Another simply gorgeous day for the World Pork Expo. Today is the last day for the event – a change from previous years. The expo used to start on Thursday and end Saturday afternoon, shortly before judging of the Great Pork BarbeQlossal. The days for that event, which is sponsored by the National Pork Board, remain the same. Cooking starts …
Kids and Hogs
Participation in the Junior National Swine Show at World Pork Expo was up significantly this year. Apparently the kids don’t care that the hog industry is going through tough times right now! Officials said there were over 2000 entries in the show this year, up from 1800 last year, and it is so funny to see some of these really …
Novus Puttin’ on the Pig
The highlight of day two at World Pork Expo is the carving of the roasted hogs and there were four this year. We already saw Elvis Pigsly in the last post – here is the Novus International feast. The hogs are roasted for almost 24 hours before they are carved up and offered for passers-by to enjoy, with a nice …
Sweet Treats and Hot Eats at WPX
The food is fine and the weather couldn’t be better at World Pork Expo this year. As might be expected, there is lots and lots of pork available. The roasted whole hogs are coming out now, including Elvis Pigsly pictured here, and one right here in front of the Novus tent. There are four whole hogs coming out on the …
Optimistic Outlook for Eradicating PRRS
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, better knows as PRRS, costs the U.S. swine industry about $560 million a year, so eradicating that disease could have a significant impact for producers. Dr. Scott Dee with the Swine Disease Eradication Center at the University of Minnesota believes it is possible within 20 years. “I’m going to be optimistic,” Dr. Dee said at …
Bright IDEA from Novus
A bright IDEA from Novus International could help both hog producers and the ethanol industry. IDEA stands for “Immobilized Digestive Enzyme Assay” which Dr. Brad Lawrence says helps understand the digestibility of lysine and other amino acids in dried distillers grains (DDGS), the livestock feed by-product of ethanol production. “Distillers is one of the few ingredients that we have that …
America’s Pork Producers Do What’s Right
The nation’s pork producers have recommitted themselves to the “We Care” program announced last year at World Pork Expo. The program was developed by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board (NPB) to help demonstrate that pork producers are committed to caring for their animals, producing safe food, protecting the environment and public health and giving …
Novus Growing to Help Pork Producers
Sustainability is the buzz word in the livestock industry and Novus International is talking with producers at World Pork Expo about helping them make even more progress in that area. “Those are the type of producers that we can really help with antibiotic-free solutions and products that help toward sustainable, natural production and at the end of the day it …
Pork Expo Going Strong
The hog industry is hurting, but optimism still exists here at the World Pork Expo 2009. Despite a year of plunging profits and flu fears, attendance is still expected to be pretty strong at the expo this year, according to general manager John Wrigley, who stopped by the Novus International tent for an interview. “We’re probably going to be down …
Welcome to WPX 09
World Pork Expo 2009 is underway here in sunny Des Moines. Agwired is set up in the Novus International tent on the main drag of the Iowa State Fairgrounds. We do have wireless internet access this year at the tent – yeah! – but are waiting for a power strip so I can plug in. Got the Flickr photo album …