2011 Pork Congress focuses on training
DES MOINES – Business seminars and training sessions will be a major draw for many of those attending the 2011 Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association is offering several seminars for training and certification sessions designed to keep pork producers from Iowa and the Midwest knowledgeable on the latest pork production practices and regulations.
Registered participants can attend the sessions at no additional cost.
“IPPA staff always tries to cover the most pressing issues in pork production by offering seminars that address those issues,” said IPPA Iowa Pork Congress Committee Chairman Don Toale, a pork producer from Independence. “We bring in the most knowledgeable speakers to facilitate these sessions because we feel it’s very important to keep those involved in the pork industry informed.”
Some of the seminar topics include environmental regulations and nuisance cases, legislative issues, foreign trade, genetics and PRRS.
Iowan Jolene Brown will present the keynote address titled, “When Pigs Fly.” Producers also can attend PQA Plus and TQA certification sessions.
A lineup of seminars to be presented includes:
Wednesday
SEMINARS
- Iowa environmental Regulations and nuisance case update with Eldon McAfee of Beving, Swanson & Forrest, 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
- Bringing D.C. to your door: Part I – Legislation with Neil Dierks, CEO, National Pork Producers Council; and Part II – “Anyone want to trade?” with Laurie Hueneke, National Pork Producers Council, 10:20 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
- Living up to genetic potential: Part I – European genetic improvement of piglet mortality with Dr. Egbert Knol, Institute for Pig Genetics B.V., Netherlands; and Part II – Genomics with Dr. Max Rothschild, Iowa State University, department of animal science, noon to 1:30 p.m.
- “When Pigs Fly” – keynote presentation with Jolene Brown, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- Economic outlook: Feed, fuel and forks with Dr. Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics Inc., 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
TRAINING SESSIONS
- Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification with Tom Miller, ISU Extension, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
- Transport Quality Assurance certification with Russ Euken, ISU Extension, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday
- “Accidents Hurt, Safety Doesn’t,” with Dr. Kelley Donham, Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety & Health; and Jim Lummus, National Pork Board, 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
- Treating the unknown: Antibiotics in pork production with Dr. Scott Hurd, ISU college of veterinary medicine; and Dr. Randall Singer, University of Minnesota, veterinary and biomedical sciences, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Taming the Beast: Talking PRRSV, with expert panel, 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m.
- Business modeling and marketing for niche pork with Nick McCann, National Center for Appropriate Technology, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Swine contracting issues – from markets, to courts, to USDA with Eldon McAfee of Beving, Swanson & Forrest, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Confinement site manure applicator certification with Angela Rieck-Hinz, ISU, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
All seminars and training sessions are hosted on the lower level of Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center. All of the seminars are funded by the Pork Checkoff.
The Iowa Pork Congress is open to all pork producers, allied business partners and others involved in the pork industry.
The 39th annual show will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 26 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
Admission at the door is $10.
For more information, contact the Iowa Pork Producers Association at (515) 225-7675, (800) 372-7675 or visit www.iowaporkcongress.org.