State Pork News: 4 Headlines You Don't Want to Miss
Here's what's happening in state pork associations around the country this week.
Mike King Joins Ohio Pork Council Team
The Ohio Pork Council (OPC) announces Mike King as its new Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations. The veteran communications professional has worked in multiple roles in ag publishing and marketing communications agencies where he focused on communicating about agriculture products and services with an emphasis on swine. Most notably, King recently completed more than 13 years as science communications director at the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa.
“We’re very pleased that Mike has joined the Ohio Pork team to help take our communications and marketing efforts to the next level,” Cheryl Day, OPC executive vice president said in a release. “His extensive knowledge of the pork industry, along with his ability to make complex issues and topics relevant, understandable and useful, will serve Ohio’s pork industry stakeholders well.”
During his tenure at the National Pork Board, King focused on delivering Checkoff-funded research information to producers as well as keeping them informed on key issues such as biosecurity, antibiotic stewardship, environmental footprint and foreign animal disease, Ohio Pork said in a release. He oversaw the Environmental Stewards Awards and the subsequent America’s Pig Farmer of the Year programs, and he served as editor of the Pork Checkoff’s Research Review and Foreign Animal Disease Bulletin newsletters.
King, who grew up on a diversified grain and livestock farm near Jeffersonville, Ind., holds a degree in agricultural communications from Purdue University.
PA Pork Partners to Provide Virtual Learning Opportunity
A new virtual learning opportunity is coming to Pennsylvania. On April 28, “There’s a Pig in my Classroom,” offered by the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the LEAP Foundation, will be available for PA Day..
Through funding offered by the PA Pork Producers Council (PPPC), elementary aged students in grades 3 through 6 are welcomed inside a pig farm via a Zoom interactive learning session, a release said.
The program is free for teachers to enroll, but there are limited spots available for PA Day. Pre-registration is required, and can be done online. Teachers will receive lesson plans to compliment the virtual field trip, where students will get a first-hand look into modern day pig production.
Interested teachers can expect a 45-minute virtual session and accompanying lesson plans to be provided.
IPPA Youth Swine Judging Contest Awards $4,500 in Scholarships
Five teams of Iowa youth won scholarships while participating in the senior division of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Youth Swine Judging Contest.
There were 162 teams represented in the senior division of the competition. The top five teams came from Grinnell High School, Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School, Winfield-Mount Union Community School District, Columbus Community School District (Columbus Junction), and Bellevue Community School District.
A total of 706 students—about 150 more than last year—participated in both the senior and junior divisions.
“It was great to have the Judging Contest again this year, especially with the numbers we had,” Cory Van Gilst, IPPA’s producer outreach director, said in a release. “It’s a unique opportunity for students from around the state.”
Top Senior Teams: The top team was Grinnell FFA 1, earning 753 points. Team members included Dominick Clayton, Kolton Kline, Nina Walton, and Aden Wolfe, all of Grinnell. Each receives a $500 scholarship.
Gladbrook-Reinbeck 1 had 749 points for second place. Team members were: Dylinn Blohm and Cole Fleshner, both of Reinbeck; and Amaya Peterson and Delaney Petersen, both of Gladbrook. Each receives a $250 scholarship. Petersen had the highest overall score in the competition.
Winfield-Mount Union FFA 1 earned 748 points and third place. Team members were Carter Loyd, Eli Miller, and Katie Miller, all of Winfield; and Quinlyn Smith, of Morning Sun. Each member earns a $125 scholarship.
Columbus FFA 1 placed fourth with 747 points and wins $125 scholarships for each team member. They are Mady Howell, Drew Totemeier, and Gabe Totemeier, all of Columbus Junction; and Cole Storm, Conesville.
Bellevue FFA 1 received fifth place with 734 points. Each receiving $125 are team members Cameron Casel, Grace Hintgen, Maverick Scheckel, and Kinnick Paulsen, all of Bellevue.
Top Junior Teams: The top five junior teams are St. Malachy Catholic School (Creston) — first place; Bellevue FFA 2 — second; Chariton Middle School 1 — third; Central Trail FFA 3 (Leon) — fourth; and Benton County 4-H 1 (Vinton) — fifth. Each of the junior teams wins a plaque.
Points were awarded for each of the following activities: tests on meat quality and knowledge of commercial pork production; as well as judging four classes of hogs that required students to test their commercial gilt selection and market hog evaluation skills; score a keep-cull gilt class; and do a live carcass evaluation, which involved examining 10 pigs individually to determine each animal’s weight, loin eye size, and back fat, then comparing and ranking them on carcass value.
The day also included a demonstration of pork carcass fabrication and a seminar about careers in the pork industry.
Senator Jason Bean Receives Outstanding Legislator Award from the Missouri Pork Association
Don Laut, chairman of the Missouri Pork Association (MPA), presented the Outstanding Legislator Award to Senator Jason Bean (R-25th District) during the 2023 Missouri Pork Expo on February 21. Sen. Bean was chosen for his outstanding support of the Missouri Pork Association, the Missouri pork industry and all of agriculture.
"Senator Bean has been a great supporter of agriculture and Missouri’s pork industry. He has been successful in turning his family farm into a successful business, and that same mindset is a great asset at the Capitol, bringing a commonsense approach to growing Missouri’s agriculture industry,” Laut said in a release.
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