What You Need to See at Iowa Pork Congress 2023

(Jennifer Shike)

It's not too late to attend the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines on Jan. 25-26 complete with cake, games, balloons, pictures and prizes in the trade show.

Check Out the Student Poster Contest

Attendees are encouraged to visit the poster contest on the trade show floor on Wednesday and vote for the research they find most important to them as a producer. Topics include:

"Antimicrobial susceptibility trends and genetic diversity of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae isolated from U.S. swine farms" by Maria Hakimi of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine

"Insights into genetic basis of sow pelvic organ prolapse" by Vishesh Bhatia of the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science 

"Yield and drainage water quality impacts of agricultural management practices" by Gabrielle M. Myers of the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

"Using clean label, natural antioxidants to prevent lipid oxidation in frozen, food-service bacon made from bellies with three iodine value ranges" by Jacob David Manteranch of the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science

"Effect of freeze-thaw on the detection of PRRSV RNA by RT-qPCR" by Berenice Munguía Ramírez of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

"Assessment of the production impact of management practices in response to PRRS outbreaks in breed-to-wean farms between 2018 and 2021" by Rodrigo Paiva of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

"Normalization of PRRSV RT-qPCR results for serum and oral fluids (ECqs)" by Betsy Armenta-Leyva of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

"Assessing Influenza A virus RNA detection in breeding herds per specimen, with or without pooling" by Daniel Moraes of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

"Effect of pen size and number of ropes on behaviors associated with oral fluid sampling" by Grzegorz Tarasiuk of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

"Heat stress alters cardiac architecture and causes cellular dysfunction" by Missey Roths of the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science

"The contribution of biological sex to heat stress-mediated production outcomes in growing pigs" by Tori Rudolph of the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science

"Utilizing proteomic and metabolomic data to predict fresh pork loin quality" by Logan Johnson of the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science

Don't Miss the Educational Seminars

Educational seminars will take place in Hy-Vee Hall lower level rooms. Here is the line-up:

Wednesday, Jan. 25

9:30 a.m.: Coffee Chat with Eldon - A Nuisance (& Other) Cases Discussion

Eldon McAfee has represented many Iowa livestock farmers in cases claiming nuisance. He also keeps a close eye on the decisions made by the Iowa Supreme Court and other Iowa courts.

10:45 a.m.: Keynote - You. In the Pilot's Seat
Elizabeth McCormick is one of the top motivational speakers in the world. She focuses on leadership issues and she is at Iowa Pork Congress to teach us how to FLY!  She will be at the Pork Plaza after her presentations to talk with people one-on-one.

12:45 p.m.: Pork Prominence in the Menu and Meat Case
Midwest leaders in selling pork in the meat case and through menuing share their perspectives about pork marketing. IPPA’s Kelsey Sutter will moderate the session that includes Joni Bell of Great Caterers of Iowa and the Rib Shack, and Jim Murray of the National Pork Board.

2:00 p.m.: Prop 12 Update
It’s hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will have a decision on  the Prop 12 case so National Pork Producers Council's Michael Formica can outline next steps. He will also discuss the Massachusetts Question 3 situation.

3:15 p.m.: Economic Outlook for 2023: Who Knows? 
A perennial favorite from two people always studying the hog and crop markets. A look at what may impact producer profitability in the coming year, including livestock prices, exports, domestic demand, health concerns, crop supplies and prices, and more. Panelists include: Steve Meyer and Joe Kerns, both of Partners for Production Agriculture.

Thursday, Jan. 26

9:15 a.m.: Swine Health & FAD Bullet Session

Dr. Meredith Peterson of the Swine Medical Education Center (SMEC) will moderate a round robin of researchers and veterinarians on swine health issues including APP outbreak investigations, feed and feedmill biosecurity, FAD and ASF updates, and oral fluids validation research. Panelists include: Amy Delgado, USDA, ASF update; Robin Holland, USDA, Oral fluids research; Jordan Gehart, Kansas State University, Feed and feedmill 
biosecurity; Chris Rademacher, ISU, FAD preparedness programs; and Derald Holtkamp, ISU, Spring 2022 APP outbreak.

10:45 a.m.: Keynote - How Top Leaders and Organizations Drive Business Results Through Trust
Trust is a fundamental, bottom-line issue. Without it, leaders lose teams and organizations lose reputation, retention of good people, relationships, 
and revenue. But with trust, individuals and organizations enjoy greater creativity, productivity, freedom, and results. David Horsager of The Trust Edge reveals how top leaders and organizations drive business results to become the most trusted in their industry. 

12:30 p.m.: Sustainability Through We Care
Ashley McDonald of the National Pork Board will moderate this session that will include how farmers have used the Your Farm Sustainability Reports, as well as a look at pork sustainability from a global perspective. Panelists include Troy Peterson, Waukon Feed Ranch, and Dallas Hockman, consultant.

Training Opportunities

Two training sessions will take place on Wed., Jan. 25 for those who need to earn or update their PQA Plus and TQA certifications.

Pork Quality Assurance Plus® Certification
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Room 103 
IPPA and Iowa State University Extension are teaming up to offer PQA Plus certification at no charge. The purpose of this program is to encourage producers to be proactive in providing the best possible care for their animals and show commitment to the ethical principles of pork production as 
outlined in the We Care responsible pork initiative. 

Transport Quality Assurance® Certification
1:00 – 3:30 p.m., Room 103
IPPA and Iowa State University Extension are teaming up to offer Transport Quality Assurance training at no charge. This is an excellent opportunity for producers or their employees to learn about proper animal handing and movement.

One training session will take place on Thur., Jan. 26 for Spanish speakers who need to earn or update their PQA Plus certification. 

Pork Quality Assurance Plus® Certification 
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Rooms 103 
Orlando Gil of TCTS Global is teaming up with IPPA to offer PQA Plus certification at no charge for those who speak Spanish. The purpose of this program is to encourage production systems to be proactive in providing training to their staff who will learn the best possible care for their animals and show commitment to the ethical principles of pork production as outlined in the We Care responsible pork initiative. 

Learn more about the Iowa Pork Congress.

 

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