My wife, Jaime, and I have three growing boys. You know what that means – our household goes through a lot of food – especially eggs! Did you know May is National Egg Month? What a perfect time to acknowledge and thank the people who care for the birds and provide the healthy, nutritious eggs that families across the country – including mine – enjoy every day. Iowa is the nation’s leading egg producer. There are approximately 45 million laying hens in our state, and they produce around 15 billion eggs per year! The majority of the eggs laid in Iowa are processed into frozen, liquid or dry goods that support food service and commercial packaged goods companies. When there are disruptions in egg production – like those caused by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – it creates a ripple effect throughout the food supply chain. Egg producers have faced significant challenges since the H5N1 HPAI outbreak began in 2022; this has now become the country’s largest foreign animal disease outbreak. While there’s no easy solution, it’s important that we reflect on our current response strategies and identify what’s working and what we need to change. I am grateful that Secretary Rollins is making this issue a top priority during her first few months in office. I appreciate the strong partnership my team at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has with USDA APHIS and our farmers. We look forward to working together to modernize the H5N1 HPAI response strategy in a way that reduces the risk of spread, and supports layer, broiler and turkey farmers, while continuing to lower the cost of eggs for American families. There are dozens of ways to celebrate National Egg Month – scrambled, hard boiled, over easy – and they all taste great! I encourage you to check out one of the winners of the Iowa Egg Council’s annual Most Egg-Cellent Omelet Contest, and don’t forget to grab an egg-on-a-stick during the Iowa State Fair!