New and Essential: Jennifer Harrison Joins Feed Mill Team

What do cowboy mounted shooting, making animal feed and NC State have in common? Jennifer Harrison’s got them all covered!

While many of us were starting to work from home or adapting our work in other ways, Jennifer started as the newest research technician at the NC State Feed Mill Education Unit. The feed mill makes feed for animals across the university’s farms (and beyond), so Jennifer was essential and on-site from the beginning.

“Not being able to meet people” has been her biggest challenge so far. “You kinda need that facial recognition because meeting in person makes a bigger impression”, she said.

While we’ll all have to wait to meet face-to-face, Jennifer is settling into the feed mill rhythms and “learning the ropes.”

She’s no stranger to NC State, though. She transitioned to the feed mill from the College of Veterinary Medicine, where she worked as a registered vet tech.

It may seem like an odd move, but a love of animals and animal nutrition make it all make sense.

Read on to get to know Jennifer.

What’s your favorite thing about N.C.?

I was born and raised in N.C., so my favorite thing is the mostly warm weather, the farms we have and being close to both the mountains and the beach!

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about NC State?

NC State is a very diverse university which has many different things for people to learn and do.

There are so many different aspects to the university and so many different things to do so it’s hard to get bored.

Tell us about your position and focus.

My position is being a research technician for the feed mill. This includes feed production, feed trials, research and teaching.

What’s the most important thing for us to understand about what you do?

It’s all about making a quality product to feed an animal that will, again, make a quality product.

We are the building block for the livestock and poultry industries.

What else should we know about you?

Being a registered vet tech by trade, I tend to have lots of animals around.

I breed AKC European dobermans and we also have a few other breeds of pet dogs around.

We also have horses, ducks, chickens, turkeys and goats.

What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?

I like to read magazine articles and I listen to a lot of Texas country music.

I do not get to watch a lot of TV because I’m mainly outdoors.

Any interesting or odd hobbies?

I participate in cowboy mounted shooting. The sport involves using black powder blanks to engage and shoot balloon targets [from about 10′ away] all while riding your horse at the fastest speed possible!

It’s very fun and addicting!

The feed mill continues making high-quality feed but is currently closed to in-person tours and visitors. See where Jennifer (and the rest of the feed mill team) works with the feed mill’s virtual tour.