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 main drag of the expo where the grandstand is located and the bands are playing this beautiful sunny afternoon in Des Moines.
Even the food that isn’t pork here at the expo still has a piggish theme – like these cool cookies at the Boehringer Ingelheim tent. Gotta love it!
We have lots more pictures loaded in the photo album from Thursday at WPX and I have several interviews to edit, plus a view bonus videos of pig races and more. We are going to get it done soon, but the weather is just too sweet to not enjoy right now!
World Pork Expo 09 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo made possible by Novus International and Boehringer Ingelheim
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.
He outlined several PRRS-control strategies that he believes show great promise for eradicating the disease. Among them, air filtration systems to control aerosol transmission of the virus, modified live vaccines used in an infected population to reduce spread of the virus within the herd, and oral fluid diagnostic sampling that he expects to completely replace blood sampling. 
PETA plans to have billboards in the Wichita area that promote vegetarianism, prompted by abortion Dr. George Tiller’s murder. The group hopes that the billboards will help pro-life and pro-choice advocates find common ground in support for animal rights.
Iron is powerful and now Farm Progress Companies have PowerIron.
Hundreds of people showed up today to tour the new 
After his remarks, Governor Nixon joined him on stage for the ribbon release and then it was time for more building tours and refreshments.
If you’ve got one of the only Platinum LEED certified (by the U.S. Green Building Council) buildings in the state of Missouri and even in the nation then you should be congratulated for the accomplishment. That happened today at the official ribbon “release” for the new 
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 does come from multiple manufacturing facilities with different methods that could impact amino acid digestibility,” Brad says. “We run this laboratory procedure that looks at all the digestibility of all the amino acids which gives us a tool to compare the economic value of distillers from different sources.”
The nation’s pork producers have recommitted themselves to the 
“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.
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.
Sustainability is the buzz word in the livestock industry and