It’s World Pork Expo eve (that’s a holiday, right?), and we’re here in Des Moines, Iowa to keep you up-to-date on all the news from event. This evening as producers, industry leaders and media converge on Central Iowa in anticipation of the next three days of information, I caught up with Cindy Cunningham, Assistant Vice President of Communications with the …
World Pork Expo Kicks Off in Des Moines
World Pork Expo officially kicked off in Des Moines this evening with a media reception. More than 100 registered media will be on hand to cover the Expo which is expected to be attended by thousands of people from all over the world. During the reception Tim Bierman, who lives in Larrabee, Iowa and is the President of National Pork …
MO Commodity Groups Step Up To Plate
Actually St. Louis Cardinals left-fielder, Matt Holliday, is “Stepping Up To The Plate.” A coalition of Missouri agriculture organizations has launched a summer education campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Themed “Stepping Up to the Plate,” the goal of this initiative is to increase consumer understanding of how today’s farmers are using the latest technology to provide safe, affordable, nutritious …
Sparkle Pig
Just in case I didn’t mention it. I want to be like Russell Graves when I grow up. Here’s a short video he just released about a little girl and her show pig. I think you should let others see it. It’s the kind of thing we need more of out there in the web. It kind of made my …
Smithfield Foods Sales Completed
As reported by Hoosier Ag Today, Smithfield Foods has completed the sales of a few ventures. I thought I would pass word on this news for those interested. Below is a clip of the release. Check out the full article here. Smithfield Foods has completed the sales of both its Chinese joint venture Maverick Food Company Limited to COFCO Limited …
Mapping The Swine Genome
The Vice President of the National Pork Board is Gene Nemecheck. I met him at the NAFB Trade Talk session in Kansas City, MO. Gene is a veterinarian with Tyson. I asked him “What’s new with the Pork Board?” and he says that the swine genomic project just recently reached completion. He says that after years of work by a …
National Pork Board Responds to Jonathan Safran Foer
Last week, I was watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show because I knew she would be interviewing Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of “Eating Animals,” a gruesome attack against animal agriculture and a strong testimony for a vegan lifestyle. Recently, the National Pork Board responded to Foer’s statements, especially when he falsely linked H1N1 to a hog farm in North Carolina. …
Minnesota Farmers Feed Hungry Families
Farmers in Minnesota are helping to feed the hungry, even as they face their own tough times. Minnesota Farmers Helping Families, a coalition of state agriculture commodity groups, recently donated more than $115,000 in pork and dairy products to Hunger Solutions Minnesota. Governor Tim Pawlenty was joined at the state capitol by representatives from the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion …
Joking Around: Prevent Swine Flu, Eat More Bacon
This is an interesting look at the H1N1 vs. swine flu references in the media that continues to plague the pork industry. Written by Gary Truitt for Hoosier Ag Today, Prevent Swine Flu, Eat More Bacon, Truitt suggets that producers quit fighting the “swine flu” references and simply start making fun of it. I wonder how this will go over. …