Iowa Swine Day Returns at Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa — For the first time in several years, the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) and Iowa State University (ISU) are sponsoring a daylong educational opportunity specifically for pork producers. Iowa Swine Day is set for June 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Iowa State campus and features practical information on a variety of topics that can be applied on the farm.

IPIC director John Mabry said similar events were held some time ago with great success, and that helped organizers decide to bring back the event this year. Iowa Pork Producers Association and ISU Extension and Outreach also are assisting with the program.

“This program offers an in-depth look at a number of current topics by recognized experts,” Mabry said. “All sessions are in Benton Auditorium in the Scheman Building on the Iowa State campus, and each 30-minute session is followed by a question and answer segment. There are no breakout sessions.”

Cost is $25 per person when registered by June 15, and increases to $35 per person after that date. The fee includes lunch, refreshment breaks and a copy of the conference proceedings. See more information, including links to the registration options, on the conference website: http://www.aep.iastate.edu/iowaswineday/homepage.html.

Each program topic provides essential information for today’s pork producers and others in the industry, and speakers were selected for their knowledge and understanding of those topics.

The list of topics and speakers includes:

• Managing risk in uncertain times — Shane Ellis, ISU economics
• Preventing and managing pit foaming — Steve Hoff, ISU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• What is being learned and done in the battle against the PRRS virus: Are we winning? — Derald Holtkamp, ISU Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine
• How to prioritize your biosecurity practices — Alex Ramirez, ISU Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine
• Capturing energy savings through proper ventilation management — Jay Harmon, ISU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• Motivating and keeping employees — Darra Johnson, Murphy-Brown, LLC, Ames
• Practical and effective ways to improve feed efficiency and reduce feed cost — John Patience, ISU Animal Science
• U.S. pork exports: Opportunities and risks — Dermot Hayes, ISU Economics
• The 101 of swine welfare: What should I know? — Anna Johnson, ISU Animal Science

IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complimentary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.

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