Latest News From JoAnn Alumbaugh

The China tariffs on U.S. pork are now more than 60%. At this point, 40% of total American pork exports are under retaliatory tariffs, a situation that cannot continue.

Think about blue ribbons and butter cows, cotton candy and funnel cakes, lemon shake-ups and livestock shows, prize-winning pigs and perfect apple pies. It's fair time!

Last week’s improvement in lean hog futures and basis provides for a $12 per head increase in weaned pig breakeven.

Twelve thousand Iowa members of the Armed Services and their families recently received a donation of Pork Care Packages from the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms.

The Working Groups advise on the direct work of the Swine Health Information Center, helping with programs, research, and response.

Telling your agriculture story has never been more important. Communication of all stakeholders is critical to moving the industry forward.

The Swine Health Information Center is engaged in investigating Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) and in the development of a convenient test to identify its presence.

Activist groups — one in particular — that demonize animal agriculture’s use of antibiotics have coined a new term in support of their mission, and it’s one that is super inappropriate.

Tariffs and other factors have created a significant decline in U.S. pork exports to China, with losses over a 12-month period estimated at $150 million. The long-term impact could be much more.

The Swine Health Information Center is engaged in investigating Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) and in the development of a convenient test to identify its presence.

Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms, writes about how the Pork Care Package program began and the positive impact it has had on Iowa's service men and women.

The Swine Health Information Center is collaborating with USDA Ag Research Service, USDA-APHIS, National Pork Board, and other key researchers to help understand possible pathways to introducing FMD into the U.S.

The Pork Board is moving away from consumer-direct, generic advertising, and taking on more of a business-to-business consulting role.

The most recent USDA reports provided little support for corn and soybean prices. Trade policy and weather developments look to dictate corn and soybean price movements as we move through the summer.

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) collaborated with other industry organizations to develop an emergency communication protocol in the event of new or emerging disease issues.

The agitators at PETA are attempting to pretend they’re above the fighting that’s endemic to politics — but they just launched another politically motivated attack on ‘big-box’ pet stores.

The Pork Board is moving away from consumer-direct, generic advertising, and taking on more of a business-to-business consulting role.

There's a mysterious and sometimes deadly weather pattern in which the jet stream stalls out over a region. A University of Chicago study explains the blocking phenomenon that has baffled forecasters until now.

Pork producers have borne the brunt of recent trade disputes and Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel, global government affairs for the National Pork Producers Council is saying ‘enough is enough.’

An initiative that would require egg-laying hens to be “cage-free” and that would prohibit the sale of pork and veal from animals raised in housing the state banned in 2008 was approved for the November ballot.

A new study shines a positive light on lean meat in terms of heart health. Eight pork cuts meet the USDA’s guidelines for ‘lean.’

In the second jury case against Smithfield Foods to be tried in North Carolina, a jury awarded more than $25 million to a couple last Friday, reports the Raleigh News & Observer.

Looking at hog sales in Dec. 2018 using Feb. 2019 futures, the weaner breakeven was $6.12, down $3.03 for the week. Breakeven is the estimated maximum you could pay for a weaner and break even when selling a market hog.

As a prominent sponsor of Alaska’s Iditarod sled dog race bows out, the firm claims it merely changed its marketing focus, while PETA takes credit for crippling ‘an egregiously cruel race.’

What principles are most important to you in your business? How well do you do, not only in communicating principles, but in putting them into practice and making them a part of regular routines and conversations?

Rice bran is high in unsaturated fatty acids, but limited information is available about effects of rice bran on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs. A new UI study provides this information for the first time.

The Senate passed bipartisan farm legislation that sets up a clash with the House and President Donald Trump over imposing broad new work requirements for food stamp recipients.

This week, Topigs Norsvin held the official opening of its new research center Delta Canada, the company announced in a news release. The opening event was visited by almost 1000 people.

As tensions ratchet up over France’s ban on using ‘meat-related’ labeling for veggie analogs, butchers shops around the country are being vandalized by vegan activists.

Farms, processing plants and other locations involved in the process of producing meat, poultry, milk and eggs need to prepare in case of an activist incident.

With a new farm bill in the works, trade upheavals around the world, a recent surplus of rain in the Midwest and a mountain of pork to sell this fall and winter, it’s easy to see why producers are nervous.

Zoetis adds a monovalent swine vaccine with two PCV2 genotypes, Featherlite makes improvements to its new models, and Hypor adds Charlie McKenzie to its sales force.

Zoetis adds a monovalent swine vaccine with two PCV2 genotypes, Featherlite makes improvements to its new models, and Hypor adds Charlie McKenzie to its sales force.

In early June 2018, African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in the samples collected from smallholder swine farms in several villages in a part of the country that had not previously been infected with ASF.

An event in the Dominican Republic will showcase benefits of U.S. pork important to Latin American export markets.

Restaurant chain IHOP’s contrived campaign to morph into IHOb — to convince customers its menu offers more than just pancakes — drove a lot of discussion, but not a lot of dining.

Tell a story, save a life. That’s the idea behind a new project inserting injury prevention messages into first-hand accounts of farmers and others impacted by agricultural trauma incidents.

On Monday afternoon, the Senate voted 89-3 to limit debate on the 2018 Farm Bill, reports Joy Philippi, and columnist on policy for Farm Journal’s PORK. Floor debate will begin on Tuesday.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association has hired an experienced agriculture communications professional, Dal Grooms, to lead its future communications efforts.

The death of a famous gorilla who learned to communicate in sign language, is an occasion to ponder just how much intelligence and emotional maturity with which we ought to credit animals.

For the past 12 months, the word most commonly used to describe farmland values is: stable. Prices vary by region. But overall prices have leveled off in most areas, after rising steadily for several years.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently conducted the first of two field trials of a sodium nitrite toxic bait on free-roaming feral swine.

If your company’s logo is on your ball cap, your cooler jacket or even your vehicle, you are indeed an ambassador. A walking banner. A representative of your organization.

If meat is grown in a lab, what should it be called? That question has yet to be decided, but for the moment it’s pitting animal rights advocates and others against livestock producers in a war of words.

The Quay Corporation, a Skokie, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 258,121 pounds of pork lard products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection.

The historical lean hog basis for the second half of December caused a $6 per head decrease in weaner pig breakeven.

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), a leader in consumer engagement for food and agriculture, has selected Erin Fitzgerald from Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy as its next CEO.

Shouldn’t the industry be happy about a study suggesting red meat is a (potential) health food? Not when the context sounds like the disclaimers marketers use to justify eating junk food.

Osborne Industries announces new certification; ADM Animal Nutrition opens a new manufacturing facility in Nebraska, and Diamond V celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Proposals are now being accepted for grants up to $20,000 to support small-scale projects and pilot studies that address prevention of childhood agricultural disease and injury.