The livestock industry in Delaware is much larger than I had previously viewed it, and I now understand the scale of the livestock industry thanks to Dan Severson’s guest lecture.

Many people, when they think of livestock they only think of the generic animals like cows, pigs, and poultry, but there are so many more animals that are utilized in to feed and nourish the masses. Some of the forgotten animals that makeup the livestock industry are goats, sheep, bees, bison, alpacas, rabbits, water buffalo, deer, and turkeys.

The dairy industry takes up a massive portion of the livestock industry. There are multiple aspects of the dairy industry which include fluid milk, ice cream, amish, conventional, and pasture. It is interesting to look at the dairy industry because there is a large dairy cow operation close to my house in Sussex County.

There are a lot of growing trends in the livestock industry including the urge for more “natural” farming, such as farm to table, buy local eat local, grass fed, and organic.

Technology has advanced so much in recent years in the realm of livestock. New tech such as robotics, GMO’s, and investment in the livestock department have led to major improvements in the environmental impacts of farms, as well as an increase in the well-being of the animals.

While I personally don’t consume any livestock or products from livestock, I have no problem with those who choose to have it in their life. People have been consuming meat since humans began their existence here on earth, and can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.