Peace, Love and Pork at World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

2011 world pork expoThe folks at Automated Production Systems led a peaceful pig protest at the 2011 World Pork Expo Thursday with their 60s-themed roast pig.

With cries of “Fork More Pork” in different languages, the AP team really outdid itself this year. The company, which specializes in swine production equipment such as feeders, ventilation and flooring, has a different theme for their pig every year. Previous years have included Mexican Fiesta and Elvis, but this one will be hard to top.

Notice that the roast pig is sporting peace sign earrings and shooting a peace sign with its cloven hoof! The video shows just how much the AP folks really get into their theme.

2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
Pork, Swine, Video, World Pork Expo

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Lynch BBQ Going Whole Hog at World Pork Expo

    Chuck Zimmerman

    BBQ is what’s cooking at World Pork Expo. This is the best smelling show I’ve been to this year! Here’s Scott Beaton, Lynch BBQ. He’s been cooking this hog since about six o’clock this morning. I visited with him but all I got on the spices side was, “our secret seasonings.” Okay. This pig will be served this afternoon at the Novus International tent.

    It’s the sixth year for Scott to be cooking at World Pork Expo. He’s a big Minnesota Vikings fan and has had a chance to cook for them which was a real highlight in his cooking career. Scott also says that the pork industry is vital to their business and to the state of Iowa. Scott Beaton Interview

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    Audio, Food, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

    World Pork Expo Junior National

    Chuck Zimmerman

    We’ve been talking nutrition, politics and promotion but for a big part of the crowd coming out to World Pork Expo it’s about showing pigs. The World Pork Expo Junior National Show is taking place and I wandered through to take some photos.

    If you’ve never been to a show then watch the short video clip. I saw two show rings in action this afternoon and people were having a good time.

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    World Pork Expo

    Korean Ambassador Urges Passage of FTA

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The Korean ambassador to the United States says “time is running out” for Congress to approve pending free trade agreements and “the stakes are high.”

    Ambassador Han Duk-soo was the keynote speaker at the National Pork Producers Council Strategic Investment Program luncheon at World Pork Expo on Thursday. He encouraged pork producers to “not let up” in urging Congress to ratify the FTA with South Korea, which is pending along with those for Colombia and Panama. “The disagreements in Washington that have delayed the FTA’s ratification are ironic, in that it enjoys almost unanimous support,” he noted. “America’s pork producers have been among the most vocal and active proponents of these agreements.”

    Like those here in the U.S. who want to see the agreements passed, the ambassador is concerned that if they are not approved by end of summer, the presidential campaign will effectively delay them even longer.

    Listen to or download the ambassador’s comments here: Korean Ambassador Han Duk-soo

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    Audio, NPPC, Pork, World Pork Expo

    Pork Producers Can Measure Carbon Footprint

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Thanks to the efforts of the Pork Checkoff, pork producers now have a tool that will allow them to calculate their carbon footprint.

    The “Live Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator” was unveiled today at World Pork Expo by the National Pork Board. Pork producers Randy Spronk of Minnesota (pictured) and Roy Henry of Kansas did the introduction, as well as Rick Ulrich with the University of Arkansas, which actually developed the program.

    Randy was one of the first to test the carbon footprint calculator and shared what he learned with the media and later during an educational session with producers. “The impetus for this came from producers,” Randy said. “The original intent was to identify ‘hot spots’ for energy use, areas where they could have the most impact on cost of production.”

    Randy says the calculator is very simple to use and clearly shows how inputs, such as feed, energy use, manure and pig performance, are all related to the carbon footprint of a barn. Due to privacy issues and the tremendous size of the computer program, it is only available to producers via disc and cannot be downloaded from the web. Copies are being distributed here at World Pork Expo and can be ordered on-line at pork.org/sustainability.

    Listen to or download comments from Roy Henry, Rick Ulrich and Randy Spronk here: Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    Audio, Environment, Pork, World Pork Expo

    World Pork Expo Weather

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The weather has been “interesting” this morning here at World Pork Expo. This is hail coming in the sides of the Novus tent at the start of their morning press breakfast. Novus did something very smart this year. They put their whole tent display on a riser. No more flooding through the tent here.

    But even with some thunder and rain the show is going on. I’ve got a fully updated batch of photos for you and will have more as our coverage of this year’s Expo continues.

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    World Pork Expo

    Novus Introduces Accelerating Finishing Profitability

    Chuck Zimmerman

    This morning Novus International announced the Accelerating Finishing Profitability program. This was done with a group of agricultural reporters in their World Pork Expo tent.

    High feed ingredient costs are no longer a temporary blip on pork producers’ radar screens. Instead, lofty corn and soybean prices seem to be here to stay and thus require a long-term strategic solution aimed at helping producers get the greatest possible returns from all their nutritional inputs.

    The new Accelerating Finishing Profitability program from Novus International is designed to be one of these strategic solutions. The program helps optimize nutrition and delivers tangible results to the performance and profitability of a pork operation during the grow-finish phase.

    Our announcement panel included (l-r) Brad Lawrence, Novus Technical Manager, Pork Business Team, International; Randy Anderson, Novus Senior World Area Director, North America and Mark Bertram, Nutrition & Production Consultant, First Choice Livestock. I spoke with each of these panelists after the presentation and have those interviews posted below. Here is the full presentation to the media: Novus Panel - Accelerating Finishing Profitability

    Randy says “We’ve been working on this for a couple of years already. It’s about how can we help you understand how to nutritionally feed your animals differently that will allow you to manage your total costs and your total performance. Ultimately it’s about working with our customers to figure out how to manage their total profitability.” Randy Anderson Interview

    Brad says the takeaway message this morning is “allowing producers to challenge the paradigms that they’ve had that have limited their ingredient selections to corn and soy. Instead of saying this is all we can use challenging that paradigm and saying what are the limitations to use and what blend of nutritional technologies will allow you to overcome those paradigms, overcome those challenges and improve the returns you see to your operations by opening up a broader range of ingredient options.” Brad Lawrence Interview

    Mark says what the Accelerating Finishing Profitability program is about is “utilizing the technology that Novus has developed and applying those technologies to current industry issues and allowing us to, for example, increase the utilization of some of the by-product feed ingredients that may have been limiting in the past and focusing on decreasing feed costs.” Mark Bertram Interview

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    Animal Health, Audio, World Pork Expo

    Boehringer Ingelheim Hosts PRRS ARC Seminar at WPX

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With all the hog farmers and swine vets gathered in Des Moines for World Pork Expo this week, it was a perfect opportunity for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) to host a PRRS Area Regional Control (ARC) seminar.

    “It’s a very good opportunity to have a peer-to-peer meeting,” said Dr. Laura Batista with the BIVI PRRS Solution Team, who says there are two projects underway now in Iowa of the 25 nationwide. “More and more it is countywide, rather than the whole state.”

    Laura says producers are starting to see a return on investment by implementing the PRRS control program.

    Listen to or download Laura’s PRRS ARC update here: Dr. Laura Batista

    BIVI’s Dr. Reid Phillips says the PRRS ARC project is a work in progress, so meetings like this are very important. “It’s an opportunity for the working groups to get together and share their information, identify areas of challenges and restraints, and that’s a valuable thing.”

    Reid talked about the value of communication and coordination, as well as research that can help with PRRS control.

    Listen to or download my interview with Reid here: Dr. Reid Phillips

    2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
    Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, World Pork Expo

    The Great Flood?

    Melissa Sandfort

    Its’ coming. And for now, farmers are playing the “sit and wait” game to see just how bad it’s going to be. We’ve all heard the news reports about people evacuating Hamburg, Iowa, and seen workers frantically filling sand bags, the endangered fish, and the reports about levy capacity. We even know what USDA is telling consumers to help them prepare for a flooding emergency and what to do after flooding.

    But what about the farmers? (Don’t get me wrong – it would be horrible to have to leave your home and sift through your most beloved belongings and pack what will fit into the back of a truck. My heart goes out to those folks.)

    We drove to Nebraska City this week where the road is already down to one lane, and the water is encroaching upon a large elevator’s fertilizer business that sits on the river bank. The utility company also sits about 50 yards up the bank from the elevator and I wonder, when will the waters reach that level?

    Farmers have spent so much time planting and it might be a complete loss. Records and photographs (possibly dating back three years) are going to be imperative for crop insurance claims, but what is the long-term impact on that farm ground? Will it ever recover for crop production?

    I just wonder, as news reports highlight the BENEFITS of the flood for the endangered pallid sturgeon, did the potential impact on agriculture even cross their mind?

    I’ll keep following this story.

    Until we walk again …

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