Q&A with Samantha Moran-Defty

We sat down with Samantha Moran-Defty, member of the California Department of Agriculture’s (CDFA) Commercial Feed Regulatory Program (CFRP).

Why did you first get involved with AAFCO?

I first got involved in AAFCO around 2015, attending meetings and getting involved in a few committees. At that time, CA was heavily involved in AAFCO, and I was chosen to attend because I was focusing a lot of my work on FSMA readiness for industry and was encouraged to attend to make some connections and to be exposed to the other states and AAFCO.

How has AAFCO contributed or played a role in your career?

I believe that AAFCO has helped me make connections and has allowed me an opportunity to ask questions to the right people. This has helped me in my sense of direction within my state and to have the opportunity to have discussions in areas where California’s outlook differs.

What’s one thing you’d like to say to encourage members to get involved?

Just don’t be afraid. Everyone is welcoming, and all states do things pretty differently. It’s comforting to see all the different ways states approach things and to be able to learn from each other.  

What do you hope to see for AAFCO in the next 5 years?

I hope to see more collaborative alignment with industry and states. I think we often are all working toward the same goals, but lack transparency. In the last 5 years, we’ve had a lot of retirements, and with that, a lot of historical knowledge and relationships lost. AAFCO is currently working on tools to open communication between states, and I hope to see this in full effect in the next 5 years.

Tell us about the pets or animals in your life.

I have a 14-year-old quarter horse that I enjoy riding when I can, and a 31-year-old mustang that I was reunited with from my childhood that my own kids are riding. We have a companion mule at our house named Samuel that came to us from my in-laws and has an extended stay.  We have 2 Catahoula mix dogs. We have our old one-eyed dog Hank who is almost 13 and is slowing down, and our puppy Rue who is 8 months old and full of energy.  We of course have a little barn cat named Millie who is a great mouser who serves as our pest control. We have our laying hens and have been working on downsizing as we are looking to move in the coming year and don’t want to bring any additional critters with us.