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 back to the communities in which they live.
“Trust is not granted, it must be earned,” said NPPC president Don Butler of North Carolinaduring a press conference at Pork Expo Wednesday. To earn that trust, Don said the industry needs to prove to the public that they abide by ethical principles. “Everyone of us has a part in the overall effort to tell the positive story of pork production in America.” He outlined a five-step action plan for the industry – uphold the ethical principles everyday, obtain PQA Plus certification, register for premises identification, schedule PQA Plus site assessment and encourage TQA certification.
Listen to or download Don’s comments here: Don Butler on We Care
Nearly 31,000 pork producers have already been certified under the PQA Plus program that was announced two years ago. NPB president Steve Weaver of California says they are urging all producers to commit to the program and participate in the “We Care” initiative by December 31, 2010. “Through their participation, producers would abide by the statement of ethical principals, become Pork Quality Assurance Plus certified by June 20, 2010 and achieve PQA plus site status by December 31st,” he said.
Listen to or download Steve’s comments here: Steve Weaver on We Care
In addition, AgStar Financial Services and Tyson Foods pledged new corporate support for the “We Care” program. AgStar Financial donated $50,000 to be used to develop and maintain a new web site dedicated to the “We Care” initiative which will be launched shortly. Tyson Foods donated $10,000 to be used for conducting on-farm assessments and the company will also now require all of its suppliers to become PQA Plus-certified by June of next year.
World Pork Expo 09 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo made possible by Novus International
Sustainability is the buzz word in the livestock industry and 
Do you have a Facebook Page? This is a popular way to connect with fans of your business or cause. Now, Facebook Ads for your Page will now get you even more Fans. You are now able to create ads that will allow users to become a Fan of your Page directly from the ad. Users can also click anywhere on your ad to access your Page. I haven’t tried creating these ads, but it looks pretty simple. Now, the question is whether your readers will appreciate ads on their profiles or not. Have you noticed the growing number of ads on this social networking site? What do you think about these targeted marketing tools?
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 
Having planted my own garden for the first time this year, I can relate to the promise this “GOOD FOOD GARDEN” has in the eyes of Washington D.C. students. This press release was provided by 
After missing it the last couple weeks I got to participate in tonight’s 
Our friends at Farm Foundation have teamed up with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) to put together a workshop on contract design in commodity markets.
I am packing my bags and getting ready to head off to Des Moines for 
This year is the 21st annual World Pork Expo, which is the largest pork-industry trade show and exhibition in the world, drawing tens of thousands of pork producers, exhibitors and visitors from across the country and around the globe. New this year are the dates for the event, moving from a late-week event to mid-week event, as requested by many of the producers and exhibitors that attend the show each year.
Also new this year at World Pork Expo will be our middle daughter, Carly, who will be attending with me as my assistant. She just graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in general studies and as she spends the next year figuring out if she really wants to be a physical therapist, we will be introducing her to the exciting world of agricultural new media! Dad is going over the new programs he installed on her Mac and introducing her to the sweet new Canon Power Shot G10 we got for her to start as a semi-pro photographer. Carly is very artistically inclined and very people-oriented, so we hope this will be a great experience for her. Just look for this beautiful face at WPX and say hi!