaurant meals…
Happy New Year! The year seemed to pass by rather quickly, leaving us hopeful for a better 2022. Stories wrapping up the year mainly focused on the outlook for 2022, which seems to be a positive one. WattPoultry did take some time last month to highlight the 10 most-read consumer trends articles of 2021. These stories centered around shortages (we had a pickle shortage?), post-pandemic worries, and cage-free…
November is the eleventh month of the year, the last month of the Fall season, a time to honor our Veterans, and of course Thanksgiving. It’s a great reminder to take some time to reflect on the things we are most grateful for…
October is often associated with Halloween activities and Fall Festivals. We usually think of pumpkins and much to many people’s annoyance… pumpkin spice everything! But did you know October is National Apple Month? We also celebrated National Farmers Day on October 12…
I recently read somewhere that 2022 is only 4 months away. It feels like we’re still processing 2020, how is 2021 almost over? Did anything change in 2021? In my opinion, some things have remained as unpredictable as ever, but obviously some things have changed for the better. Vaccinations continue to roll out…
Summer is flying by, and retailers are beginning to be inundated with back-to-school shoppers. Parents Pinterest pages are filling up with packed lunch ideas, while some are dreading the task altogether. In the spirit of preparing packed meals for both a return to school and a return to the office, it was great to see headlines about eggs’ unique…
When we think of innovation we usually think in terms of complex and expensive technology. However, the definition of innovation is simply the action or process of innovating, a new method, idea, product, etc. We have been reading a lot about how the pandemic has created a need for innovation…
As the summer fast approaches many are finally considering travel this year. For some home-bound travelers yearning for a vacation, the question is not whether to book, but when. According to a recent survey, 87% of American travelers are expected to take a trip this summer…
Summer is around the corner and it’s time to serve up your favorite egg dish for that healthy dose of protein and antioxidants that you need to get beach ready! It’s May, which means it is National Egg Month…
It’s Spring! The season after winter and before summer, where vegetation begins to appear, plants and trees begin to grow, and flowers start to bloom. It is often described as a time of rebirth…
In some ways it feels like the last year would never end, but at the same time it is hard to believe that it was only one year ago that the U.S. was facing the beginning of the global pandemic. A year ago, the Aeros Newsletter…
As we all enjoyed the 3-day holiday weekend, let’s not forget we were not only celebrating a day for love and friendship but a celebration to honor the lives of all U.S. presidents. Presidents Day, first celebrated as a federal holiday in the 1880’s…
It is hard to believe we are already a month into 2021. Many of us were happy to say good-bye to a very unusual 2020 and welcome 2021 with open arms. But how much will change this year, or will it simply be an extension of 2020?
As 2020 ended and 2021 began, I started thinking of how to write this week’s editorial. How could I put this year into perspective? Our work life changed, our social life changed, and our eating and shopping habits changed. Our entire lives have changed.
While the holiday season goes into full swing a lot of us are still glued to our news channels watching as the COVID-19 vaccine begins to arrive throughout the United States. With its arrival, many of us are questioning how soon we will see an end to the effects of this pandemic.
While researching the recent news, I found disturbing headlines such as these:
A natural disaster … in all 50 states is unfolding just as travelers disperse nationwide after Thanksgiving
26 states set hospitalization records just last week
Professor says the problem is people not having the income to purchase basics, including food
Trade. With the election behind us, Mary Kay Thatcher, senior lead for federal government relations at Syngenta, thinks that Biden will likely take a more cautious approach on trade and any new trade agreements. She expects Biden to be aggressive on China, but in a way that also brings more of a coalition.
From October 6th through 9th, I attended the Urner Barry Virtual Executive Conference and Global Protein Summit. I attended most on-demand breakout sessions and each morning’s keynote speaker.
The editorial in this addition of In The News is not regarding recent news. It is news that I have not publically shared to date. I intentionally left time for families to grieve and for Aeros staff to process our losses….
I have been blessed to be a part of the egg and poultry industries since 1986. Back then, as a recent graduate of an outstanding liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas I thought ….