Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
7/2/03
Contacts:
James McKean, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-8790, x2mckean@iastate.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-4496, shoyer@iastate.edu
Applicants Sought for Swine Welfare Assessor Training Program
AMES, Iowa -- People interested in becoming Certified SWAP [SM] Educators under the National Pork Board's (NPB) Swine Welfare Assurance Program [SM] (SWAP [SM]) are invited to submit an application for any one of three training sessions to be held in Ames. Dates are Aug. 7, 19 and 20, and all will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. James McKean, John Carr, Ken Stalder and Tom Baas, all of Iowa State University, will conduct these training sessions. All have been certified as educator training instructors through the SWAP[SM] program.
To be eligible to submit an application, people must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be a veterinarian, extension specialist or ag educator (defined for
this program as a person who spends full time in adult education or at
least half time in production training) AND
2. Have a D.V.M. or B.S. in animal science (or equivalent) AND
3. Have two years of recent documentable swine production experience.
McKean said those who qualify and are interested in the program should download, complete and submit the application form available online at www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/SWAPapp.doc. The form also is available by fax or regular mail by calling the Iowa Pork Industry Center at (515) 294-4103.
The form may be submitted as an e-mail attachment, by fax or through regular mail. The registration fee of $50 per person should be paid by check and included when submitting the application form by regular mail or sent by mail when submitting the form through e-mail or fax. Mail applications should be sent to Iowa Pork Industry Center, c/o Jane Runneals, 109 Kildee Hall, ISU, Ames, IA 50011. E-mail applications should be sent to janerun@iastate.edu.
"The deadline for applications is Friday, July 18, and we encourage people to apply as soon as possible," McKean said. "There is a limit of 30 people per session, and we need to know how many qualified people will be able to attend each of these sessions."
Applications will be reviewed to determine qualification status and applicants will be notified of their status and meeting date assignment after the registration deadline.
The Swine Welfare Assurance Program[SM] is a program designed by an international team of welfare experts and producers to objectively benchmark and track welfare on the farm. Modeled after PQA[TM], this Pork Checkoff program consists of nine Care and Well-Being Principles that give pork producers the tools to evaluate welfare, aid in efficient production and potentially maintain access in a demanding market. SWAP[SM] has been developed with a basis in sound scientific principles to promote the industry's tradition of responsible animal care. For more information on SWAP [SM], contact the National Pork Board at 1-800-456-PORK, or go to www.porkboard.org.
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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.