If you know of an undergraduate student who would be a good candidate for the Midwest Poultry Consortium’s (MPC) Center of Excellence (COE) scholarship/Internship program, direct them to the COE application before the applicatoin deadline of Monday, December 4. The online application is available here.

In one six-week block, students will take three poultry-focused courses and earn 9 animal science credits. This summer’s courses will be hosted at the University of Minnesota. Courses are taught by faculty from participating land grant universities and other poultry industry experts. COE students will receive a transcript from the University of Minnesota and can transfer the classes back to their home university to be counted toward their graduation.

COE summer classes will run May 13 through June 21. After the classes conclude, most students complete a paid internship coordinated by MPC and hosted by one of our member companies. Internships run six to ten weeks long. The internship component allows students to build their work experience and practice the concepts and skills learned during the COE courses.

While the credits are most applicable to animal science majors and minors, students of any major may apply. Students must have completed a college level chemistry or biology course as a prerequisite to the COE courses and be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to be eligible for a COE scholarship. Applications are due no later than December 4; phone interviews will be conducted with potential scholarship recipients toward the end of December and scholarship awards will be made by January 24. Award recipients will be published in our February Feathered Pen.

White House Welcomes Jennie-O for Annual Turkey Pardoning Ceremony

Thanksgiving will always be a special time of year for Jennie-O Turkey Store. This year, Jennie-O was hosted at the White House to celebrate the occasion. On Monday, Nov. 20, two JENNIE-O® turkeys, named Liberty and Bell, were presented by the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and formally pardoned by President Joseph R. Biden during the 76th National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

Steve Lykken, Jennie-O Turkey Store president and NTF chairman, was joined by Jose Rojas, Jennie-O Turkey Store assistant vice president of Live Production, in the presentation of the turkeys to President Biden.

“To say that the JENNIE-O® brand is honored to be a part of this historic 76th Thanksgiving presentation is an understatement,” Lykken said. “We are thankful to President Biden and the National Turkey Federation for warmly welcoming us, and Liberty and Bell. We enjoyed a whirlwind of activities these past few days and we’re grateful for the turkey producers and farmers that deliver food to our tables this holiday and every day.” Click here for the complete article.

Consider Poultry Scholarships for Year-End Charitable Contribution

The Midwest Poultry Consortium provides scholarships to promising and driven college students interested in learning about and working with poultry. Scholarships can be offered because of the generosity of company and association sponsors – and some past graduates too. Please consider making an individual gift to help make this possible for future COE students.

We made year-end contributions to the COE as easy as possible. Click here to be taken to our GiveMN page which allows for a quick way to show your support for the program which has educated hundreds of students in support of the poultry industry.

Any gift, large or small is welcome. Consider making a gift to the COE today! (A mail-in form can be found here as well.)

Help add value to the COE network, join us on LinkedIn and catch-up with what past COE students are doing now or follow us on Facebook.

Thank you for your support and we wish you the happiest of holidays!

With turkey on the menu across the country this Thursday, you might be wondering how you will serve-up all your leftovers. MPC sponsors - Minnesota Turkey Research Promotion Council and Iowa Turkey Federation - have plenty of recipe ideas for you.

Turkey leftovers are not just for sandwiches! This Turkey Sweet Potato Quinoa Bake is full of flavor, easy to make, and a healthy way to use up those leftovers. You can combine many of the ingredients you have leftover from your Thanksgiving feast, including quinoa, sweet potatoes, onion, spinach and of course turkey! You can view this recipe, and many other options, on the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association website. Still planning how to cook your turkey for this Thursday? View their cooking tips page for preparation methods and cook time planning.

You can also use your leftover turkey in a Waldorf Salad the days following your Thanksgiving feast. The salad combines turkey, apples, grapes, walnuts, cranberries, and celery allowing for a great way to repurpose leftover Thanksgiving ingredients while making something lighter for your next meal. You can view the Waldorf Salad recipe on the Iowa Turkey Federation website. Looking to use your extra stuffing too? They recommend the Cranberry Turkey Sandwich for a hearty sandwich that tastes like Thanksgiving all over again. Still need whole bird preparation tips for Thursday? View their whole turkey preparation page, which includes their classic oven roasted turkey directions.

Elizabeth Beilke Shares About the Many 'Hats' She Wears Within the Industry

Elizabeth Beilke was a student at Kansas State University (KSU) when she learned about the COE program. She took COE classes in 2010 and 2011. She went on to get her Master’s of Public Health from KSU and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University (ISU). After completing her degrees, Dr. Beilke immediately started using her skills to improve poultry health, first joining the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response Team at ISU during the 2015 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak and then as a company veterinarian with a commercial swine, egg, and turkey operation in Ohio.

Today Dr. Beilke works as the Corporate Veterinarian for West Liberty Foods, LLC. “Veterinary medicine is the science of helping animals, but for me it’s all about the people,” Dr Beilke says. Dr. Beilke feels veterinary medicine is a serving profession and her work is done in service to those taking care of the birds. She enjoys getting to work one-on-one with individual farmers and their families. “With my farmers, we get to know each other on a more personal level. I get to know their strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and that really helps me best serve them and, in turn, the turkeys. Even in times where a farmer and veterinarian might disagree, we can always agree on one thing – we both care about that turkey in front of us and that helps lay the foundation of trust.” Click here for the complete article.

Poultry Industry Mourns the Loss
of Richard Gates

The poultry industry lost a friend and colleague recently with the passing of Dr. Richard S. Gates. Dr. Gates passed away peacefully in his home after a bravely fought battle with pancreatic cancer.

At the time of his passing, Gates was the Director of the Egg Industry Center (EIC), a position he held since January of 2020. Gates joined Iowa State University (ISU) with a joint professorial appointment in the Departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Animal Science. He came to Iowa State after a great career in the land grant system which included time at the University of Kentucky and the University of Illinois. During his time at those institutions, Gates’ work impacted over 110 students, both in the U.S. and abroad. For a full copy of Dr. Gates' obituary, please click here.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorials to be directed to the Egg Industry Center; William R. Bliss Cancer Center in Ames; or cards and letters can be sent to: P.O. Box 188, 525 Kellogg Ave., Ames, IA 50010.

A private celebration of his life will be organized at a later date. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared by clicking here.

Be Sure to Take Advantage of MPC's Jobs Page

Want to attract more COE graduates to your company? Don’t forget, Midwest Poultry Consortium has a great resource to connect people looking for careers in the poultry industry with MPC sponsor companies seeking to fill positions with qualified candidates.

Sponsors are able to post jobs, for free, to the MPC job board which is utilized by upcoming graduates as well as COE alumni. MPC's jobs page allows prospective, past, and current COE students to learn about poultry career opportunities. It also allows MPC sponsor companies a convenient way to reach COE students who may be interested in applying for open positions.The jobs page can be found under the Center of Excellence tab of the MPC website or by clicking here.

MPC sponsors looking to post a position on the jobs page should email a job description with application information to mpc@mwpoultry.org. Job openings are also promoted on MPC's social media sites.