Experience the newest technologies in the pork industry, participate in production seminars and watch outstanding breeding stock shows and sales at the 2012 World Pork Expo. The event, scheduled for June 6-8, attracts 20,000 people to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA....More
Want to know about the power of pork for healthy eating? Curious about how many meals can be supplied from one pig? Looking for more details about how pork producers are protecting the environment?
You can find answers to these and many other pork questions inQuick Facts: The Pork Industry at a Glance book, which has been updated for 2012. This user-friendly, 120-page online guide offers accurate, informative updates ranging from how pigs are raised today to a breakdown of the industry’s latest pork stats....More
The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has increased its support for a new student learning facility at Iowa State University.
The association’s $400,000 gift commitment — half announced last fall and the other half approved by the IPPA board in February — will help establish the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center on land south of campus....More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University a $768,000 competitive grant to support the center’s work in policy analysis.
The grant will fund analysis focused on farm and agriculture, the environment, rural economies, and consumer, food and nutrition.
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A group of Ohio State University (OSU) students along with Ohio State University Extension are working to design Ohio's first Grain Rescue Simulator trailer, which will be used to train first responders, grain industry employees and farm families about the hazards of flowing grain.
The grain rescue simulator is being created to meet training needs identified by first responders who are called to an agricultural scene where grain is stored, says Dee Jepsen, OSU Extension state safety leader.
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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) decision to pull its proposed farm youth safety rule doesn’t mean farm families won’t have to provide training for young farm workers, says Ohio State University (OSU) Extension’s state safety leader.
The proposed rules would have banned children under the age of 16 from using most power-driven farm equipment without first taking a specific training course....More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $3.5 million in new funding available to help school districts organize and implement new Farm to School programs, according to a report from the University of Illinois. Officials suggest these critical initiatives seek to educate children about where their food comes from and improve the quality of school meals. They also focus on improving local and regional food systems and creating new markets for local food producers....More
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) got included in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s 2012 Farm Bill this past week a provision that will look at protecting hog farmers from closure of foreign markets....More
The 2012 farm bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee does not include a livestock title. However, there are a number of issues important to the livestock and poultry industries included in the bill, including a feral swine eradication funding package....More
The Senate Agriculture Committee passed the “Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012” (farm bill) by a vote of 16-5. The bill cuts $23 billion from the current baseline during fiscal years 2013 to 2022. The cuts include eliminating direct payments, eliminating duplication by consolidating programs and cracking down on food assistance abuse. The bill places greater emphasis on strengthening risk management options for producers....More
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its fiscal year 2013 agriculture appropriations bill. The bill provides $20.785 billion in discretionary spending....More
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced it was dropping its proposed rule regarding youth and farm work. Instead, it will work with farm and agricultural organizations for better education to reduce accidents by farm youth....More
USDA on April 24 confirmed a positive case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a 10-year old dairy cow in Tulare County, California. According to USDA, the animal was discovered at a rendering facility, was never processed for human consumption and poses zero risk to human health. The carcass will be destroyed. This is the fourth case of BSE in the United States....More
National Hog Farmer is on the move! Our offices are in the process of relocating today--in the same building, but up three floors. National Hog Farmer Editor Dale Miller kept writing for the May issue of the magazine right up until the moment they unplugged his computer and carried it away!...More
Domino’s Pizza shareholders Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a request to study ending the use of pork from suppliers who confine pregnant pigs in crates, according to www.AnnArbor.com....More
“The Labor Department’s notification today that it is withdrawing proposed rules that would have prevented many young people from working in agriculture is the right decision for our nation’s family-based agriculture system, says Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
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The World Pork Expo schedule of events is now available online. As the world’s largest pork-industry specific trade show, World Pork Expo is expected to attract nearly 20,000 producers and industry professionals to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA, June 6-8....More
Smithfield Foods, Inc.recently debuted a new video that talks about what the company, along with others in the pork industry, is doing to help feed the world's growing population with food that is produced responsibly and sustainably....More
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has announced the entertainment for MusicFest, the social highlight of World Pork Expo. From 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 7, Expo attendees can enjoy free roasted pork and refreshments while viewing live performances....More
Thirty members of Congress are calling on U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to set the record straight and educate consumers about the safety of lean finely textured beef (LFTB)....More
The Pork Checkoff and PIC have awarded 15 scholarships to college students around the United States as part of their strategy to develop the pork industry's human capital for the future....More
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is taking three steps to “protect public health and promote” the judicious use of antibiotics in food animals....More
A coalition of livestock and animal health groups in a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are asking that the 2012 Farm Bill include a comprehensive Livestock Title....More
A study by USDA’s Economic Research Services (ERS) found that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program, reduces the prevalence of poverty in many U.S. households....More
