2012 “Olym-Pigs” at World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

In honor of the big summer games coming up in just a few weeks, Automated Production Systems (APS) made the 2012 “Olym-Pigs Feastival” the theme for their annual World Pork Expo show pig this year.

As always, the folks at APS went all out for the roll out of the roast hog on Thursday afternoon of the expo, with a torch procession and events such as “shuttle pig” and the balance Jim Beam. APS always has a great time with this, after spending all day cooking not only their hog, but also a couple of others for exhibitors.

Watch the 2012 Olym-Pigs procession here:


2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Pork, Swine, Video, World Pork Expo

Finding Balance Between Business and Environment

Chuck Zimmerman

Trudy FisherAt the closing dinner for the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour, Trudy Fisher, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality spoke to our group. Trudy told us that she’s a farmer’s daughter and has farming experience herself. For that reason, the things we were seeing and hearing about on the tour are near and dear to her heart.

Trudy told the group that they don’t have to sacrifice aggressive farming practices and tremendous business opportunities to protect the environment and that “we can do it right and we are doing it right.” It’s all about finding the right balance between what’s good for business and what’s good for the environment. She says that “if we continue to do this right future generations of farmers will be able to carry on the long tradition of feeding the world from the heart of America.”

Listen to Trudy’s remarks here: Trudy Fisher Remarks

2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN
Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation, CTIC, Environment

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • African tobacco farmers concluded the two-day International Tobacco Growers Association Africa Regional Meeting by issuing a declaration of opposition to the proposals that threaten the region’s jobs and local economies.
  • Conley Nelson, a farmer and pork production executive from Algona, Iowa, was elected president of the 15-member National Pork Board.
  • Tiago Bonomo has been appointed President and CEO of McCormick USA.
  • AGCO launched a 150 hectare (371 acre) farm and learning center near Lusaka, Zambia.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Whopper of a Pork Burger at Pork Expo

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It may not qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records, but it will feed a lot of hungry people.

    A 260 pound pork burger was cooked at World Pork Expo on Thursday by Gary Vinsand, owner of Vinny’s BBQ in Dakota City, Iowa on behalf of Hog Slat and the National Pork Producers Council. “I made one two years ago that was 240 pounds of meat, this one’s 260,” Gary said. As far as he’s concerned, that’s a record, even though the Guinness Book of World Records won’t consider it. “They won’t recognize it because they lump it in with a hamburger,” he said.

    After a team of heavy lifters carefully slid the monster pork burger on to a 40 pound bun, Gary cut it up to donate much of it to AmeriCorps Vista’s central Iowa shelter. “We serve upwards of 100,000 meals throughout the city in a given year,” said volunteer Amy Olson, who was on hand for the event.

    Listen to or download audio from the video below with Gary and Amy here: World's Largest Pork Burger



    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Audio, Video, World Pork Expo

    BIVI 3FLEX Makes an Impression at WPX

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Managing swine respiratory diseases is economically important for the pork industry, which is why the relatively new Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica 3FLEX vaccine is being well received by producers.

    During a BIVI press conference at World Pork Expo, experts discussed the latest findings in managing swine respiratory diseases such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease (PCV2) and mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. hyo).

    “These diseases have drastic economic impacts on the swine industry; the PRRS virus alone is estimated to cost the U.S. Swine industry $664 million annually,” said Dr. John Waddell, Professional Services Veterinarian for BIVI, who suggests using a five-step process to help manage respiratory diseases. That is: 1) Identify desired goals; 2) Determine current status of farm; 3) Understand current constraints; 4) Develop solution options; and 5) Implement and monitor preferred solutions.

    Listen to or download an interview with Dr. Waddell here: Dr. John Waddell

    Darin Madson, Assistant Professor of Pathology with the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, presented the latest research findings on PCV2 in-utero infection and the role of vaccination, noting that in-utero PCV2 infection is more common than clinical reproductive disease.

    “Research indicates that dam vaccination decreases reproductive disease, in-utero infection and secretion of virus through milk and colostrum. Also, research shows dam vaccination improves herd reproductive parameters, piglet weaning weights and has an effect on nursery/growth-finish mortality,” said Dr. Madson.

    Listen to or download an interview with Dr. Madson here: Dr. Darin Madson

    BIVI Swine Technical Manager Greg Cline discussed how 3FLEX, the first USDA approved three- way combination package, mixed and administered as a single shot for pigs three weeks of age and older, is helping producers manage these respiratory diseases. “There are many benefits to using 3FLEX. Using a combination vaccine saves time and money by reducing labor costs associated with handling and treating pigs multiple times, reduces the number of injection sites and reduces animal stress,” Dr. Cline said. BIVI has had great response from producers since the product was introduced just about a year ago.

    Listen to or download interview with Greg Cline here: Dr. Greg Cline

    Find out more about 3FLEX online at flexcombo.com.

    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, World Pork Expo

    10 Reasons To Attend AgCareers Roundtable

    Jamie Johansen

    The 2012 AgCareers.com North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable is coming up and early bird registration ends next week. The conference will be held in Springdale, Arkansas, August 7-9 on Tyson Food’s Campus.

    Great networking and educational opportunities are just two reasons why human resource professionals, business leaders, university/college career services staff and association representatives within the agribusiness industry should put this on their calendar.

    Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend AgCareers HR Roundtable:

    1. The AgCareers.com Ag & Food HR Roundtable is in its tenth year and offers the most unique and rewarding peer networking experience available in the agriculture and food industries. Click here to see the companies that participated last year.

    2. This year’s Roundtable conference has been submitted to the HR Certification Institute for recertification credit hours. Last year’s Roundtable was awarded 8.75 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification.

    3. Relevant content around topics requested specifically by a committee of industry HR leaders. To see a list of the companies represented on the Organizing Committee, click here.

    4. Industry and key college/university professionals can interact with each other in one location during networking times. Not only are connections on this level necessary for successful internship recruitment and developing a pipeline of talent for the future, but it is a cost effective way to accomplish college recruiting initiatives by having the ability to interact with multiple organizations all at once. See who is already registered for this year’s Roundtable.

    5. Brainstorming sessions allow for idea sharing and industry benchmarking. New viewpoints can provide fresh ideas on best practices and policies that can be applied to your business. Read More

    AgCareers, Education, Food

    Iowa Governor Visits Pork Expo

    Cindy Zimmerman

    There is probably no governor in any state who is a greater advocate for agriculture than Governor Terry Branstad of Iowa.

    The governor visited World Pork Expo on Thursday afternoon and had some pork for lunch before addressing some remarks to producers at the NPPC Investors luncheon. “We know how important agriculture and the pork industry are to our state,” he said. “It’s an exciting time to be governor of the leading pork producing state.”

    Branstad said Iowa is working very hard to increase trade opportunities. “We have a goal to increase exports by 20% over the next five years,” he said, noting that he just returned from spending a week in China.

    After lunch, Branstad took a couple of questions from the media, mostly centered on the efforts of animal activists to get rid of gestation stalls, comparing it to the recent misinformation campaign about lean finely textured beef and saying that the “last thing that we should do is follow the example of the Europeans.”

    Listen to or download Branstad’s lunch comments here: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad

    Listen to or download Branstad’s press comments here: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad
    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Audio, World Pork Expo

    Precison Ag Puts Medicine on the Hurt Place

    Chuck Zimmerman

    John McKeeWe like new technology and we like our gadgets. We’re called AgNerds. And AgNerds are pretty open to precision agriculture. John McKee is one of us. John is a farmer of corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. He was a civil engineer prior to farming so precision ag has come natural to him. He was also one of the speakers on the Conservation in Action Tour.

    He says the bottom line is “control.” He micro-manages every piece of his farm. He thinks it’s a good business plan. As he puts it, “We’re just able to put the medicine on the hurt place.” And that makes for a good conservation practice. He says that if the dirt and crop don’t need an input like nitrogen then “we certainly don’t want to put it there.” For one thing, it’s expensive. By being able to pull back with variable rate application it saves him on his pocketbook and the environment which is a win-win for everyone. He says equipment is getting better and cheaper but it needs to continue to get better and cheaper.

    Listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John McKee

    2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN
    Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation, CTIC, Farming, Precision Agriculture, Technology

    NPPC President at World Pork Expo

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Nearly 20,000 pork producers and industry experts from about 38 countries are at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines this week, including National Pork Producers Council president R.C. Hunt of North Carolina.

    I had a chance to chat with R.C. this morning after he gave an update to the media about trade issues. R.C. is excited about expo this year and the great weather we’ve had so far and he is hopeful that exports for the industry will do as well as they did last year, but he is concerned about actions of food retailers toward forcing producers to make significant production changes.

    Listen to or download my interview with R.C. here: NPPC president R.C. Hunt
    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo

    Survey on Sow Housing Released at WPX

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Results of a survey issued opening day at the World Pork Expo show that the overwhelming majority of the U.S. sow herd spends some time in individual housing, known as gestation stalls. The findings confirm concerns by the National Pork Producers Council about food retailers who have bowed to demands of animal activists and announced they will use only pork from operations that are gestation-stall free.

    The survey, conducted by University of Missouri extension economist Ron Plain, found that currently only 17.3 percent of sows spend a portion of gestation in open pens. Plain surveyed pork operations with 1,000 or more sows. He received responses from 70 operations, which combined own about 3.6 million of the nation’s 5.7 million sows.

    The Plain survey found that 20.2 percent of sows on operations of 1,000-9,999 sows, 18.9 percent on operations of 10,000-99,999 and 16.4 percent on operations of more than 100,000 are in open pens for some portion of gestation. When asked about plans to put more sows in open pens, the largest operations indicated that 23.8 percent of their sows would be in them in two years, operations of 10,000-99,999 sows would have 21.3 of their pigs in such pens and operations of 1,000-9,999 would have 20.7 percent.

    Listen to an interview with Ron Plain about the survey here: MU economist Ron Plain

    Listen to audio from opening press conference about the survey: WPX news conference

    Thanks to Meghan Grebner and Ken Anderson of Brownfield Ag News for providing news conference audio and photos.


    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Animal Activists, Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo