Latest News From Jennifer Shike

There's no doubt pork production is a noble calling, says Iowa State University extension swine specialist Colin Johnson. But the reality remains that farmers still have to cover production costs and earn a living. 

Training your employees to identify illness and lameness early can improve sow longevity. Here are 4 tips to incorporate in your operation.

The National Pork Producers Council led agricultural organizations in urging the Biden administration’s Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to recommit to an aggressive trade agenda. Here's why.

A new study debunks plant-based meat analogue product claims to be healthier for your diet than real meat.

More than 200 meat and poultry plants were recognized by The Meat Institute at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans for their positive environmental impact efforts.

Former North Carolina Pork Council CEO Andy Curliss will join the National Pork Producers Council as vice president of strategic engagement, effective April 22.

An Iowa company must close its two pig-buying stations in South Dakota for 15 days as part of its punishment for defrauding livestock producers and farmers in Iowa.

Preweaning mortality is a complex issue, says Cara Haden, DVM, of Pipestone Veterinary Service. That’s why the pork industry continues to search for answers to improve pig livability on the farm. 

U.S. pork exports to Central America were outstanding in 2023, and the momentum is continuing in 2024. One of the reasons for this growth is an increased focus on showing targeted consumers how to properly prepare pork.

The Loeffel Meat Shoppe at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is re-opening on May 3 with a celebration you won't want to miss.

dsm-firmenich announced the renewal of the European Union authorization for Hy-D for ruminants and renewal in pigs and poultry.

After 17 consecutive months in the red, pork production is returning to profitability, says Brian Earnest,  lead economist, animal protein for CoBank Knowledge Exchange Division.

When Trish Cook, past president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, joined 20 Iowa pig farmers on a trip to California to see the effect of Proposition 12, she wasn’t surprised by the amount of chaos it's created.

Defining the U.S. regions at greatest risk for JEV is an important step towards U.S. prevention and preparedness as well as allocation of efforts for surveillance.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson said he will move a bipartisan farm gill out of his committee in May.

The pork industry needs to share the good news of what producers are doing on the farm more, especially around the topic of sustainability.

The opportunities to grow pork demand are there — data backs that up. PORK Editor Jennifer Shike says it’s time we own our part to make that happen. Here's how a trip to Tony's Fresh Market gave her a new perspective.

A string of pork thefts are turning truckers' heads. On April 10, more than $12,000 worth of pork was stolen from a tractor-trailer parked overnight in northeast Philadelphia. 

Catch the soulful flavor of pork. Celebra tu cultura y Ponle Pork a tu vida. Why is the Pork Checkoff focused on creating messages like this focused on the multicultural consumer more than ever right now? 

Patchwork regulations are expensive and a real concern for producers.

Renewal of the Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports means the program will continue and expand in 2024 with a new online dashboard to display the global distribution of priority swine diseases in near real-time.

When you walk into a Tony’s Fresh Market store in the Chicagoland area, you’ll quickly discover it’s not a typical grocery store. To say they use everything except the oink might sound cliché, but at Tony’s, it's true.

Strong global demand for U.S. pork has been been a bright spot for the industry. Fueled by growth in the Western Hemisphere, South Korea and Australia, U.S. pork exports posted another excellent performance in February.

A $1 million Food & Agriculture Research grant has been awarded to Kansas State University to develop safe and rapidly deployable vaccines to prevent African swine fever virus.

Some say he’s single-handedly changed the Brazilian beef industry. Others say he’s changed their life. No matter how you look at it, Professor Zequinha is a game-changer.

Is the U.S. pork industry prepared for a Japanese encephalitis virus outbreak? Here's how a newly developed diagnostic test could help.

To understand the threat HPAI poses to domestic livestock species, and to inform pork producers on how to reduce the risk of infection on-farm, SHIC and AASV will host a webinar on influenza A viruses on April 19.

Mark your calendars now for the Nebraska Pork Expo on July 17 in York, Neb.

Poly products pioneer Lundell Plastics announced its newest product, the EZ ROLL Gate Wheel, built to withstand the demands of daily gate usage in hog facilities.

A North Carolina pork producer and NPPC's Holly Cook presented to members of Congress on the economic and on-farm impacts of California Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3. Here's why it matters.

Aryeri Bardales knew graduate school in the U.S. wouldn't be easy, but she believed it was the best chance for her to find her niche in the pork industry. Here's how she's working to improve pig livability.

Fresh off yet another showstopping International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, pizza expert Colby Strilaeff, brand manager of Foodservice at Hormel Foods, shares the Top 5 pizza trends to watch out for in 2024.

How can next-generation boar sperm analysis address the current shortcomings in sperm quality assessment? Iowa State University grad student Ian Shofner is exploring how artificial intelligence can help.

Here's a round-up of news from state pork producer organizations.

Of all the numbers in the latest USDA Hogs and Pigs Report, the number that caught economists’ eye was pigs saved per litter. Here's why Steve Meyer, Ever. Ag senior economists, says this is a number to watch.

Now that the mystery illness impacting some dairy herds has been revealed as the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking questions.

Merck Animal Health announced it has received license approval from the USDA for Sequivity with Microsol Diluvac Forte adjuvant prescription vaccine for use in gilts and sows. 

It’s easy to make assumptions about what others think, but recent research funded by the Indiana Pork Producers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance proves it’s always better to go to the source itself.

In Seoul, South Korea, an agribusiness trade mission organized by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is underway. Here's what's going on across the world right now.

Smithfield Foods has created an endowed scholarship program to benefit student leaders at the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina.

California’s Proposition 12 has already raised pork prices for consumers in California and decreased pork sales volumes in the state, according to data compiled by the USDA's Office of the Chief Economist.  

Seaboard Corporation announced Chad Groves has been named the next president and chief executive officer of its Pork Segment, Seaboard Foods LLC, to succeed current president and Chief Executive Officer Peter Brown.

Iowa continues to lead the pack as the top producer of hogs in the U.S. But which states round up the top four? USDA ERS releases the latest cash receipts data.

Of the eight accomplishments USDA APHIS recently acknowledged in their efforts to protect U.S. agriculture and natural resources in 2023, three specifically address the U.S. pork industry.

Doctors in Boston have transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient. This marks the first time a pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person.

It’s a bond that’s hard to put into words. Not only do these four young leaders share an unmistakable connection and friendship that ties directly to purpose, but they have a way of selflessly putting each other first.

Billy Flowers says it's just about the pig, but students will tell you that Flowers himself is part of the reason that they fell in love with pigs.

In January, SHIC issued a request for proposals inviting submissions to specifically address 11 research priorities in its 2024 Plan of Work. Research outcomes from the 43 projects funded will help producers, SHIC says.

H-2A. J1. TN. Don’t be intimidated by this short list of visa worker programs, Dianne Bettin says. They connect U.S. farms with access to “amazing people with great work ethic.” Why should you consider them?

Why would a farm convert to become California Proposition 12 compliant? It’s a fair question that Phillip Hord, president of Hord Family Farms in Bucyrus, Ohio, continues to ask himself.