With Iowa’s winter in the rearview (I think!) and 2025 already more than ¼ over, I thought now would be a good time to update our friends, clients, and others on what our team has been up to so far in 2025.
Industry Events and Conferences
There are three primary reasons for members of the DIS team to attend industry events and conferences:
- To stay abreast of the latest trends and gather intel in our core focus areas
- To support our clients when work we complete for them is presented and discussed
- To meet new clients
So far in 2025, we have attended the following industry events and conferences:
- The 2025 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas
- A significant portion of our roots can be traced to work completed for many state Farm Bureau offices throughout the U.S. Because the annual convention is attended heavily by Farm Bureau staff and members, abundant opportunities exist to rub shoulders and discuss their latest thoughts, needs, and goals.
- A significant portion of our roots can be traced to work completed for many state Farm Bureau offices throughout the U.S. Because the annual convention is attended heavily by Farm Bureau staff and members, abundant opportunities exist to rub shoulders and discuss their latest thoughts, needs, and goals.
- The International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, Georgia
- We took our second trip to IPPE this year and had the privilege of supporting three of our clients as they were preparing to release results from two comprehensive reports:
- Animal Feed Consumption Report
- This updated (from 2020) report was completed for the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), in collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and North American Renderers Association’s (NARA) research arm, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF)
Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis Report - This updated (from 2020) report was completed for the Institute for Feed Education and Research in collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the North American Renderers Association’s (NARA) research arm (the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF)), and Pet Food Institute (PFI).
- This updated (from 2020) report was completed for the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), in collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and North American Renderers Association’s (NARA) research arm, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF)
- Animal Feed Consumption Report
- We took our second trip to IPPE this year and had the privilege of supporting three of our clients as they were preparing to release results from two comprehensive reports:
- The Executive Leadership Conference in Amelia Island, Florida
- We took our third trip to the ELC, an industry event organized by Growth Energy. This conference has a large number of attendees who operate in the fuel (renewable and traditional) markets. Attending this event made sense, given the significant number and size of projects we’ve completed in this industry over the last several years.
- We took our third trip to the ELC, an industry event organized by Growth Energy. This conference has a large number of attendees who operate in the fuel (renewable and traditional) markets. Attending this event made sense, given the significant number and size of projects we’ve completed in this industry over the last several years.
- Pet Food Forum in Kansas City, Missouri
- Later this month, we will take our first trip to the Pet Food Forum. In addition to furthering our involvement in the pet food industry, the Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis report will be discussed, and we will be on-hand to support our clients.
Exciting Work for Our Valued Clients
As reported toward the end of 2024, we continue to be engaged in some very exciting projects with our clients. A few current examples include:
- Developing a competitive intelligence dashboard and conducting a commodity flow study for the dry bean industry
- Estimating the economic contribution of the Iowa renewable fuels industry
- Conducting a hazardous material commodity flow analysis for seven counties in Kansas
- Working to understand the spatial impacts of a foreign animal disease outbreak on cattle movement in Kansas
- Studying the implications of a supply chain disruption for essential vitamins and amino acids in livestock and poultry diets
- Quantifying the economic impact of planned and unplanned shipping disruptions to the lower Mississippi River
- Quantifying the economic impact of CO2 through a pipeline
As demonstrated above, our team enjoys a wide variety of projects requiring a diverse set of skills, which provides us with plenty of good reasons to show up to each exciting day of work. Perhaps the above examples spark a thought or question – if so, we look forward to connecting with you soon!