2020 April/May Producer Connection

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS PORK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2

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What’s in this issue

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS PORK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION • VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2

PRODUCER CONNECTION VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2

Patience&Perseverance vanish.

On the cover While the times may be trying for all involved in the agricultural industry, with just a little bit of patience and perseverance any obstacle can vanish.

Pictured: Samantha Iselt, exhibitor of the 2020 Grand Champion Barrow at San Antonio raised and bred by Berger Farms, and Coby Berger(brother).

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“Education. Advocacy. Promotion.

The Texas Pork Producers Association is dedicated to the advancement of a sustainable and profitable pork industry.”

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President - Corby Barrett, Perryton President Elect - Doug Schaefer, Garden City Vice President - Jay Winter, Lubbock Executive Member - Stanley Young, Lubbock Executive Member - Charles Hodde, Burton Immediate Past President - Jimmy Hayes, Port Lavaca

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Texas Tech Meat Judging Camp, Lubbock, TX

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Texas Pork Industry Conference & Youth Symposium, Lubbock, TX

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Blinn College Livestock Judging Camp, Brenham, TX

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Blinn College Livestock Judging Camp, Brenham, TX

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NSR Summer Type Conference, Louisville, KY

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MAY 2020

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5 8 Market & Supply Chain Impact of COVID-19 10 Industry News 12 Recap of National Pork Industry Forum 15 Collected Advantage Thank You 16 Pork Checkoff Annual Report 26 Challenging Times Impact on Bacon Sales 30 IO Ranch Processing Plant 32 BBQ Austin 34 Food Feature 40 Ractopamine Free Pork FAQ’s 44 Texas Pork Industry Conference 48 Texas’ Elite Showcase Sponsors 55 2021 Texas’ Elite Showcase Dates 64 The Alternative Results 73 5 Ways to Keep People and Pigs Healthy 74 Swine Health Update 76 Animal Ag Has Nothing to do with COVID-19 85 NSR & CPS Summer Show Dates 92 Premier Exhibitor Program 110 Advertisers Index beyers farms ABERNATHY, TX

Southwest Type Conference

Tips To Improve Farrowing Rates

Buyers Guide TPPA Office Relocation Jimmy & Cassidy Hayes

TENTATIVE

TPPA’S MISSION

can make any obstacle

TES Premier Club & Chapter

UPCOMING EVENTS

APRIL / MAY 2020

Director of Communications and Member Outreach Brooke Blum brooke@texaspork.org

Jay & Will Winter

Young livestock BURKBURNETT, TX Dan Young

CROSS, HAMP, YORK 940.631.8339

Spring Buyers Guide

Meet Max Tongate

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Summer Intern Riley Reep tppa@texaspork.org Magazine Contributors Sierra Stephens

PRODUCER CONNECTION Producer Connection is the official publication of the Texas Pork Producers Association and is published by the Texas Pork Producers Association. All inquiries should be directed to the TPPA office.

ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION To place an ad or for advertising rates and guidelines, please contact Texas Pork Producers Association at (512) 262-0595 or tppa@texaspork.org.

FIND US Facebook

Texas Pork Producers Association 4514 Englewood Ave Lubbock, TX 79414 512.262.0595 :: Phone tppa@texaspork.org texaspork.org

Producer Spotlight: Biggs livestock

Programs are made available to pork producers without regard to race, color, sex, religion or national origin. TPPA is an equal opportunity employer.

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Market and Supply Chain Impact of COVID-19 Facts & Talking Points The entire U.S. food supply chain is complex, but the farm-to-fork process for animal proteins, like pork, is especially so: ► First, a lot of different and important stakeholders play a role in bringing pork to consumers.

▪ There are many diverse types of farmers who work together at the farm-level alone (e.g., crop/feed farmers, sow farmers, feeders, etc.).

▪ Beyond that, packers, further processors, wholesale distributors, grocery stores and restaurants are just a few of the interdependent supply chain participants. ► The orders placed by restaurants and grocery stores are based on normal, predictable consumer patterns.

▪ Therefore, it is really hard to make significant, real-time adjustments to address the extreme swings in consumer buying behavior over the last month.

▪ The volume of meat sold at grocery stores increased 78% during the week ending March 22, when compared to the same week in 2019. Meanwhile, restaurant sales decreased 65%. ► It’s also important to understand that farming, regardless of whether it’s raising crops or animals, has a defined lifecycle. The time it takes to raise pigs for pork, for example, cannot fundamentally change without negative ramifications, most importantly, to animal welfare.

Packing Plants

Our food system is considered critical infrastructure, so it’s important we do everything we can to keep our essential employees healthy while also meeting consumer need for food to feed their families.

Our pork packing and processing plants already are some of the most sanitary facilities in the country, but companies also are taking special precautions and have put additional measures in place to help ensure the safety of their workers. ►We know that something challenging our packing plants is access to personal protective equipment for their workers.

▪ Of course, our front-line healthcare response must take precedent, but we also must do whatever possible to increase production of, and access to, PPE for more of our country’s essential workforce.

▪ For example, grocery store workers, convenience store employees, the remaining foodservice workers fulfilling pick-up and delivery orders. ►Even a small reduction in pork processing capacity can have a significant impact on the available pork supply.

▪ For example, just a 5% reduction in capacity – the equivalent of about two average size federally inspected plants going offline – could mean 3.5 million fewer pounds of pork in the marketplace.

The dramatic changes in consumer demand over the last month have significantly impacted pork packing plants. ►During the first few weeks of expanded COVID control measures, plants were asked to ramp up production as consumers started making high-volume, panic-driven trips to the store. ►At the same time, a 65% decrease in restaurant sales significantly impacted demand for product to be served in restaurants.

▪ For example, two-thirds of pork bellies typically go to restaurants either as is for menu items or as bacon for dishes such as burgers or breakfast.

▪ Foodservice packaging is very different than retail packaging, so it is not as easy as simply sending this product to retail instead, where demand remains strong.

Foodservice/Restaurants

► The fine-dining sector, where the experience makes the trip, has been hit hardest, experiencing an 82% sales decrease. ► Casual and mid-scale dining operations are not far behind, with sales losses of 73% and 78% respectively. ► Even quick-service establishments, which are operating at a much more typical level than other segments, have seen a 42% decrease due to reduced breakfast and lunch sales.

Retail/Grocery Stores

During the first weeks of expanded COVID control measures, consumers headed to their grocery stores in high volumes, making panic-driven, stock-up purchases. ► The quantity of meat sold at grocery stores during the week ending March 22 was 78% higher than the same time in 2019 according to IRI data.

▪ That was immediately following a week (ending March 15) that saw a 71% increase and was followed by a week (ending March 29) with 28% percent greater purchases than the prior year. (Source: IRI) Pork products have been popular in consumer grocery carts. ► Ground products continued to be big for the week ending March 29, primarily due to versatility. Ground pork sales specifically were up 29%. ► With Easter, the week ending March 28 saw demand for spiral hams surge 413% versus the year-ago period.

▪ This followed a 622% spike the prior week.

▪ For the four-week period ending March 28, demand was 283% greater than it was in 2019. (Source: Nielsen) Meat often is bought in larger quantities to freeze and use over time. That is truer than ever. ► The COVID-19 situation has resulted in households making 1-2 extra grocery trips per week where they still are purchasing more than average rather than making quick trips. ► Countries experiencing COVID-19 ahead of the U.S. are now experiencing fewer-than-average trips, but large-volume purchases have continued following the initial panic buying, according to joint research by IRI and BCG.

By the numbers Slowdowns and closures at pork processing plants will negatively impact the American food supply, potentially leading to significant animal welfare issues and euthanasia that would result in food waste.

Pigs cannot be held indefinitely; processing plant shutdowns of significant length cause a disruption resulting in permanent removal of these animals from the food supply.

Americans eat 7.5 billion pounds of meat on a monthly basis.

22.93 pounds per person of pork, beef, and poultry (combined) 5.33 lbs. of pork per month 7.07 lbs. of beef per month 10.53 lbs. of poultry

Current U.S cold storage inventory is one third of one month of Americans’ meat demand.

Total meat cold storage inventory is 2.46 billion lbs.

661,660,000 lbs. of pork 490,981,000 lbs. of beef 1,268,275,000 lbs. of poultry

The U.S. pork industry is projected to produce 2.3 billion pounds of pork per month in Q2.

Weekly hog slaughter projected at 2,478,769 pigs Weekly pork production projected at 530,461,538 lbs.

Daily hog slaughter projected at 353,140 pigs Daily pork production projected at 75,572,603 lbs.

A reduction of pork processing capacity means less pork for Americans to consume each day.

5% reduction: 3,469,335 lbs. less pork

10% reduction: 7,304,952 lbs. less pork 15% reduction: 11,140,568 lbs. less pork 20% reduction: 14,976,184 lbs. less pork For reference, on April 13, 2020, the Tyson pork plant in Columbus Junction, IA and the John Morrell Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, SD will both be closed; their suspended operations will vary.

Together these plants represent about 5.8% of US pork production capacity. *Sources: USDA Data, Len Steiner Economic Analysis, Kerns and Associates Economic Analysis

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NATIONAL NEWS NPPC SHINING SPOTLIGHT ON THE NEED FOR LABOR SOLUTIONS As part of the critical U.S. food supply infrastructure, U.S. pork producers are committed to keeping Americans and consumers around the world supplied with nutritious protein. The ongoing U.S. pork industry labor shortage on farms and in plants, now exacerbated by COVID-19, threatens to increase food prices, disrupt the pork supply chain and weaken a critical economic sector for rural America. This past month, NPPC members contacted more than 1,100 lawmakers, USDA officials and other policymakers, urging the reinstatement of TN visa processing in Mexico and asking for expanded agricultural guest worker visa programs that work for livestock agriculture and harvest facilities. A labor shortage in our farm and plant communities means there are good jobs with solid pay and benefits available to qualified individuals. NPPC launched a new social media campaign to highlight that U.S. pork is hiring and needs a larger pool of workers—whether American or foreign-born—to help ensure an uninterrupted supply of U.S. pork to consumers here at home and around the globe. NPPC will continue to work with Congress and the administration to address the labor shortfall on farms and in plants.

three countries failed to exchange letters by the deadline to certify they each met the necessary obligations outlined in the deal. July 1 is now the earliest the deal could go into effect. Once the letters are exchanged, USMCA would go into effect “on the first day of the third month following the last notification,” according to the agreement’s rules.

USMCA provides U.S. pork producers with certainty in two of our largest export markets. In 2019, Canada and Mexico took in over 30 percent of the pork that was exported from the U.S. U.S. pork exports to Canada and Mexico support over 26,900 U.S. pork jobs.

NPPC URGES SBA TO ENSURE AG BUSINESSES CAN ACCESS DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined 30 agriculture organizations in urging the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure agricultural business can participate in the economic disaster loan program included in the CARES Act. SBA posted information on its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program website stating applicants do not qualify for loans if they are an agricultural enterprise (e.g. farm). However, the CARES Act, signed into law last month, does not specifically exclude agriculture from this program. Congress intended for all business fewer than 500 employees to participate, NPPC and the agriculture organizations wrote to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “As part of the critical U.S. food supply infrastructure, U.S. pork producers are committed to keeping Americans and consumers around the world supplied with nutritious protein. To ensure a continued and uninterrupted supply of pork to America’s kitchens, hog farmers must have access to necessary resources, including this vital economic disaster loan program,” said NPPC President Howard “A.V.” Roth, a pork producer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin.

CONGRESS STIMULUS PACKAGE INCLUDES SUPPORT FOR LIVESTOCK AG Congress passed its third stimulus package to aid those sectors of the economy impacted by COVID-19. As part of the funding, $14 billion was provided to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation to help agriculture, as well as a separate appropriation of $9.5 billion for livestock and specialty crops. “There is nothing more essential than food and water. U.S. pork producers can’t telecommute and remain hard at work to provide pork products to American kitchens. But we have already suffered losses due to COVID 19-related concerns,” said NPPC President Howard “A.V.” Roth, a pork producer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin.

NPPC is now focused on making sure this important lifeline is available to all pork producers without payment restrictions. Additionally, NPPC successfully advocated for the stimulus package to include language clarifying that states can issue special permits for overweight vehicles and loads to allow for the efficient movement of pigs, feed and other supplies.

USMCA COUNTRIES MISS NOTIFICATION DEADLINE The U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement won’t go into effect on June 1 as anticipated. Officials from the 10 10

NPPC CANCELS 2020 WORLD PORK EXPO Due to COVID-19 human concerns, NPPC announced on Monday that its board of directors has decided to cancel the 2020 World Pork Expo in June. “While deeply disappointed to cancel this year’s Expo, NPPC’s board of directors unanimously agreed it was prudent to make this decision now,” said NPPC President A.V. Roth. “By eliminating COVID 19-related uncertainty surrounding the event, we allow producers and others across the industry to focus on the essential role we play in the nation’s food supply system at this critical time.” World Pork Expo 2021 is scheduled for June 9-11 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

FDA TEMPORARILY LIFTS VETERINARY REQUIREMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR TELEMEDICINE As part of its commitment and response to the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it plans to temporarily relax certain requirements in order to allow veterinarians to better use telemedicine to address

animal health needs during the pandemic. Specifically, for veterinarians that choose to telework in response to COVID-19, the FDA will allow them to examine animals remotely and if warranted, prescribe medication. To learn more about FDA’s decision, go to www.fda.gov.

U.S. PORK INDUSTRY DEVELOPS FARM CRISIS OPERATIONS PLANNING TOOL NPPC, the Swine Health Information Center, the National Pork Board, and American Association of Swine Veterinarians jointly developed this week a farm crisis operations planning tool to ensure the U.S. pork industry is prepared for any emergency event. “Emergency events such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, public health emergencies or market disruptions can lead to reduced or suspended access to resources needed to manage and care for pigs. First five people to text 830.386.6360 will get a TPPA cap. This can force farmers to deviate from their daily standard operating procedures. “In preparation for these emergency events, it is important for farmers to work with their production team, including their herd veterinarian, to establish site- or operation-specific crisis operating plans that help contribute to business continuity.

This tool highlights key resources and supplies that may be affected during various states of emergency. It can also be used to facilitate discussion and planning for how to anticipate and implement emergency operation plans before the next state of emergency.” To view a copy of the planning tool, go to TPPA’s website, texaspork.org/ resources.

SENATE APPROVES BRASHEARS NOMINATION AT FSIS Recently, the Senate confirmed Dr. Mindy Brashears as under secretary of food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Her nomination was announced in 2018, and she was most recently deputy under secretary of food safety for the agency. NPPC recently joined other agriculture groups in urging Senate leadership to swiftly vote on her nomination.

NPPC HIGHLIGHTS APPROPRIATIONS PRIORITIES Preventing the spread of African swine fever remains NPPC’s top domestic priority. NPPC is working with Congress on appropriations so that funding is available to protect the U.S. swine herd. As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) FY 2021 appropriations funding, NPPC is advocating for funding the National Animal Health Laboratory Network at its $30 million authorization level, as well as full funding for APHIS’ Swine Health Program and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. NPPC also supports increased funding for USDA’s Animal Research Service (ARS) Agricultural Animal Research program, which is critical to detecting, preventing, controlling and treating livestock diseases. NPPC’s other appropriations priorities include: full funding for additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural inspectors, as authorized in the recently passed Protecting America’s Food and

Agriculture Act of 2019, which President Trump signed into law last week; and pursuing appropriations language to require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to coordinate with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the animal protein industries to prevent misleading labeling of plant-based alternative proteins.

NPPC SCORES LEGISLATIVE VICTORY: AG INSPECTORS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW Recently, President Trump signed into law S. 2107, which authorizes funding for 720 new agricultural inspectors at land, air and sea ports to prevent African swine fever (ASF) and other foreign animal diseases (FAD) from entering the United States. Providing additional agricultural inspectors represents a top priority for NPPC. “Ensuring we have enough agricultural inspectors at our borders is critical to maintaining a healthy U.S. swine herd,” said NPPC President David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have done much to mitigate the risk to animal disease. Bolstered by this legislation, even more resources will be available to strengthen biosecurity at our borders. This is a victory for farmers, consumers and the American economy,” he said.

NPPC will work with Congress appropriations to make sure CBP is fully funded to ensure the benefits of S. 2107 are fully realized. S. 2107 also authorizes 600 new agricultural technicians and 60 new agricultural canine teams.

The National Pork Producers Council conducts publicpolicy outreach on behalf of its 43 affiliated state associations, enhancing opportunities for the success of U.S. pork producers and other industry stakeholders by establishing the U.S. pork industry as a consistent and responsible supplier of high-quality pork to the domestic and world markets.

The Strategic Investment Program, is the primary source of funds for the National Pork Producers Council.

By enrolling in SIP, you are assured a seat at the table when decisions are made regarding the future of the U.S. pork industry.

WWW.NPPC.ORG The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkofffunded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through the Pork Checkoff, U.S. pork producers and importers pay $0.40 per $100 of value when pigs are sold and when pigs or pork products are brought into the United States. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and food service, marketing, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management.

For more information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Services at (800) 456-7675 or check the website at www.pork.org.

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Recap of the

National Pork Industry Forum Pork producers around the U.S. gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, at the National Pork Industry Forum March 4 through 6. More than 250 pork producers attended its annual business meeting.

Representing Texas as delegates were Peter Baumert, board member from JBS Live Pork of Dalhart, and Doug Schaefer, President-Elect of TPPA and owner of Schaefer Livestock in Garden City. Speakers included Sal Giunta, Medal of Honor Recipient; Jack Li, Datassential; Tommie Smithers, Walt Disney World; and Greg Ibach, USDA Under Secretary.

At the National Pork Industry Forum, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach announced an African swine fever (ASF) action plan should the swine-only disease be detected in the United Sates. To date, the United States is free of African Swine Fever; prevention remains the number one priority for the National Pork Producers Council. According to the plan, USDA Secretary Perdue would immediately declare an “extraordinary emergency” if ASF was detected in the United States. In doing so, the USDA would be established as the leader of a national, coordinated response to control and eradicate the swine disease, which poses no human health or food safety risks. By declaring an extraordinary emergency, the USDA ensures the availability of funding and other resources to effectively manage response. “We are grateful to Secretary Perdue and Under Secretary Ibach for hearing the concerns of U.S. pork producers,” said David Herring, NPPC

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president and a pork producer from Lillington, North Carolina. “We remain committed to working with the USDA and Customs and Border Protection to keep ASF out of the United States.”

Other elements of the USDA response plan include: • A national stop-movement of pigs order of at least 72-hours with an eye toward restoring movement on a regionalized basis as soon as possible.

• Depopulation efforts aligned with guidance from the American Veterinary Medical Association and in coordination with state animal health officials and the industry.

• Support for carcass disposal in line with regional and local requirements (composting and burial in place identified as preferred options.

• Payments for virus elimination at a uniform, flat rate based on the size of affected premises.

Delegates also passed a resolution reaffirming plans to increase the contribution rate of NPPC’s strategic investment program from 10 cents to 20 cents per $100 of hogs marketed, effective July 1, 2021.

One of three award recepients this year, The National Pork Producers Council joined the National Pork Board in presenting former Texas Pork Producers Association Executive Vice President Ken Horton with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The award, named after former Minnesota and Wisconsin Executive Directors Don Paulson and Rex Whitmore, recognizes the outstanding leadership

and commitment of state pork organization executives.

Horton, who led the Texas Pork Producers Association for 36 years until his retirement in 2013, grew up in south Texas and was active in Future Farmers of America. While attending Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M), he worked at a farrowto-finish enterprise based at a children’s home, where he also counseled children. Soon, he was the farm manager, in charge of all livestock and rowcrop production. Shortly after graduation, he joined the Texas Pork Producers Association as its first fulltime director in 1977.

His first mission at the Texas Pork Producers Association was visiting farms all over the state to generate support for the recently established checkoff. Horton’s ability to listen and empathize with hog farmers’ challenges and successes allowed him to build coalitions across Texas and around the country.

Horton’s achievements included advocacy for common-sense, trucking regulation to facilitate the efficient transport of hogs around the state. He played a major role in educating state lawmakers about pork production practices and was a champion of environmental stewardship.

Recognizing the importance of educating and nurturing the next generation of hog farmers, Horton additionally partnered every year with professors at Texas A&M University to teach high school students about pork production.

“Ken Horton is a well-respected, strong leader for U.S. pork producers who has tirelessly advocated for our industry for more than 35 years,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “He has always been generous with his time, eager to meet with students, lawmakers and anyone with an interest in agriculture to showcase the importance of U.S. pork production.

For his numerous years of service and commitment to ensuring future generations of hog farmers, NPPC and the Pork Board are pleased to present Ken with this well-deserved award.”

At the meeting, Pork Act Delegates ranked 10 candidates for the National Pork Board and submitted the list to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture will select five members from the slate elected by the delegates to fill the roles of outgoing board members effective July 2020. Pork Act Delegates also voted on five advisements. They can be found at porkindustryforum.com and will be reported on at the 2021 forum, to be held March 3 through 5, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.

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The Collected Advantage TPPA Benefit Auction

for the gracious support of our

donors buyers. and

28 Breeders Donating

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Showpig.com has been a cornerstone of our business

Sincere appreciation goes out to the following donors!

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Armstrong Genetics Brockman Farms Cornerstone Ventures Crossroads Genetics DL Showpigs Duelm’s Prevailing Genetics Foote Farms Genetic Edge Boar Stud Heimer Hampshires HF Genetics Hofschulte Genetics Knauth + Olson Boars Lackey Livestock Lean Value Sires

their marketing and sales platforms to be unmatched in quality and exposure. The staff is extremely professional and always very prompt in their communications.

We look forward to many more years of continued partnership with Showpig.com as they have proven to be a time-tested positive return on our investment for advertising and marketing plans.”

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CONTACT A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM TODAY! KATEY BRATTAIN

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68 Participating Bidders $11,803.50 Raised

EMILY MILLER

emily@thewendtgroup.com Phone: (419) 575-5999

TAYLOR MILLER

taylor@thewendtgroup.com Phone: (419) 822-1796

STACEY WATJE

stacey@thewendtgroup.com Phone: (209) 604-2542

Mauck Show Hogs MB Genetics Newcastle Genetics Real Hog Farms Real McCoy Genetics RW Genetics Stohlquist Showpigs Thomas Showpigs Top Cut Sires Underdog Genetics Upperhand Genetics WD Swine Farm West Texas Genetics Wintex Farms

All proceeds from this annual sale support the Texas Pork Producer Association’s non-checkoff programs and scholarship fund. By supporting this auction you aren’t just buying semen, you are allowing TPPA to continue important public policy initiatives and help the youth of the pork industry achieve their goals and ultimately contribute to the lasting success of our industry.

Texas Pork Producers Association | www.texaspork.org 15

2019-2020 National Pork Board

VALUES

Board of Directors

PURPOSE

A Letter from Your President:

2019

STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES OBJECTIVES KPIs

Annual Report

David Newman President Jonesboro, Arkansas

Michael Skahill Vice President Williamsburg, Virginia

Gene Noem Treasurer Ames, Iowa

WORK PLANS BUDGETS

RESULTS Steve Rommereim

Gary Asay

Deb Ballance

Past President Alcester, South Dakota

Osco, Illinois

Fremont, North Carolina

Rich Deaton

Todd Erickson

Pat FitzSimmons

New Madison, Ohio

Northwood, North Dakota

Dassel, Minnesota

Consumer-focused, producer-led Photo courtesy of U.S. Pork Center of Excellence

We are driven to meet consumer expectations, guided by producers.

Trustworthy We do what we say we’ll do.

Integrity We do what’s right for people, pigs and the planet.

Passionate

Heather Hill

Bill Luckey

Russ Nugent

Greenfield, Indiana

Columbus, Nebraska

Lowell, Arkansas

Alicia Pedemonti

Scott Phillips

Bill Tentinger

Hopkinton, New Hampshire

Drexel, Missouri

LeMars, Iowa

We care deeply about what we do, and we keep working to do it better.

Agile We are focused, flexible, and we lead through change.

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EXPORT MARKETS

From Show Rings to Pig Barns

2019 Milestones Protecting Animal Health Remaining Vigilant Against the Threat of African Swine Fever Last Aug. 6 marked the one-year anniversary of China first acknowledging the presence of African swine fever (ASF) in its herds. The disease has devastated nearly half of China’s pig herd and has spread to over 50 countries.

The U.S. pork industry and other partners diligently worked to keep it from U.S. herds last year and into 2020.

The Pork Checkoff has taken a leading role in collaborating with multiple government and industry partners to protect the United States from ASF. Primary partners in this effort include USDA, the National Pork Producers Council, the North American Meat Institute, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Swine Health Information Center and the American Feed Industry Association.

The pork industry’s response to ASF falls into four main areas: Research, education, prevention and preparedness.

Secure Pork Supply Plan Moves Ahead Development of the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plan continued in 2019, with producers urged to take part.

The SPS plan will potentially make it easier for participating pork premises to move healthy animals in disease control areas to processing or to another pork premises under a movement permit issued by regulatory officials.

For details, go to securepork.org.

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pork.org

securepork.org

PQA Plus®: Making a Good Thing Better

Focus on Alternative Pork Production

To help keep African swine fever at bay, the Checkoff debuted a biosecurity toolkit for youth and exhibitions.

Fact sheets, brochures, videos and more can be found at pork.to/showpig.

The Checkoff and the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence also shared the importance of biosecurity basics at last summer’s The Exposition pig show in Des Moines, Iowa.

An updated Pork Quality Assurance® Plus program debuted in June, with an ongoing focus on continuous improvement on the farm. There are now two training options: One for first-time training and one for recertification.

PQA Plus ranks include 72,000 producers.

The Checkoff and the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence offered new and updated resources for producers using alternative pork production.

Producers also networked with each other and picked up tips from industry experts at several events, including the 2019 Carolina Meat Conference, sponsored by the Checkoff and the North Carolina Pork Council.

Data-driven Proof Supports Progress

■ Countries with ASF The long list of aggressive actions includes sharing critical on-farm biosecurity information, assisting USDA with the introduction of the Secure Pork Supply plan, conducting “what-if” drills, producing educational materials and checklists for producers, distributing the Foreign Animal Disease Bulletin and funding research projects ($2.63 million since 2015). For more details, go to pork.org/fad.

As of 2.13.20

Responsible Antibiotic Use Top Priority U.S. Pork Industry Guide to the Secure Pork Supply Plan

Youth Reminded of Biosecurity Basics

Mid-November’s U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week and World Antibiotic Awareness Week spotlighted pig farmers’ dedication to using antibiotics responsibly as outlined in the best practices found in the Pork Quality Assurance® Plus program. An estimated 300 groups participated, including federal agencies, health departments, professional societies, corporations and advocacy groups.

Last year, the Pork Checkoff invested $400,000 to study antimicrobial resistance and on-farm antibiotic use. Over the last five years, the Checkoff funded $2.5 million in antibiotic research projects.

Producers’ Recommit to We CareSM

Ammonia Emissions Decline on Pig Farms*

In 2019, America’s pig farmers produced data to show their continuing commitment to adhering to the pork industry’s six We CareSM ethical principles. The initiative builds on the culture of continuous improvement and demonstrates producers’ dedica® tion to providing the safest, highest quality pork products in the world.

The Pork Checkoff is advancing the industry’s decade-long focus on We Care by providing proof of responsible production through research and other means to increase consumer trust. As part of this, the porkcares.org website was completely revamped and a new sustainability report released.

A new environmental study found that pig farms generate less manure nutrient content associated with odor. More than 106,000 samples from 182 North Carolina farms showed significant reductions Reduced nutrient content in ammonia levels and manure nutrient content, which was in manure lagoons on sow attributed to feed efficiency farms gains. The Checkoff-funded study was conducted by Harper Reduced nutrient content Consulting in consultation with Southern Utah University. The in manure lagoons on findings likely can be replicatfinishing farms ed across the country because farmers have adopted better Reduced ammonia levels genetics, targeted nutrition and greater veterinary care.

17-68% 35-78% 22-54%

We Care Ethical Principles

Food Safety

Animal Well-Being

Environment

Public Health

Our People

Our Communities

usda.gov

Harper LA. Changes in Ammonia Emissions from North Carolina Swine Lagoons Associated with Improved Production Management. Pork Checkoff. Aug. 1, 2019. https:// www.pork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/18-205-HARPER-final-rpt.pdf

*

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Digital Engagement Scores Operation Main Street Hits Historic Mark

10,000th

Pork Advocates Connect Dots America’s Pig Farmer of the YearSM Chris Hoffman, a pork producer from McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, was named the 2019 America’s Pig Farmer of the YearSM. The first-generation farmer is an ag industry leader who is committed to raising pigs following the We CareSM ethical principles and to connecting with consumers. Nearly 150 media stories reaching a combined audience of more than 53 million people shared Hoffman’s – and that of the nation’s producers – sustainability story.

Youth Ambassadors Share Facts about Pork “Is pork healthy for my family?” “How are pigs cared for on your farm?” “What is pork’s carbon footprint?” The Pig Farmers of Tomorrow used their platform as pork industry spokespeople to answer consumer questions like these through social media. The 2019 class members are Bailee Arnold, North Carolina; Ben Luebbering, Missouri; and Ben Wikner, Iowa. The trio participated in industry events and shared their enthusiasm for pig farming through 12 blog posts and 12 Instagram “takeovers” using the #RealPigFarming platform.

Pig Farmers Open Doors, Dispel Myths The Checkoff invited 60 registered dietitians, food bloggers, chefs, public health officials and channel partners onto farms last year to dispel myths about how pigs are raised. The visits paid off, demonstrated by an influential blogger who toured the Illinois farm of Phil Borgic (right), and wrote, “Pig farming today is an industry full of farmers who are dedicated to respectful animal care, sustainability and continuous improvement.”

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The Operation Main Street (OMS) presentation was delivered by Illinois veterinarian Wesley Lyons. He shared pig farmers’ commitment to We CareSM – including responsible antibiotic use and strict biosecurity measures – at the Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Fall Forum.

4 out of 10 OMS presentations in 2019 were

made to veterinary, pre-vet, nutrition/culinary schools, grocery associations, foodservice, dietetic associations, chefs and other influencers.

1,500

Since OMS’s 2004 debut, nearly trained OMS speakers, from 48 states and including 142 veterinarians, have volunteered 62,490 hours to tell pork’s story to audiences.

36.4 million U.S. consumers to date have

heard positive messages about pig farming through the OMS program’s media outreach.

Innovation, New Technology Unlock New Potential Blockchain’s Potential to Industry Explored The Checkoff collaborated with Ripe Technology Inc. to pilot blockchain use in the U.S. pork industry.

Through the partnership, ripe.io will create a system that lets producers monitor, evaluate and improve sustainability practices that are part of We CareSM. The technology can provide proof points that support We Care and help answer consumers’ questions about how their food was raised.

Audiences Tour Farms through Virtual Videos The Pork Checkoff and South Dakota State University (SDSU) joined forces in 2019 so more people can see how pigs are kept comfortable and well fed in climatecontrolled barns. Operation Main Street speakers can include a virtual video tour of SDSU’s state-of-the-art Swine Education and Research Center in Brookings.

The SDSU teaching center features all phases of pig production and the latest technology.

Last year, the Checkoff partnered with YouTube influencers to produce 59 videos, all of which touched on the nutrition and the cooking temperature of fresh pork. The videos collectively generated over 16.4M views. The Checkoff leveraged the credibility that the influencers have with their diverse audiences to amplify priority message points about pork nutrition and the proper endpoint cooking temperature. The videos can be found in playlists on the National Pork Board’s YouTube page.

Two videos with health and nutrition messages that the Checkoff produced were used as YouTube advertisements. They collected 18.6M combined views, while all Checkoff video ads for 2019 generated 76.3M total views. The Checkoff also continued to tout pork’s strong nutrition profile to consumers through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Finally, a paid search campaign directed consumers actively looking for pork nutritional information to pork.org to ensure that they found accurate data.

The average cost per view for the Pork Checkoff’s YouTube advertising was 3 cents, with 76.3M total video views.

Heart-Healthy Pork video 14M views Top-Viewed YouTube Influencer Partnership Videos: 1) Trav and Cor (June): 4.63M views

2) Good Mythical Morning (June): 2.97M views 3) Binging with Babish (May): 2.55M views

4) Binging with Babish (December): 1.98M views

5) Good Mythical Morning (November): 1.80M views 6) Josh Peck (November): 1.43M views

Checkoff Hosts Swine Innovation Summit The Checkoff’s first-ever Swine Innovation Summit, held last fall in Indianapolis, gave pork producers a glimpse of the world of tech startup companies and offered five pork-focused startups the opportunity to present their ideas to pig farmers. The event helped the envelopepushing companies better understand real-world challenges facing producers.

For more than a year, the Checkoff has worked with SVG Ventures-THRIVE. The Silicon Valleybased network of leading agriculture, food and technology corporations, universities and investors has a community of more than 2,000 startups from 82 countries. SVG THRIVE, which invests in startups so they can grow, has explored what innovation looks like from a startup perspective for the pork industry.

The Pork Board’s effort to build a relationship is important to help ensure that the significant network and venture capital represented by SVG THRIVE is applied to help solve pork industry issues.

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Ground-Breaking Consumer Research Insights to Action The Pork Checkoff’s Insights to Action consumer research is living up to its name. The three consumer reports, described below, have sparked significant engagement from packers, processors, retailers and foodservice operators. The Pork Checkoff’s domestic marketing team has responded to inquiries from its channel partners about how they can use the data to elevate their marketing decisions and to better serve their customers and drive demand for pork.

U.S. Pork Exports Finish 2019 Strong Setting New Records In 2019, U.S. pork exports set new value and volume records, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Pork exports accounted for 26.9% of total 2019 U.S. pork production.

The Pork Checkoff continued to work last year with the USMEF to promote U.S. pork to both developed and emerging markets. For example, U.S. pig farmers shared their We CareSM sustainability story with key customers in Colombia and learned more about export opportunities to the growing market. The National Pork Board partnered with the USMEF on the trade mission.

Pork 2040: Focus on China Three comprehensive consumer research reports released last year gave the Pork Checkoff and its channel partners a clearer vision of how to better meet consumer needs and grow their businesses. The Pork Checkoff’s Insights to Action research dug into the what’s and why’s of dining choices and identified opportunities for the pork industry to adapt, innovate and capitalize on trends and needs. Topline highlights of the extensive reports include: • Dinner at Home in America – Identifying nine in-home dining occasions, such as solo dining or celebrating with extended family, this report focused on marketing opportunities for retailers and packers.

• All About Dining Out: What’s on Trend – Out-of-home dining decisions were the focus of this report, with tactics to help foodservice operators incorporate more pork on menus.

• Time to Tango: Latinos Are Pork’s Future – The report outlines how to grow the key Hispanic market, which is nearly 60-million strong. Hispanics’ keen affinity for pork and their massive collective buying power offer endless opportunities for pork.

About 60 million people of Hispanic origin live in the United States, with that number expected to grow to more than 125 million by 2050.

Nine at-home dining occasions offer opportunities for pork.

A new report dug into the growing protein needs facing China in the short- and long-term, and how U.S. pork can position itself to meet that demand. China, the world’s largest domestic pork market, feeds 1.3 billion people. China consumes about 50% of global pork supplies, significantly influencing the worldwide price and availability of pork.

The report, Pork 2040: China Market Assessment, also looked at the impact of African swine fever (ASF) on China’s protein needs and how the Chinese pork industry will change as a result. The Pork Board also created a free marketing toolkit, which includes ideas that U.S. pork exporters can use to build their business in China.

Go to pork.org/reports to view the study, conducted by Gira, a global research firm, with Pork Checkoff and USDA Foreign Agricultural Services Emerging Markets Program (EMP) funds. The Checkoff also collaborated with the USMEF and the National Pork Producers Council on the report.

TOP PORK-PRODUCING COUNTRIES The U.S. produces 12% of the world’s pork.

1 2 3 CHINA

E.U.

© 2020 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More than

53.

$

U.S.

51

of value per hog comes from these markets

Others

$10.01

Japan

11.73

$

S. Korea

In 2019, export value averaged $53.51 for every U.S. hog marketed.

4.56

$

China/HK

Canada

11.20

$

6.17

$

Mexico

9.84

$

© 2020 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Meat Export Federation. Based on Jan-Dec 2019 data.

2019 TOTAL U.S. PORK EXPORTS

5.89

BILLION POUNDS

of pork & pork variety meat

© 2020 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Meat Export Federation. Based on Jan-Dec 2019 data.

In 2019, the value of U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports surpassed

6.95 BILLION

$

© 2020 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Meat Export Federation. Based on Jan-Dec 2019 data.

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Revenue and Expenditure During 2019, pork producers invested 40 cents for each $100 of the market value of pigs. The National Pork Board ended 2019 with gross revenues of $84.6 million, total spending of $74 million and an operating surplus of $10.6 million.

The Pork Board allocates Pork Checkoff funds according to pork producer priorities determined through various methods. In 2019, 63% of Pork Checkoff funds were allocated for national promotion programs, 28% for national research and education programs and 9% for national consumer information programs.

The Pork Act mandates that a percentage of Checkoff funds be returned to state pork producer associations for their promotion, research and consumer information programs. The Pork Act delegate body determines the percentage returned to each state, with 20% of all market deductions returned to states in 2019.

Balance Sheet ASSETS Cash and Short-Term Investments Accounts Receivable/Other Assets CURRENT ASSETS Non-current Assets TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES Accounts Payable Research Grants Payable Long-Term – Pork Trademarks TOTAL LIABILITIES Reserve Balance Designated Undesignated TOTAL FUND BALANCE TOTAL LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCE

Statement of Revenues and Expenses

REVENUE Market Deductions Other: Program Income, Interest, etc.

TOTAL REVENUE EXPENSES Domestic Marketing and International Trade Science and Technology Communications Shareholder Outreach Policy and Management State Funding/PASLWOCO (pigs across state lines without change of ownership) Interest Expense TOTAL EXPENSES TOTAL (DEFICIT) SURPLUS FOR PERIOD

Audited 2018 (000)

Unaudited 2019 (000)

$44,681 1,065 45,746 3,284 $49,030

$50,243 4,221 54,464 2,404 $56,868

$9,164 6,826 3,000 18,990

$9,418 6,854 – 16,272

– 30,040 30,040 $49,030

– 40,596 40,596 $56,868

Audited 2018 (000)*

Unaudited 2019 (000)

$72,926 4,147 77,073

$77,663 6,961 84,624

27,572 13,330 4,684 5,200

28,029 12,590 4,844 6,018

7,761

7,966

14,549

14,541

861 73,957 $3,116

91 74,068 $10,556

* Excludes Non-Operating Asset Intangible Loss of $18,362,987

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Medium-Rare* 145-150°F

2020 Budget Allocation

Medium 150-155°F

● Projects: Add Value (67%) $28,098,000 ● Projects: Build Trust (15%)

$6,449,000

● Producer Services (8%)

$3,310,000

● Program Support (6%)

$2,631,000

● Communications (3%)

$1,183,000

Total

Medium-Well 155-160°F

$41,671,000

2020 Pork Checkoff Budget Expense Summary* Build Trust: Animal Well-Being Public Health and Food Safety Environment Our People Community Add Value: Swine Health and Production Domestic Marketing International Marketing Technology and Innovation Risks and Opportunities Human Nutrition Program: Domestic Marketing Strategy and Innovation International Marketing Science and Technology Sustainability Communications Producer/State Engagement Support Services Administration Management Oversight

1.0 1.4 2.2 1.8 0.1

Well 160°F

TOTAL: $63 Million

4.5 11.0 9.8

Chops, steaks and roasts are best enjoyed at an internal cooking temperature of 145°F with a 3 min. rest.*

1.3 0.6 0.9 3.2 2.0 0.7 2.5 1.5 3.6 5.3 4.4 3.3 1.9

pork.org/temperature *Guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service.

*In millions

texaspork.org

© 2019 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Checkoff Program.

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The most recent data from the USDA Retail Price survey indicated that retail bacon features are still pricing bacon between $4.80 and $5.20 per pound. A regression model of the last 20 years would suggest that a belly price of around 38 cents would correspond to a retail feature price under $2 per pound. The feature opportunities are tremendous, even if the current low belly price does not last. If belly prices were to double from current levels, to 80-cent bellies for example, the corresponding retail price would still be around $3.50 per pound.

We estimate that derind pork belly production in Q2 will be a little over 900 million pounds. A 50% drop in foodservice demand would imply an excess 300 million pounds of derind bellies in Q2 alone.

Economic Analysis:

How Challenging Times May Impact Retail Bacon Sales Just a few weeks ago, foodservice operators were “all-in” on breakfast. Menus expanded to include all-day offerings and quick-service chains were competing for early-hour customers. According to NPD Group, quickservice traffic was up 4% for the week ending March 8, largely due to breakfast marketing. But COVID-19 has suddenly and drastically changed both foodservice and retail as more people eat at home. How will that change the breakfast wars for foodservice? And how should retailers adapt?

Some operators have already announced changes to their menus in response to a decline in traffic after Americans are staying home to reduce the spread of COVID-19. McDonald’s, for example, is pulling its all-day breakfast menu, as well as some of its less-popular items, to simplify its operations. Instead of advertising its new breakfast menu, Wendy’s is spending some of its marketing dollars on support for franchisees. Meanwhile, as consumers shift from breakfast on the go to breakfast at home, retailers are seeing increased consumer demand for breakfast items. As a result, the prices for common breakfast items, like eggs and orange juice, have spiked.

These changes are also likely to impact other popular breakfast ingredients, such as bacon. According to Datassential and Steiner Consulting statistics, foodservice operators used more than 1.9 billion pounds of bacon in 2018, which represented about two-thirds of all the pork belly output for the year.

Consumers are now eating at home more across all dayparts, and all categories of foodservice are moving to carry out and delivery models. So we took a look at how these changes are anticipated to impact bacon prices in the months ahead.

the best pork belly buying opportunity in decades According to Datassential, about three-fourths of all the foodservice bacon demand comes from quick service restaurants (fast food), the bulk of which are chains with more than 250 stores. With more than 90 percent of Americans now under stay-at-home orders, fast food sales have seen significant declines. There is an opportunity, as well as an absolute need, for processors and retail operators to pivot. Markets are offering plenty of incentives for that to happen.

On March 31, USDA reported the value of the pork belly primal at $38/cwt — a level not seen since December 1998. And when adjusted for inflation, a $38 belly in 1998 is the equivalent of $60/cwt today. Pork belly prices traded under $30/cwt in the early 1980s but in inflation-adjusted terms, prices today are far lower.

In other words, the current wholesale pork belly market is offering the best featuring opportunity of our lifetimes.

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We know bacon love is off the charts. Our Insight to Action data found about 60% of consumers say they love eating it. With the changes we’re seeing in bacon economics, we recommend retailers take advantage of this opportunity to pivot and meet consumers where they are now — consuming their meals around the breakfast table rather than in their cars and work desks.

looking beyond bacon As with bellies, pork trim is currently trading at an extremely attractive level. The latest price quoted for 42CL pork trim was under $20/cwt, 53% lower than the same period a year ago and the lowest price so far this year.

The value of 72CL pork trim was last pegged at $53/cwt, 34% lower than the previous year. Trim supplies are expected to run about 6% higher than a year ago in Q2 and low prices for some pork cuts could result in even more pork trim available.

Packers may soon find that the price of some cuts is under the value of trim and thus divert product to the grinder.

The most recent value of bone-in hams, for instance, was quoted at $37/cwt. Even when accounting for the removal of bone, the grinding value of hams is now under $50/cwt, which could result in significantly more supply available.

Bottom line: supplies of pork available for breakfast items are plentiful. Price points and margin opportunities are some of the best in decades. Retailers have a tremendous opportunity to meet consumers’ breakfast needs at a significantly reduced price.

How are your retail offerings changing, and how are you innovating to support your customers? Let us know.

We’d love to hear from you and learn how we can continue to support you through this unprecedented time. *From the Pork Checkoff’s Insight to Action Newsletter - Provided by Steiner Consulting Group

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PORK:

PORK:

Good for the planet

Good for you

U.S. pork’s sustainability keeps improving

pork is a delicious, healthy protein

24G

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEAN PORK

protein

3oz

PORK LOIN = 159 CALORIES PORK SIRLOIN = 173 CALORIES PORK TENDERLOIN1 = 122 CALORIES

6 TABLESPOONS 11/2 CUPS OF COOKED OF PEANUT BUTTER BLACK BEANS

PRESERVES LEAN MUSCLE TO HELP MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS2 EXCELLENT SOURCE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS1

compared to other proteins

4 HARD-BOILED EGGS

®

THIAMIN, PHOSPHORUS, ZINC, SELENIUM NIACIN, B6, B12

75.9 % % 75.9Land

Improvements Per Pound of Pork Produced

LESS

LESS

Land

564 CALORIES 1 2

342 CALORIES

312 CALORIES

7.0 % % 7.0 Energy

LESS

28

Medium-Rare*

Medium

Medium-well

well

145-150°F

150-155°F

155-160°F

160°F

© 2019 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

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#03094 9/19

Carbon

Over the decades, America’s pig farmers have made dramatic improvements in how they raise pigs:

Over the decades, America’s pig farmers have made dramatic improvements in how they raise pigs:

*145°F with a 3-minute rest provides the optimal eating experience and is the minimum safe internal cooking temperature provided by USDA’s Food Safety & Inpsection Service.

Water LESS

LESS

SIRLOIN, TENDERLOIN

For delicious results, cook to 145°F!

LESS

7.7 % % 7.7 Carbon

Energy

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, April 2018 Kim, J. E., O’Connor, L. E., Sands, L. P., Slebodnik, M. B., & Campbell, W. W. (2016). Effects of dietary protein intake on body composition changes after weight loss in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, 74(3), 210–224.

LESS

(1960-2015)

LESS

CERTIFIED HEART-HEALTHY

25.1% % 25.

1 Water

Data Source: A Retrospective Assessment of U.S. Pork Production: 1960 to 2015, Univ. of Arkansas, National Pork Board, 2018.

Effective measures

combine to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. pork’s carbon footprint.

Effective measures

combine to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. pork’s How crops carbon footprint.are raised

How crops How pigs are raised are fed Enhanced protection from harsh weather and predators

Better genetics and animal care

© 2019 National Iowa USA. Enhanced protection fromPork Board, Des Moines, Better genetics This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff. harsh weather and predators and animal care

Improved crops to better match animals' needs

Improved crops to better #03094 9/19 match animals' needs

How nutrients How pigs are recycled are fed

How nutrients are recycled

For more information, go to pork.org.

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Texas Department of Agriculture Officials Help Celebrate Opening of New I O Ranch Processing Plant in Evant New facility available to growers, direct marketers and the public EVANT, TEXAS (March 9, 2020) -- Filling a major void in USDA inspected, custom red meat processing for the growing farmto-table movement in the region, I O Ranch Processing, LLC, opened its doors on February 10th in Evant, Texas. They process beef, lamb, goats, and hogs, primarily catering to the growers/direct marketers that sell meat from the animals they raise. They will also process animals for the general public.

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller said, “I am excited to see I O Ranch Processing build this beautiful, modern plant in Central Texas. As Texans become more interested in buying locally produced meats directly from Texas ranchers, this plant will help satisfy this growing demand while putting more of the food dollar directly back into producers’ pockets, helping sustain more Texas family farms.”

There has been an increased demand for locally grown meat the last 10 to 15 years, and a growing number of ranchers wanting to fill this demand. However, there haven’t been enough USDA or Texas inspected plants in the state to fill the void. Even the smaller “custom exempt” plants spread across the state stay booked for months. A custom exempt plant can process animals for customers, but the meat cannot be sold after it leaves that facility. To sell meat, the animals must be processed at a Texas inspected plant that is fully 30

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inspected to sell within the state, or a USDA inspected plant to pretty much sell anywhere in the U.S. or internationally. Unlike custom exempt plants, a fully inspected plant has inspectors on site during operations, where animals are inspected live upon arrival, and then throughout the process. The USDA even has their own office in the new I O Ranch facility and has access to the plant 24/7.

The company is run by managing partner, Jeff Ruyle, who has been in the grass fed lamb business the last 10 years, selling lamb grown on his family’s Lampasas County ranch to Austin farm-to-table restaurants, and directly to customers of Austin farmers markets. Ruyle first went into the lamb business with the intent of selling online and sold product around the nation. “I wanted to be the Omaha Steaks of grass-fed lamb”, Ruyle said. “However, I found out there is a much stronger market to sell Texas-grown meat right here in Texas to fellow Texans.”

Ruyle laughed when one of his customers, nationally acclaimed chef Bryce Gilmore of the lauded Barley Swine and Odd Duck restaurants in Austin, suggested he build a processing plant six years ago to help provide more options for the farm-to-table growers.

However, he wasn’t laughing three years later when his processor doubled his processing price in one day. He went looking for other options but could not get an appointment at other plants due to long wait times. Another problem was some smaller processors focus on deer during deer season.

“That can be hard for someone needing to sell their meat year-round,” Ruyle said. “Having been a customer of plants the last ten years, we knew what customers were wanting from their processor.

That’s how the plant was designed and built, with the customer’s needs and wants in mind.”

Processing plants are very special purpose buildings and build. That’s probably why there hasn’t been one of this type built in fact that Ruyle wanted to put his plant in a small community, and most help. However, I O Ranch Processing will create over 20 jobs in the Evant, a town of about 400 people, in the middle of central Texas. have benefits, such as company-paid health insurance.

Because of the job creation, the plant was eligible for a USDA loan guarantee. “I was stunned when the results from the USDA feasibility study projected this business could have a $5,000,000 benefit to the community,” Ruyle said. “It’s amazing how you can put and the amount of economic benefit will multiply in the area. We have reaching out to us that have been wanting to get into the meat business unable to grow their business due to the processing situation. We’re be here to help and serve others.”

are expensive to decades. Add the lenders couldn’t community of Those jobs also Rural Development Loan Department’s annual economic a business in place, also had ranchers but have been pleased and proud to

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TPPA spreads the message of FORK MORE PORK! On the busy weekend of March 6-7, the TPPA staff and volunteers were in the food capitol of Texas firing up the grills for an event known as BBQ Austin! With the great weather and even better pork, it was an impressive turnout of 20,000+ BBQ enthusiasts!

A huge thank you goes out to Glen and Jane for hauling the Pork Checkoff’s food trailer down to Texas and all of their efforts in setting up and doing a phenomenal job on the grill preparing so much product. Speaking of which, Team Pork cooked and served up 300 pounds of pork loin and 200 pounds of sausage to go with several thousand tortillas!

Working the educational tent speaking with consumers was the wonderful crew of Florence FFA, Mikaela Loerwald, Kailee Hilton, and Missy Rosenbusch, plus Blinn students Bryce Mann and Sierra Reynolds. Also playing a big role in setup, serving and visiting with the public was Kaleb Herfurth of Marion FFA. Covering a variety of topics from cooking and nutrition, to production practices and general swine information, the students were sure to inform consumers they are eating the world’s safest and highest quality food supply.

We also really appreciate everything the Rodeo Austin Junior Leaders and Alli Gunn did to spread the message of #ForkMorePork!

This year, TPPA served as a sponsor of the Junior Pit Master Competition, an awesome way for the youth to showcase their expertise on how to properly and successfully cook pork chops. They’re inch and a half thick, bone-in, center-cut loin chops looked awesome!

We are grateful to Barret Klein, of Klein Smokehaus, for custom cutting the chops, making the sausage and helping gather up all the product. It was a tremendous event!

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Pork Shoulder

So versatile but underutilized If you’re a fan of pork stews, carnitas and pulled pork, then pork shoulder is a cut that’s already on your radar.

It’s one of the best bets when you need to feed a crowd and it’s one of the most inexpensive cuts. And yet, the pork shoulder is often underutilized. Typically it’s either coming off the smoker or out of our crockpot; however, it also adapts well to other methods of preparation, creating different flavors. You can not only grill, pan fry, smoke, or bake at low or high temperatures, but also slow cook in the crockpot, pressure cook more quickly in your instant pot, or braise. While we encourage you to break out of the normal routine and try different cooking methods, you should also break up the roast into steaks or chunks and try some new refreshing recipes!

Although some stores carry shoulder steaks, you probably won’t find shoulder steaks packaged and ready to go at your local grocery store. But you will find a pork shoulder roast. The shoulder primal is broken down to two cuts, the pork butt, aka Boston Butt, or the picnic shoulder. Although either could be cooked, the cut you’ll more like want to opt for is the butt. It’s a thick, meaty cut with a higher fat content and is well marbled. The pork butt is typically sold in large portions intended for slow cooking but you can ask the butcher behind the meat counter to cut into steaks or transform the roast to a steak yourself with just a sharp knife.

#ForkMorePork 34

SHOULDER STEAKS Season the steaks liberally with coarse salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning. No need to marinate but you can with Worcestershire sauce or your special blend.

Throw them on the grill! Preheat to 450-500F. Place the meat on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until charred and the internal temperature reaches at least 145 F. Let the meat rest for 3-5 minutes.

You have 2 options for cooking in the oven: ▪ Roast at higher temperature: 400 F for around 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145 F. ▪ Rroast at lower temperature: 325 F for 40-60 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145 F.

A great thing about cooking shoulder is there’s more flexibility on cooking times and temperatures; it will not dry out as quickly as some other cuts because if the fat content.

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HAITIAN PORK GRIOT Pork griot (pronounced gree-oh) is one of Haiti’s most loved dishes, and it’s easy to see why. Big chunks of pork shoulder are marinated in citrus and Scotch bonnet chiles, then simmered until very tender before being fried crisp and brown. This recipe departs from the traditional in that instead of frying the meat, it’s broiled. The pork still gets charred edges and bronzed surface, but broiling is easier and less messy to do. However feel free to fry if the skillet calls out to you. And do make the traditional cabbage, carrot and chile pepper pickle called pikliz (pick-lees) for serving, which gives the rich meat just the right spicy-vinegar punch.

SCHWEINEBRATEN A german pork roast, either the boston butt or picnic shoulder. You can keep the skin on (score if you do) or go skinless, which is more often seen in these parts.

Traditionally served with potato dumplings, cabbage or sauerkraut.

▪4 lbs boneless pork shoulder ▪6 cloves of garlic ▪1 tbsp cumin ▪2 tsp caraway seeds ▪3 tbsp coarse sea salt ▪2 tsp ground black pepper ▪2 12 oz dark beer 1- Turn the oven on to 350 F. 2- Combine seasonings; there are different variations the Germans suggest 3- Score the pork shoulder fat cap/skin. Rub it well on all sides with the seasonings mix and place it in a roasting pan with a rack. Make sure that the pork is level, especially if it has the skin on (better crackling will develop).

You can place garlic cloves underneath the meat to even it out and achieve a level top surface.

4- Roast the pork shoulder in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Just before taking it out peel and dice all the vegetables in 1 inch or so cubes.

5- Place the vegetables around the meat and pour the two beers over them and the meat.

6- Put the pork roast and the vegetables back in the oven and roast for 1 and a half more hours. About half way through check to see if the liquid is getting low. If so, add a bit more beer or a little bit of water. Baste the vege tables with the pan juices and continue to roast.

7- You may need to roast a little longer than the total of 2.5 hours - check the internal temperature of the meat if it is 155 F in the center, the pork shoulder is cooked.

8- Remove the pork from the pan and let rest on a cutting board before slicing.

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▪1 small Scotch bonnet or habanero chile ▪1 medium onion, diced ▪1 small green bell pepper, diced ▪1 small red bell pepper, diced ▪¼ cup fresh chopped Italian parsley, more for serving ▪1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste ▪1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper ▪6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more thyme leaves for serving ▪2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ▪¼ cup cane vinegar or cider vinegar ▪Juice of 1 orange ▪Juice of 1 lemon ▪Juice of 1/2 lime ▪1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ▪3 pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks ▪2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil, more as needed 1- Quarter the chile and remove the seeds and membranes. Finely chop one quarter; leave the rest in whole pieces. Handle pieces carefully, they are extremely hot.

2- Transfer quartered and chopped chiles to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. Add onion, bell peppers, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Stir in vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in pork. Cover pot and refrigerate overnight.

3- The next day, remove from refrigerator at least 1 hour and no more than 3 hours before cooking. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Place pot over high heat and bring liquid to a simmer; cover and put pot in oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4- Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from pot, allowing all excess liquid to drip back into the pot and picking any bits of vegetables or herbs off the meat. Transfer meat to a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle meat with 2 tablespoons oil and salt to taste, and toss gently to coat.

5- Strain braising liquid, discarding any solids. Return sauce to pot and simmer over high heat until reduced by about half, about 25 7- To serve, drizzle meat with additional oil and top to 30 minutes. with sauce, parsley and thyme leaves. Serve on a 6- Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Broil meat, tossing occasionally, until meat is evenly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. bed of rice with pikliz on the side.

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We Care Care We

SM SM

Ethical Principles Principles Ethical U.S. pork producers recognize our obligation to build and U.S. pork producers and maintain the trust ofrecognize customersour andobligation the publicto inbuild our products maintain trust ofTo customers and the public in our and ourthe practices. promote confidence in what we products do and and our practices.

To promote confidence in what we do and how we do it, we affirm the following ethical principles. how we do it, we affirm the following ethical principles.

®

®

Food Safety: Food Safety: We affirm our obligation to produce safe food.

We affirm our obligation to produce safe food.

Animal Well-Being: Animal Well-Being: We affirm our obligation to protect and promote animal

We affirm our obligation to protect and promote animal well-being. well-being.

Environment: We affirm our obligation to safeguard natural resources Environment: in all of our practices.

We affirm our obligation to safeguard natural resources in all of our practices.

Public Health: We affirm our obligation to ensure our practices protect Public Health:

public health.

We affirm our obligation to ensure our practices protect public health.

Our People: We affirm our obligation to provide an environment that Our People:

is safe and consistent with our other ethical principles.

We affirm our obligation to provide an environment that is safe and consistent with our other ethical principles.

The Communities in which we operate: We affirm our obligation to contribute to a better

The Communities in which we operate: quality of life in our communities.

We affirm our obligation to contribute to a better quality of life in our communities.

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©2019 We CareSM Initiative. This message funded in part by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff. #03108 11/19

©2019 We CareSM Initiative. This message funded in part by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff. #03108 11/19

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Ractopamine Free Pork and Implications for Use in Growing Pigs Frequently Asked Questions

Locke A Karriker, DVM, MS, DACVPM Chris Rademacher, DVM Swine Medicine Education Center, Iowa State University In order to gain and preserve access to international markets that have banned the use of ractopamine in swine, several United States processors announced their intention to process only pigs that are free of ractopamine. There have not been recent changes to the regulatory status of ractopamine in the United States and processor approaches to eliminating ractopamine from their pig supply have varied. What follows represents an attempt to summarize the relevant scientific data about ractopamine in the pig, producer experiences and anecdotal information to guide producers adjusting to the new requirements. This document will be updated as new information is available. Specific references are available on request.

Q1: What is ractopamine, what does it do, and how long do the effects last?

A1: Ractopamine (Paylean®, Engain®) is a feed additive that changes how the pig partitions nutrients and energy to muscle and fat cells. It increases the amount of protein deposited in muscle cells and increases the rate that fat is removed from storage. The net effect is that a greater portion of the carcass is lean protein. The drug accomplishes this by activating a receptor on the surface of cells in the pig. Ractopamine is fed in the period immediately prior to marketing because these effects peak after a few weeks of continuous feeding and begin to subside. The changes to protein and fat deposition are not permanent and the rate of protein and fat deposition gradually returns to near baseline levels when ractopamine is no longer binding the cellular receptor. Although gradual, changes can be observed as quickly as seven days after removal of ractopamine from feed.

Q4: Given the extreme sensitivity of the tests available, can cross-contamination cause pigs that have never been fed feed treated with ractopamine to potentially test positive?

A4: There are a variety of reports that have identified cross-contamination between treated and untreated pigs as a likely problem. Contamination can happen directly through contaminated urine, feces, bedding and feed that untreated pigs have access to in pens or livestock trailers. Contamination has been anecdotally reported in swine and there are published examples in swine and other species. In one study, meat and bone meal was intentionally contaminated with 56 ppm of ractopamine and fed to pigs at a 7% inclusion rate. This led to pigs testing positive by urine testing. Further, in this study, one of the control diets was contaminated at the mill despite a plan for preventing ractopamine contamination. This was detected in the urine of pigs that were not fed the meat and bone meal and were part of the control group. A hospital based-prospective cohort study found that 8.1% of a human cohort of 370 patients tested positive for ractopamine in urine above a limit of detection of 0.026ppb. These levels were presumably obtained from the diet. Anecdotal reports from companies and feed mills that have eliminated ractopamine entirely indicate that detailed and repeated cleaning of all areas, even those that do not contact the feed directly, is necessary to achieve levels below current testing capabilities.

Feed bins and feed lines on farms that have previously fed ractopamine must be cleaned as well to prevent contamination.

Q5: What happens if the processor finds a residue of ractopamine?

A5: If ractopamine levels are measured that exceed the FDA tolerance level by Food Safety and Inspection Service testing, FSIS will coordinate the appropriate follow-up, including notification to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), AMS and FSIS District Enforcement Operations (DEO). FDA and FSIS/DEO will pursue regulatory action including criminal prosecution, where warranted. Each phase or ownership stage will independently have to demonstrate that their system requirements are adequate and are meeting standards. If the plant’s own testing finds evidence of ractopamine, the plant will determine the response to the owner or producer. The producer is encouraged to contact the plant of interest directly to understand requirements and implications of positive tests.

Q6: Do you have a checklist of steps that need to be considered to market my pigs to a ractopamine free harvest facility?

A6: The following flowchart will help guide considerations:

Q2: What is the difference between the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “tolerance level” and being completely free of ractopamine?

A2: The FDA tolerance level is the level above which it is illegal to market a pig into the human food chain. This is a federal standard and applies to all pigs processed for consumption by humans. Pigs with levels above the tolerance are considered adulterated and cannot enter the food supply. The FDA tolerance level is based on an “acceptable daily intake” (ADI) by humans that would not cause any effects when consumed. This level is determined by scientific studies, includes a safety factor, and considers both average human body weight and average pork portion size of edible tissue.

The resulting level in pork that allows consumption by humans and results in human levels below the ADI is the tolerance level in pork. Note that this does not consider non-edible tissues (such as urine or hair). In the case of ractopamine, the target tissues that were important to the determination of the tolerance level were pork liver and muscle. Additional studies demonstrated that nearly as soon as ractopamine treated pig food is removed, pork liver and muscle fall below these tolerance levels for human consumption. However, the edible tissues are not completely free of ractopamine and it is possible that non-edible tissues (such as urine and hair) have higher levels than liver or meat. When processors require pigs to be completely free of ractopamine and test the pigs to confirm this, levels must be lower than the sensitivity of the test used in the tissue tested. While the FDA tolerance in muscle is 0.05 parts per Million, there are tests available that can detect ractopamine in swine tissues at 0.25 parts per Billion. There is approximately a 1000-fold difference between what is safe to market per the FDA tolerance and what can be detected in the pig by most tests including those that could be used by processors to verify that pigs they purchase are truly free of ractopamine.

Q3: How much additional withdrawal time does it take to go from the FDA tolerance level (0.05 PPM) to a level that would test negative or free of ractopamine in most tests (0.25 PPB)?

A3: Unfortunately, there is not a study that directly measures this. At a minimum, ractopamine can be detected for 42 days after the end of feeding in pig hair. However, we do know that carcass changes induced by ractopamine are not permanent and begin to revert to the animal’s baseline phenotype as soon as ractopamine is removed. So, it is likely that most or all benefit of feeding ractopamine would be lost by the time that the pig tested negative.

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Q7: If I need my pigs to be ractopamine free, what do I need to do in terms of cleaning my feeding equipment/barn at home?

A7: Everything that has come in contact with ractopamine treated feed, pigs that were fed ractopamine (urine, feces, hair, etc) or dust from feed treated with ractopamine will need to be cleaned with soap and water. Pay special attention to: ● Discontinue getting feed from a feed mill that uses ractopamine, and discontinue its use at your farm at harvest. None of this feed should carry over to the next groups. ○ This would include any mill that feeds any ractopamine based products (Optaflexx® or Actogain® for cattle as well) ● Bulk bins, augers and feeders should be thoroughly washed for the next group of pigs. Clean up efforts may take months and repeated efforts to totally clean up. ● Be aware that bovine products in diet ingredients such as bovine meat, bone and blood meal, and tallow can be contaminated with ractopamine. ● Ractopamine is eliminated mostly via urine, but a significant portion is eliminated in the feces as well. This means that proper cleaning of pens, pits and anything in contact with these waste products is necessary to avoid exposure to subsequent pigs. ● There are anecdotal reports of pigs that were raised with ractopamine free feed testing positive at processing after transport in livestock trailers that previously hauled ractopamine fed pigs. Controlled research testing the parameters around how this might occur is not available. ● Although Ractopamine is at safe levels within 12 hours as per US regulations, it is near impossible to eliminate the residue to a level below detection by tandem mass spectrometry The entire operation or farm should be cleaned thoroughly to avoid contamination of waste, fluids, and even dust from previously Ractopamine fed pigs.

Q8: Do I need to talk to my feed mill where I am purchasing feed to ensure that they have steps in place to prevent potential residual?

A8: Yes! A clean feed mill with strong quality control to prevent contamination is a vital part of ensuring a ractopaminefree feeding program. Given the very low detectable levels of ractopamine in pork, cross contamination from feed is a significant potential issue if your mill also makes feed for other species using ractopamine. It may be a good idea to ask your feed mill if they stock ractopamine for other clients to gauge your level of potential cross contamination risk.

Q9: Will I be able to show pigs that have been treated with ractopamine at county and state fairs?

A9: At this time, county and state fairs are making decisions about allowing ractopamine in competition animals. It will likely depend on the ability of each terminal show to find a processor for the pigs and what that processor’s expectations regarding ractopamine are currently. Not all processors in the United States have banned ractopamine at this time. Given the ease with which contamination of ractopamine free pigs can occur, shows may need to ban ractopamine completely to find a buyer that will purchase the pigs from the show.

Q10: Is there a test which would allow checking pigs at a county fair with results before pigs are shipped?

A10: There are a variety of validated tests including liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), lateral flow devices (LFD) and ELISA (ELISA) tests. Both LFD and ELISA tests can be deployed in the field at pen side in nearly real-time but GC-MS and LC-MS are laboratory-based tests.

In total, there are at least 11 tests that are validated, the lower limit of detection ranges from 250ppb to 0.25ppb and these tests have been validated in feed, urine, tissue, and plasma. Testing has also been reported for hair using LC-MS, and the limited data on hair has found ractopamine for at least 42 days after the end of treatment. Since the study ended there, it is likely that hair would be positive longer. These testing options range in cost from $250 - $675 per sample. You should consult with your veterinarian or diagnostic laboratory to establish which test is most appropriate for a specific situation.

Q11: If liver is the marker tissue for FDA and FSIS compliance, is liver the tissue that will be used by processor driven testing to confirm that a pig has never ever been fed ractopamine?

A11: Processor testing to confirm that pigs are free of ractopamine may use a variety of tissue, fluid and test combinations based on that processor’s objectives, resources and abilities. Liver is not a gold standard for zero tolerance. In the US, drugs that have a tolerance, as defined by the US FDA, also specify a tissue for the measurement of that tolerance since different tissues can have different levels of drug and require different times to eliminate a drug. For ractopamine, the United States FDA has established two tolerance levels and producers must be below both levels to comply. In swine, a 42

tolerance of 0.15 ppm is established for liver, and 0.05 ppm for muscle. There are tests validated for these tissues as well as other tissues such as urine and plasma. If a US processor has established a zero tolerance for the pigs they buy, they may, or may not specify which tissue they are testing. A zero tolerance implies that all tissues would need to be free of the ractopamine. Specific processor protocols have included collecting bladders at processing and testing urine, plasma testing and oral fluids collection in lairage for testing prior to euthanasia. Other protocols are possible and are not standardized between all plants.

Q12: If an exhibitor buys pigs from a sale in March, that were fed ractopamine for a week before the sale, but exhibitor does NOT feed ractopamine the entire summer for the state fair in August, will the urine be negative, but tissue positive?

A12: The label for feeding ractopamine stipulates it is to be fed for the last 45 to 90 pounds of gain, meaning that feeding it to feeder pigs pre-sale (feeder pigs in March) likely illegal. No scientific studies have been published investigating the effects of ractopamine for the length of time between a potential March sale and August slaughter date. Therefore, we do not know for certain how long ractopamine could potentially be found in any tissue. It is found in hair at least as long as 42 days and would likely be found in these potential situations.

Q13: If an exhibitor hauls their pig that has NOT been fed ractopamine in the same trailer as their heifer that has been fed Optaflexx® (a cattle product containing ractopamine), can their pig test positive ractopamine?

A13: Unless the trailer is well cleaned, there is a risk of cross contamination that would be detected by current testing in a variety of tissues. Ractopamine is water soluble so thorough washing using soap and warm water should substantially reduce this risk. Both cattle and pigs excrete a portion of ractopamine as intact molecule that could then be consumed by another animal and potentially result in a positive test at the sensitivity levels of current tests. This has not been confirmed by direct measurement or scientific study at this time.

Q14: If an exhibitor is feeding ractopamine to pigs for a non-terminal youth show (summer type conference) where ractopamine is not banned, will the pigs in the same barn NOT being fed ractopamine have trouble at the state fair?

A14: While every situation is different, given the extremely low levels at which ractopamine can be detected in tissues and urine, cross contamination (even through feed dust) could possibly result in ractopamine positive animals that have never been directly fed ractopamine. This has not been confirmed by direct measurement or scientific study at this time.

Q15: If ractopamine is banned from use at a fair or exhibition with zero tolerance, and the standard test is urine (only champion and reserve have tissue samples taken), will urine be a clear way of eliminating competitors that use it?

A15: Urine testing will confidently identify pigs to which ractopamine has been fed. However, given the sensitivity of the testing available, it may also identify some animals that have been contaminated accidentally. It should be noted that either scenario (intentional use or contamination) is problematic for processors that are marketing pork to countries where it has been banned. There is likely a useful difference in concentration of ractopamine that would discriminate direct feeding (at least within a window that would provide competitive benefits) versus contamination of untreated animals.

However, research is needed to determine what those levels might be or how reliably direct use could be distinguished from contamination.

Q16: If the manufacturers of swine ractopamine products withdraw them from the market in the near future, but ractopamine products are still FDA approved for swine, can producers substitute cattle products such as Optaflexx® for use in pigs?

A16: Products that are approved for use in feed may not be used in a manner that does not follow the label instructions.

If a product is not labeled with instructions for feeding pigs, it cannot be legally used for pigs. If FDA approval is withdrawn, it will no longer be permissible to use even from stockpiled stores that were purchased prior to the date it is pulled from the market. There is no allowance for extra-label use of feeds containing ractopamine. The label must be followed exactly. This means that ractopamine that is only labeled for other species (such as Optaflexx® in cattle) cannot be legally fed to swine.

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center Pointe event center

 farM tours  Bayer ag MuseuM  youth syMPosiuM

 Producer education PrograMs

 Banquet recognizing youth & Producers

Center Pointe Event Center Lubbock, TX | June 19-20 Host Hotels | Comfort Suites & Days inn

t n a 't W

on d u o y t! i s s i to M

coMfort suites

days inn

(both located next to the center) 44

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See Website for Details

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Thank you to all exhibitors and their family members for coming out...our breeders and their continuous support‌and our gracious sponsors. Each of you made the showcase bigger and better than before!

For results from the 2020 Texas’ Elite Showcase, visit www.texaseliteshowcase.com

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BUCKLE SPONSORS BERKSHIRE

CHESTER CHAMPION

CHAMPION

Cornerstone Ventures, LLC.

Michou Chesters

Logue’s Champion Veterinary Services

RESERVE CHAMPION

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Biggs Livestock

BRS Hog Farm

RB2 Showpigs

HAMPSHIRE

LANDRACE

POLAND

Ralston Hog Farm

MT Heart Livestock

Harkey Farms

RESERVE CHAMPION

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Ralston Hog Farm

JS Showpigs

BRS Hog Farm

SPOT

YORKSHIRE

LIGHT CROSSBRED

Cornerstone Ventures, LLC.

Real Hog Farms

Belew & Young

CHAMPION

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2020 AWARD SPONSORS Supreme Champion - $5,000 & Cimarron Aluminum Stock Box Reserve Supreme Champion - $3,000 & Cimarron Aluminum Stock Box

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Champion Overall Purebred Rock Award

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Innovator Level

Wintex Farms Jay & Will Winter

PARTNERS OF TEXAS’ ELITE SHOWCASE Supporter Level C-4 Showpigs

Positive Vibes Magna Wave

Davis Livestock

Texas Tech University

Texas A&M University

Blinn College

LubriSynHA Livestock Alex Hassinger

Klein Smokehaus Barrett & Claire Klein

Collaborator Level

Stanley Young Creative Awards DL Showpigs 50

Morgan Livestock Equipment Rusty Morgan

Lackey Livestock Jason & Jackie Lackey

Destination Cycle Jason Herod

Titan Sticks Alisha Alaniz

Queen Horse Bedding Amanda Wylie

Thank you Sponsors!

Mares Showpigs Joe Allen Transport, LLC. Berger Farms Judge 2 Win S Squared Showpigs

Cultivator Level

HF Genetics Jimmy & Cassidy Hayes

Fierce Threads Mark & Jenna Standlee

Putting on a first-class event like the Elite Showcase would absolutely not be possible without the support of our sponsors! If not for these gracious individuals, we wouldn’t have been able to do as much for the youth as we did. We encourage you to thank these great people and show appreciation to them for stepping up and making Texas’ Elite Showcase a tremendous event for everyone.

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Thank you!

Brandon & Ethan Biggs Biggs Livestock DONATED BY

for your purchase

FEBRUARY 12-14, 2021 KERRVILLE, TX

Foundation

Sow

$14,500

First Take X Hill Jack X Uno This year had a little bit of a twist, Todd & Moriah Beyers of Beyers Farms donated an incredible sow!

Elite genetics, and a proven female, she is the mother of the infamous “Guyer Gilt” that won so much this last summer. 33-10’s pedigree is backed by several champions that have proven themselves in an out of the showring. “We believe her influence will be felt for many generations in the Chester breed and only her new owner will experience the same success with her that she has generated our program.”

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- Todd & Moriah Beyers

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Introducing Texas’ Elite Showcase

PREMIER FFA CHAPTER

Graham FFA

“I show gilts because they can be put into production, then I have the ability to potentially pick out a baby to show that I raised. I love the feeling I get knowing I am showing a gilt that is out of one I previously showed. I have had doors opened for me with breeders because of showing gilts and the experience of that is priceless. I have learned that gilts and barrows feed differently and I get to see how they respond to different feeds.”

- Feli Werner

“I think the Texas Elite Showcase is a great show.

The show gives so many prizes so that no one feels left out or disappointed and it is a great - Brailey Brooks family environment. “

A few words from the Graham Ag Teachers, JACOB & LAUREN LANGE

How do you feel the Elite Showcase differs from other major stock shows?

I like the Texas Elite Showcase because it puts the kids first. I like the networking that kids get when breeders are running the show and they are working first hand for the kids. The exhibitor meeting that takes place to ensure that the kids see that show officials do care and want them to know what is going on isn’t found at other shows.

Why do you choose to show at Texas’ Elite?

We show at TES for that reason of it putting the kids first. The breeders are working to get money and prizes for the kids but also make it an enjoyable experience. From the giveaways of show boxes and feeder hangers just for getting your gilt painted branded in raffles, to the added prize money and prizes for winning. No other show matches that. We have forty-three students that show in our chapter. This year we had 36 gilts at TES exhibited by 24 students.

“I like the Kerrville Show, it was fun and the best part was when I got my buckle.

I also like when we won the showbox for the best chapter.”

- Brazos May

What do you think is the most impressive aspect of TES? The neatest aspect is the lengths the breeders go to for the kids, and the effort they put in to make the show fun and successful.

The Premier FFA Chapter of Texas’ Elite Showcase is calculated using a cumulative point system that has predetermined values for: gilts placing in the top five of each class, those receiving breed/reserve breed champion honors, and total number of exhibitors showing for their respective club at Texas’ Elite Showcase.

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Introducing Texas’ Elite Showcase

PREMIER 4-H CLUB

k c o c s s a l G County 4-H

“I feel that showing gilts has increased my knowledge of the importance of a strong pedigree. I have enjoyed showing the stock that raises the next generation of Texas bred show barrows.” - Reed Seidenberger

“The Texas Elite is the “Premier” show. The depth of Texas bred gilt quality is outrageous!”

- Owen Seidenberger

A few words from the Glassock County Extension Agent, CODY TRIMBLE

How do you feel the Elite Showcase differs from other major stock shows?

I think what makes TES so unique and enjoyable is that it is solely focused on the exhibitors. There is no carnival or rodeo, it is truly a show about great exhibitors and great gilts.

Why do you choose to show at Texas’ Elite?

First off, we know the best gilts in the state will be at the show and that is the level we want to compete on. We also know the people running, leading and volunteering at the show are all about the kids. They want to provide the best experience to our 4-H’ers and make sure we are focused on developing young people with high character, tremendous leadership skills and a passion for pigs.

What do you feel is the most impressive aspect of TES? For me the most impressive part of TES is how well ran it is. It is a pig show run by pig people for pig people. They have taken the best aspects of every major show across Texas and the country and made them part of TES while also understanding the things that are frustrating or problematic at other shows and making sure those aren’t issues at this one. They also are willing to adjust and change.

You can really tell the focus of those running the show is to make it as fun, easy and low stress as possible for all the exhibitors, families, county agents and ag teachers.

The Premier 4-H Club of Texas’ Elite Showcase is calculated using a cumulative point system that has predetermined values for: gilts placing in the top five of each class, those receiving breed/reserve breed champion honors, and total number of exhibitors showing for their respective club at Texas’ Elite Showcase.

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“The Texas’ Elite Showcase is by far the best gilt show I have been to. It is a good opportunity for kids to exhibit their projects. The prizes, the sale and the giveaways are all rewards that go back to the kids.” - Mason Halfmann “I love the Texas’ Elite show because it is fun, the staff are nice and they give the coolest prizes.”

-Lacy Seidenberger

“This was my first year to show at the Texas’ Elite Showcase, everyone was very nice and answered questions and helped me whenever I needed it.” - Tatum Braden “The kind people is what I enjoyed at the Texas’ Elite Showcase. Hard work pays off in a friendly way.”

- Katie Braden

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Thank you

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Southwest Type Conference Representing Texas in a Big Way

Champion Duroc Gilt - Class 6 Brylee Lacy 4 Point X Eye of the Storm

Reserve Landrace Gilt - Class 2 Caroline Wideman Organized Chaos X Got ‘Em

Champion Hampshire Gilt - Class 4 Reserve Hampshire Gilt - Class 4 Shelby Greathouse Dylan Wagner Shoot to Thrill X Shoot to Thrill

Champion Chester Gilt - Class 3 Jaxon Edwards Track Star X First Take

Reserve Berkshire Boar - Class 3 Jacob Reznicek

Champion Berkshire Gilt - Class 4 Elyzabeth Honea

Reserve Berkshire Gilt - Class 2 Kyndal Sligh

1st Place Berkshire Gilt - Class 3 Jett Ramaekers

1st Place Berkshire Gilt - Class 5 Jacob Swatsell

Champion Crossbred Gilt - Class 5 Karley Willenborg

Reserve Crossbred Gilt - Class 4 Brice Thornton

1st Place Crossbred Gilt - Class 1 Burrow Sisters

1st Place Crossbred Gilt - Class 2 Kirby Lacy

Free Agent X Ultra

Bad Negotiator X Chill Out

Reserve Chester Gilt - Class 2 Mariah Jimenez Gotcha Covered X Trust Me

Provoked X Notorious

Flat Liner X Kannibal 62

Mic Drop X Loud Mouth

Bravo Fox X Conviction

Ferdinand Spanyard X No Fare

Rock Star X Visionary

There were a handful of class winners we were unable to get a photo for, but we wanted to congratulate these breeders & exhibitors. Our apologies if any of our Texas winners were missed.

1st Place Poland Boar - Class 1 Mike Pruitt

1st Place Chester Gilt - Class 1 Kyndal Sligh

1st Place Yorkshire Gilt - Class 4 Tucker Ondrusek

1st Place Crossbred Gilt - Class 3 Lyla Pankey

1st Place Crossbred Gilt - Class 7 Scott Vogel

1st Place Crossbred Gilt - Class 6 Lone Star Super Hogs

Find X Visionary

Reserve Spot Gilt - Class 4 Stephen Hewett

TX 94 X Law and Order

Night Hawk X I Do

Grand Entrance X Carry On

Hands Down X Sweater Vest

Champion Poland Gilt - Class 3 Cameron Turner

One More Round X Law and Order

Shock Top X First Take

Outta Line X Wedding Night

Stoked X News Flash

Dark Matter X Stunner

1st Place Spot Gilt - Class 3 Kirby Lacy No Words X Right Round

Photo Credit: Seedstock Edge Media, Mapes Photography and CPS

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Congrats to all exhi bitors!

Grand Champion

Champion - Berkshire Emerie Cantrell, Canyon

Res. Champion - Chester/Landrace

Reserve Champion - Berkshire Hannah Simpson, Dimmit

Champion - Duroc

Champion - Chester/Landrace Cooper Farris, Nazareth

Reserve Champion - Duroc

Jagger Collier, Snyder

Jesse Piggot, Spring Branch

Jaxson Powell, Jourdanton

Champion - Poland

Reserve Champion - Poland Karter Bowen, Wolfforth

Camryn Gratz, Canyon

Reserve Champion - Spot

Champion - Yorkshire

Reserve Champion - Yorkshire

Champion - Crossbred

Reserve Champion - Crossbred

Champion Hampshire Kaden Mason Montgomery

Konnor Daniels, Van Alstyne

Champion - Spot

A huge thank you goes out to the two judges Troy Sloan and Cody Hayes for their selfless efforts and 18.5 long hours of sorting the hogs for the youth of Texas!

Reserve Grand Champion

Blayne Shook, Seminole

Raylee Murry, Perryton

Tristan Jordan, Slaton

Reserve Hampshire Jackson Riggins Spearman

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Banner Young, Burkburnett

Tristanne Rasco, Quitaque

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There are no words... other than thank you!! ◆ $313,578 Raised in 96 Hours ◆ 1,556 Head Shown in 18.5 hours ◆ 268 Seniors walked into the ring for their last time in Lubbock, Texas

Thank you to all of the incredible donors who have shown up in a BIG way to support Texas show pig exhibitors!! Your contributions are appreciated by all.

Thank you to the exhibitors and to all those behind the scenes that offered their time and services... THANK YOU! - Jay, Will & Marisa Winter, Jason & Jackie Lackey and Tate Rosenbusch 47 Genetics 4B Meats Barbara Frederick - Albert Farms Barrett & Baeley Allerkamp Allerkamp Farms Bakker Bros Genetics Belew Farms Biggs Livestock Bill Stewart Insurance BLT Willoughby Bobell Farms Breeders Best Pig Sale Shane Brinning - Brinning Genetics Brockman Farms Brown County C&P Livestock Centennial Bank Centurion American Certified Texas Bred Registry Champions Choice Christmas Cash Classic Mike Clay - Clay Farms Contenders Livestock Cross Timbers Parts Sales Frank & Nora Davis - Davis Livestock Dobbels Show Pigs Ryan & Dena Scott Family - Eco Box Eggers Show Pigs Final Decent Guide Services

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5

Ways to Keep People and Pigs Healthy

With all of the health challenges today, such as influenza and COVID-19, it is more important than ever to focus on protecting farm personnel and the animals in their care. Keeping people and pigs healthy is a key focus of the pork industry’s We CareSM ethical principles. Here are five recommendations to achieve that goal.

1. Limit Farm Visitors and Access to Swine Barns Don‘t allow unauthorized visitors. (No visitors advised during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Limit entry to caretakers and essential service personnel.

■ Don’t allow anyone exhibiting signs of respiratory illness to enter. If you allow visitors, ask if they have had any recent contact with others who have signs of illness.

■ Follow your farm’s shower-in/shower-out policy.

■ Wear farm-specific clothing and footwear.

■ ■

2. Wash Your Hands Often Wash your hands and arms frequently with soap and water to avoid spreading germs.

Wash hands before and after handling pigs, eating, using the restroom, and smoking, as well as before touching your face, mouth, eyes or nose.

■ To help kill germs, wash with warm water, if possible, apply soap, lather for 20 seconds, scrub all surfaces and rinse under running water.

■ Use an alcohol-based (60% or more) hand sanitizer if soap and clean water are not available.

■ ■

3. Stay Home if You Are Sick Follow your farm’s sick-leave policy if you develop signs and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, shortness of breath, vomiting and diarrhea.

■ Even without a formal diagnosis, do not enter swine facilities for at least seven days after developing signs of respiratory illness, even mild signs.

■ Seek medical care if needed.

■ If diagnosed with influenza, don’t enter swine facilities until fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

■ For COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has both a test and a non-test strategy for lifting isolation and returning to work. Go to: cdc.gov/coronavirus ■

4. Follow Biosecurity Practices to Protect Pig Health Keep food and drink out of animal areas. (A no-pork policy is recommended.)

Properly adjust and maintain ventilation to minimize re-circulation of air inside animal housing facilities to reduce the exposure of pigs to viruses from other pigs and to reduce their exposure to human influenza viruses.

■ Prevent the introduction of birds into swine facilities. Avoid contact with birds and bird droppings in general, and avoid use of non-chlorinated surface water.

■ Use personal protective equipment in barns.

■ Follow recommendations for yearly vaccinations against the seasonal influenza virus.

■ Review herd health programs with a veterinarian to ensure they are up-to-date and effective for conditions on the farm.

■ ■

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help ■

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Health issues can take a toll on mental well-being, but there are many available resources that you can contact, including AgriSafe Network, Rural Mental Health Hub, the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center at the University of Minnesota, Colorado State University Extension and Iowa State University Extension.

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New Economic Study:

Swine Fever Outbreak in the U.S. Could Cost $50 Billion

Study Results

Economists study two scenarios indicating the economic impact of ASF in the U.S.

Although COVID-19 is consuming the daily news cycle and is on our minds, we must remember to stay diligent in the protection of our industry from the many other health concerns that we have been concerned with, such as African Swine Fever. A new study conducted by agricultural economists at Iowa State University estimate the economic impact of a hypothetical African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the United States. The study replicates the impact of the loss of pork export markets and found an outbreak could cost the swine industry as much as $50 billion over 10 years.

Export sales of U.S. pork reached an all-time high in 2019 of $6.95 billion mt (5.89 billion pounds), with exports accounting for 26.9 percent of the market. The export market returns an average $53.51 per head back to U.S. pork producers.

“Pork production in the U.S. exceeds domestic consumption by 25 to 30 percent, so it’s important to have export markets open as they are imperative to the vitality of the American pig farmer,” said Dr. Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University agricultural economist and one of the authors of the study.

Study Design The study established a baseline scenario which represents the status quo (where no ASF disease exists). Two scenarios are compared to the baseline to estimate the impact of industry downsizing on the U.S. economy.

TWO-YEAR scenario: assumes quick control of the disease and the U.S. reenters export markets within two years.

ALL-YEARS scenario: assumes the disease spreads to feral swine and the U.S. is unable to eliminate the disease over the 10year projection period; and exports never resume.

Key Impacts If ASF were identified in the U.S., export markets would immediately close to U.S. pork, including ASF-positive countries such as China and the Philippines, which prohibit the importation of pork from any country with the ASF virus. U.S. live hog prices would drop by 40 to 50 percent to sell the surplus of pork intended for export. The oversupply of pork in the domestic market would lead to price reductions of other proteins. Lower demand for grain would reduce feed prices.

ALL-YEARS scenario: Prices fall ~ 47% in Year 1, but stabilize at 1.8% lower than the baseline due to lack of pork exports.

ALL-YEARS scenario: Drops well below the baseline and never recovers.

TWO-YEAR scenari0: Prices decline by 47%, but regain baseline levels as soon as pork exports begin to recover.

TWO-YEAR scenario: Initial drop, but recovers to baseline levels in the last three years of the projection period.

Implications for the Pork Industry The study results indicate the costs associated with an ASF outbreak in the U.S. are significant and require risk mitigation and safeguards to protect against importing the disease.

“Movement data will be needed for people, pigs, vehicles, equipment and feed for each site within your operation,” said Dr. Howard Hill, DVM, PhD. “The data will need to be shared quickly with state and federal animal health officials, your veterinarian, as well as neighboring producers to help each other contain the disease.”

Having immediate access to electronic data for all types of pig movement is a crucial step to stopping the spread of ASF. This information will be required to prove negative status of farms, so the industry can maintain business continuity.

“Keep in mind that at any point in time, we have more than one million pigs on the road being transported in the United States. We need a method to quickly identify infected pigs and the pigs that have been in contact with infected pigs, so they can be euthanized. This would allow the industry to regain export markets before downsizing occurs, thus saving billions in losses,” said Dr. Hill.

The long-term impacts are dependent on the scenario:

Revenue losses

► TWO-YEAR scenario: $15 billion in losses. ► ALL-YEARS scenario: $50 billion in losses.

Employment

► TWO-YEAR scenario: Minimal job losses at the end of 10 years. ► ALL-YEARS scenario: 140,000 job losses at the end of 10 years.

Swine industry downsizing

► TWO-YEAR scenario: Exports resume before downsizing occurs. ► ALL-YEARS scenario: Industry reduction after five years & remains at a lower output.

“Ensuring a two-year scenario versus the all-years scenario means a $35 billion difference to the industry because we avoid downsizing,” said Dr. Hayes.

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For more information or to read the full study, go to ASFImpact.com.

The study was funded by Iowa State University and BarnTools, a digital biosecurity platform company; and is an update to “Economy Wide Impacts of a Foreign Animal Disease in the United States” published in 2011 and funded by the National Pork Board.

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Setting the Record Straight Animal Ag Has Nothing to Do With COVID-19 While not surprising, it is infuriating to see various animal rights activist organizations attempt to take advantage of public fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic for their own gain. Activists with Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) are planning to trespass onto farms as part of their “Cancel Animal Ag” campaign claiming that animal agriculture is to blame for the coronavirus pandemic. Karner Blue Capital, an investment firm (where former HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle is now an advisor), is calling attention to what they call “the link between infectious diseases like COVID-19 and the mistreatment of animals in order to highlight the health and economic consequences of these interactions.” Other groups like Mercy for Animals and Farm Sanctuary have written op-eds trying to say modern animal agriculture causes pandemics and public health issues.

The Alliance decided to call on some experts to help us set the record straight. It’s important to not let myths and rumors run rampant, especially at a time when people are looking for any way to keep their families safe. Here are a few questions I asked the experts and what they had to say.

Is there a connection between animal agriculture and the current COVID-19 pandemic?

Dan Thomson, DVM, PhD, chair of the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University, pointed out that “no cow, pig or chicken has been found positive for COVID-19 in the world.”

Randy Singer, DVM, PhD, professor of epidemiology in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota, explained that “COVID-19 is believed to have possibly emerged through wild animals or a live market and then disseminated via a live market.” Singer went on to emphasize that “the past two large coronavirus epidemics (SARS 2004 and MERS 2012) likely originated from animals that have nothing to do with animal agriculture: wild animals for SARS 2004 and camels for MERS 2012.”

By Hannah Thompson-Weeman, vice president of communications at the Animal Agriculture Alliance.

The opinions in this commentary are expressly those of the author. For more information on the Alliance, go to animalagalliance.org.

Does eating meat (or other animal products) put people at risk of becoming infected?

All three experts solidly said NO. Raymond (the food safety guru!) explained, “eating meat might put one at risk of being infected with E coli or Salmonella if not properly handled and cooked to the right temperature, but COVID-19 is spread via the air, or aerosolized, not from eating anything, be it meat or veggies.”

Thomson pointed out that there it is possible that there is some risk of people spreading the disease by handling products and contaminating the packaging, but that has nothing to do with the product itself. “There is no greater risk for eating meat verses cereals, bread, vegetables, fruit or a candy bar,” Thomson said.

Does modern animal agriculture (for example, large scale farms) pose a greater risk for infectious disease outbreaks?

Despite the activists’ claims, the experts say this is not the case. “The modern housing used in animal agriculture actually protects the animals from infectious diseases that spread rapidly via wildlife spread, such as the movement of avian influenza by wild birds,” Singer said. “The high level of biosecurity used by modern animal agriculture has resulted in a greatly DECREASED risk of disease spread.”

Thomson added, “modern agriculture allows us to monitor animal health daily and quickly mitigate animal health issues.”

I hope this information is helpful in debunking the myths being spread by activist groups who just want to undermine public trust in animal agriculture. The experts all wanted to reassure the public that this is not something they should be afraid of. Thomson summed it up well and I’ll let him have the last word: “The USDA, FSIS and FDA are constantly monitoring the food supply chains to make sure we have safe, wholesome and nutritious food. We are proud of our farmers, ranchers and veterinarians on the frontline providing care and well-being for our animals.”

Richard Raymond, MD, former Undersecretary for Food Safety at the USDA, agreed, adding “there has been NO source identified for COVID-19 and there is certainly no link to food animals or animal production. Remember, it started in a multi-million population center in China, nowhere near any large food animal operations.”

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Buyers Guide HF Genetics PORT LAVACA, TX

May madness CALDWELL, TX

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MAY 9 SALE 6:30PM - BURLESON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, 361.920.0964 - JIMMY HAYES 361.920.1015 - CASSIDY HAYES

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beyers farms ABERNATHY, TX Todd Beyers

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DL showpigs LAMESA, TX Josh Krohn

BARNS OPEN MAY 2 36 LITTERS - CROSS, CHESTER, HAMP, YORK 806.759.7735 - JOSH 806.438.2916 - BRIDGETTE 2101 CR 24, LAMESA, TX 79331

Duelm’s prevailing genetics NEW BRAUNFELS, TX Rory Duelm

EARLY MAY PRIVATE TREATY 830.608.5058 - RORY DUELM 830.708.4274 - MATT LEE 979.255.1653 - JESS GILBERT 192 ALTWEIN ROAD, NEW BRAUNFELS, TX 78130 DUELMSPREVAILINGGENETICS.COM

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foote farms SEMINOLE, TX Jason Foote

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Schaefer livestock GARDEN CITY, TX Doug Schaefer

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Rains livestock ROSCOE, TX Cory & Lacey Rains

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Real hog farms MARION, TX Chuck & Russell Real

Wintex farms LUBBOCK, TX

ALL BREEDS 806.341.5764 CORNERSTONEVENTURESLLC.COMM

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cornerstone ventures DALHART, TX Chance Waldrip

Stay tuned to texaspork.org and the TPPA Facebook page for updates.

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Young livestock BURKBURNETT, TX Dan Young

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Remember Semen Quality Work with a reputable boar stud to ensure quality. Schedule semen delivery to your farm to coordinate when females are in standing heat. Every attempt should be made to inseminate females with fresh semen that is less than 96 hours old. When storing semen, temperature should be 59-64 degrees F.

Take Your Time In The Insemination Process There can be a general process, but some sows or gilts take a longer or shorter time in the semen dose uptake when utilizing conventional artificial insemination. A sign that the process is too quick is the occurrence of semen back flow.

Slow down the process by elevating the end of the catheter.

There isn’t an exact amount of time required for the breeding process, because each female will respond differently.

Focus on Feed Management and Body Condition Monitor sow body condition on a weekly basis to keep from breeding females that are either too fat or too thin.

A suggestion is that producers evaluate groups at breeding, and at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks of gestation.

Choose the Right Females

5 Tips for Improving Farrowing Rates

Culling should be used as a management tool, and producers should make a regular habit of eliminating those with poor mothering ability. Attention should also be paid to structural correctness and controlling body condition. Group-penning sows of similar size and proper development of gilts is also important.

For producers, raising pigs is certainly a costly venture, all things considered. From the expense of equipment, replacement gilts, and feed, to health, semen, and general production costs, each sow and subsequent litter represents quite the investment. One can point to reproduction as the number one profitdetermining factor, so special attention should be paid to this area. That said, producers should strive to maximize farrowing rates, which can be defined as the proportion of mated females that farrow. This can be done by providing good management during pre-breeding, breeding, and gestation phases. Each action may have a small impact alone, but can have a large collective impact. Understanding the factors that impact the farrowing rate and executing protocols to improve it shall bring better performance.

Pay Attention to Heat Detection Heat detection starts with understanding how the heat cycle works. The chart below indicates the desired window for breeding to achieve a 95% target conception rate. Finding females in heat at the right time is everything. Missing the heat by just 24 hours can compromise performance.

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July 7-11 Iowa State Fairgrounds Des Moines, Iowa

2020 Junior & Open Shows Schedule of Events

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SUNDAY, JUNE 7 TBD Arrival and unloading of The Exposition Junior National hogs MONDAY, JUNE 8 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Registration (cattle barn) 4 p.m. All Junior Show entries must be on the grounds 7 p.m. Crossbred gilt weight cards due TUESDAY, JUNE 9 8 a.m. Mandatory exhibitor meeting (Ring A) 9 a.m. Showmanship • Ring A: Novice followed by Intermediate • Ring B: Junior followed by Senior The Junior Crossbred Gilt show will begin immediately following the conclusion of showmanship in both rings.

• Ring A: Class number will be determined at showmanship • Ring B: Class number will be determined at the show Noon Purebred and Crossbred Barrow Weight Cards Due WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Open show entries may arrive 8 a.m. Team Purebred Skillathon Quiz Opens (Team Purebred booth) 8 a.m. Purebred Gilt Show • Ring A: Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire • Ring B: Berkshire, Chester, Hereford, Poland, Spot & Tamworth THURSDAY, JUNE 11 7 a.m. Inspirational Service with Ray Perryman (Ring A) 6-8 a.m. Open show entries must be on grounds 8-10 a.m. Open show registration (open show offices in swine barn) 8 a.m. Purebred Barrow Show • Ring A: Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire • Ring B: Berkshire, Chester, Hereford, Poland, Spot & Tamworth *Immediately following the selection of the Champion Tamworth Barrow, the Crossbred Barrow show will begin in Ring B. The Crossbred Barrow Show will break for the selection of the Overall Grand Champion Purebred Barrow in Ring A at the conclusion of the Yorkshire Barrow Show.

5 p.m. Team Purebred Quiz Closes (Team Purebred booth) FRIDAY, JUNE 12 7-8:30 a.m. Judging Contest registration 7:30 a.m. Ring A: Open Show – Yorkshire show followed by Landrace, Hampshire, Duroc and Crossbred boars & gilts (Ring A) 8 a.m. Ring B: Open Show – Berkshire show followed by Chester White, Hereford, Spotted and Poland China (Ring B) *Immediately following the Poland China show: Open Crossbred Gilt Show (Ring B) 9 a.m. Judging Contest 11:30 a.m. Novice Judging Contest 2 p.m. All Exposition Junior Show Hogs are released, but exhibitors are encouraged to stay through Saturday for The Expositon Open Show and Sale **Awards Ceremony location and time will be determined based on the open show SATURDAY, JUNE 13 9 a.m. Ring A: Open Sale – Yorkshire show followed by Landrace, Hampshire, Duroc and Crossbred boars & gilts 9:30 a.m. Ring B: Open Sale – Berkshire show followed by Chester White, Hereford, Spotted and Poland China

2020 Junior & Open Shows Schedule of Events Certified Pedigreed Swine & American Berkshire Association Summer Type Conferences Team Purebred National Junior Show

June 7-13

MONDAY, JULY 6

FRIDAY, JULY 10

Indiana State Fairgrounds

TUESDAY, JULY 7

Indianapolis, IN Entry Deadline Junior & Open Shows April 11, 2019

Open Show Judges: Berkshire - Kade Hummel, KS Chester White - Dan Burzlaff, IA Hereford - Seth Swenson, IL Poland China - Dan Burzlaff, IA Spotted - Mark Hoge, IL

Junior Show Judges: Team Purebred Barrow Judge Justin Rodibaugh, IN Team Purebred Gilt Judge Jason Corya, IN

Open Show & Sale Contacts: Berkshire Alex Conover (630) 270-9983 CPS Jack Wall (309) 945-3312 Jeff Morris (608) 346-9561

Junior Show Contact: Team Purebred Kristi Smith (309) 645-7885

2 p.m. Earliest Trailers can begin staging 4 p.m.- 10 p.m. Junior Swine Arrival

6 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Junior Swine Arrival Noon All swine MUST be on the grounds Noon - 4 p.m. Junior Show Check-In 4:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies & Mandatory Exhibitor Meeting 5:15-7 p.m. YQCA Training 7:00-8:45 p.m. Adult PQA Training 4:30-6:30 p.m. All Junior hogs must be in pens for

classification WASH RACKS AND

SCALES ARE CLOSED 5 p.m. ALL weigh cards MUST be turned in 7 p.m. Exhibitor Social

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

8 a.m. Junior Gilt Show * After the conclusion of Purebred gilts, Crossbred Gilts will show in Ring A, Crossbred barrows in Ring B 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Silent Auction Opens

* Purebred Gilt Grand Drive will follow the Crossbred Show * Costume contest will start 15 minutes after the conclusion of

the Grand Drive

THURSDAY, JULY 9

8 a.m. Junior Barrow Show Purebred

Barrows 8 a.m. Check in, weighing and scanning of all open show entries begin

* Purebred Barrow Grand Drive will

be immediately following the Barrow Show * Showmanship will start 15 minutes

after completion of the Grand Drive 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Silent Auction Opens 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Skillathon (Location TBD) 11 a.m. All open show entries MUST be on grounds 7 p.m. Team Purebred Pizza Party & Annual

Meeting, Junior Board Elections

(show ring) 7 p.m. CPS Board Meetings 7 p.m. ABA Board Meeting

7:30 a.m. Judging Contest Registration Open 7:30 a.m. Hereford Breeding Stock Show in Ring 1 followed by Berkshire Breeding Stock Show 8:00 a.m. Spotted Breeding Stock Show in Ring 2 followed by Poland China, followed by Chester White, followed by Crossbred gilts and boars 8:30 a.m. Judging Contest begins 9a.m. - 4 p.m. Silent Auction opens *Silent auction will move and reopen at 5 at the location of the awards ceremony 2 p.m. Novice Judging Contest begins 5 p.m. Family Dinner & Awards Banquet 6 p.m. Contest Award Winner Presentation, Sweepstakes Award presentation, Team Purebred PLuS drawing * Junior hogs are released after the Team Purebred PLuS drawing * Silent auction closes 5 minutes after the conclusion of the awards ceremony

SATURDAY, JULY 11

9:05 a.m. Team Purebred Foundation Female & Open Hog Sale. (Ring 2) * Following the Foundation female

will be the Website Banner auction

(Ring 2)

* CPS Breed Auction begins following Team Purebred Events 10 a.m. Ring 1 Berkshire Breeding Stock sale begins

Open Show Judges: Berkshire - Howard Parrish, OH Chester White - Brandon Yantis, IL Hereford - Brice Conover, IA Poland China - Raymond Rice, OK Spotted - Grant Norman, IL Crossbred - Kirk Swanson, IA

Junior Show Judges: Steve Rodibaugh, IN Troy Sloan, MO

Open Show & Sale Contacts:

Berkshire Alex Conover (630) 270-9983 CPS Jack Wall (309) 945-3312 Jeff Morris (608) 346-9561

Junior Show Contact:

Team Purebred Kristi Smith (309) 645-7885

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Youth Spotlight

o t r a e Y A . . . r e b m e m Re

x a M e t a g n o T

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e h t s i s l a o g g n i t “Set e h t g n i n r u t n i first step ” e l b i s i v e h t o t n i invisible - Anthony Robbins

S

even years ago, Warren and Max Tongate started Tongate Showpigs with the idea that it would be cheaper to raise the quality they sought after; now although that logic may not pencil out, the memories made and lessons learned was worth more than any cost. “There were a lot of goals in mind, probably like everyone else who raised pigs, at the top of our list was winning a major with one we raised.” That very moment was fulfilled after a long two days at the Gandy Ink Arena in San Angelo, when Mark Hoge shook the hand of the 2020 San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo Grand Champion Barrow exhibitor Max Tongate of the Bangs FFA, this barrow was raised by Tongate Showpigs of Bangs, Texas. “Accomplishing our goal was the best feeling ever!”

Max Tongate is the son of Warren and Saundra Tongate and the brother of Masey Tongate. As a family, they currently have 20 sows consisting of Durocs and Crossbreds. This year the Tongate family had an incredible run at the major stock shows with some of their very own. Along with the Grand Barrow at Angelo, Max exhibited the Champion Duroc at Texas’ Elite Showcase, Champion Duroc Gilt at San Antonio and the Division I Champion Crossbred Barrow at San Antonio. Max says these are his most proud accomplishments in the show ring, and it makes it even sweeter that he got to raise them himself. While there may be challenges within the livestock industry, there is always something to learn, “I really enjoy trying to pick out the best pair ups for each sow then trying to project what the prospect is going to look like when picking out weanlings. My dad usually lets me pick the boars on females I really like, especially gilts I picked out. We usually split it where I pick some and he picks some.” At the farm, Max and his dad work through things as a team on most of the decisions that are made, but it’s not always easy they are known to disagree from time to time. “My dad and I like pigs a little different than each other so we butt heads a lot when it comes to feeding time. I end up making a lot of the feeding decisions because he wants me to learn from experience, but he steps in pretty often to make sure I’m not going to mess anything up.”

Although he loves raising and showing pigs, Max says that, “It’s taught me a lot of work ethic, especially taking things in strides and it’s definitely taught me how to keep a level head when things don’t go right.” As anyone involved in agriculture will tell you things don’t always go as planned; this was certainly tested this year, “My favorite hog will always be my boar I showed at the Lone Star Classic. He’s the most unique pig I’ve ever gotten to drive and he had an amazing attitude to go along with it. While I may not have gotten to show him at Houston, he got to go do bigger things at stud for Shannon Barbee.” He realizes that this is not just about showing but is a business too and was able to keep this boar intact and sale him to a boar stud. It may have been a hard year for everyone involved in this industry, with the Corona Virus outbreak and having Houston and Austin cancelled. This was certainly not how Max anticipated finishing up his senior year in the show ring, but he definitely sees the brighter things in all situations, “It’s been one of the craziest years ever for me, but like my mom and dad always told me ‘keep a good attitude and always be grateful.’”

Raising, showing and even judging livestock isn’t the only thing he is heavily involved in. Outside of ag, he also serves as the National Honor Society Vice President, is involved in church activities at First Baptist Church of Bangs, especially VBS or can be found at the lake with his friends. This past summer Max was also one of 18 students selected to participate in the Texas Pork Leadership Camp.

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While on camp Max was very engaged in all activities and was always eager to learn more. Max was definitely a little shy at first, but by the end of the week he came out of his shell, “Going into the pork leadership camp I was pretty skeptical. I thought I wasn’t going to have fun because I didn’t know anyone, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The people you meet there turn out to be some really cool friends and while you’re at camp you don’t even think about how long you’ve known them after the first day. It was a great experience that helped me understand the other side of pork production and taught me a lot.” The camper’s experience all different aspects of the pork production industry, plus parts of the show pig world throughout the week. Being a real student of the game, Max is always looking for ways to learn new concepts to take back to his own farm; so naturally he was excited for the opportunity to visit with Jay and Will Winter. “I really enjoyed touring Wintex Farms and getting to ask questions about the way they run their operation.” When asked if he could name one take-away from camp he explained, “The pork leadership camp really showed me that it’s worth it to open up to new situations and go with it, but the best part was all the friends and memories you make.”

As far as the future goes, Max plans to attend South Plains College then to Texas Tech University to continue his livestock judging career while also continuing to raise quality show pigs with his dad for the youth to exhibit, with hopes of one day working in the animal nutrition field. His main goal in life is to have a successful career and raise a family in this industry that has taught him so much. TPPA wishes Max the best of luck in his future endeavors, and we can’t wait to see what all he accomplishes!

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Get to know Max...

► I always make sure I… Pack food for the day. ► I can’t live without… food. ► My favorite song is…

Nose on the Grindstone. ► If I could meet one person it would be…

Jesus. ► If I could do anything, I would be a… owner of a hugely successful show pig and boar stud operation.

► I would never go to a show without… our snack box. ► I’ve always looked up to…

My parents. ► I hate it when… people are negative. ► The barn radio is always playing… literally anything. ► FYI...

“My mom is the best cook EVER” 91

P

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X H E IBIT R E I O M E R R

We had tremendous feedback in its first year and look forward to continuing with improvements to recognize the great exhibitors of the Certified Texas Bred Registry!

TOP 10 JUNIOR EXHIBITORS OF THE

CERTIFIED TEXAS BRED REGISTRY

point system rewarding

THE TOP THREE EXHIBITORS

OF CTBR BARROWS IN EACH CLASS AT SPRING MAJOR BARROW AND THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS, PLUS GILTS AT TEXAS’ ELITE SHOWCASE

honored during the annual

TPPACONFERENCE CONFERENCE&& TPPA

YOUTH SYMPOSIUM AWARDS BANQUET

FULL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT TEXASPORK.ORG/CTBR 92

Be sure and get your CTBR certificate from your breeder, and bring it to the ring when you show.

EligibleShows: Shows: Eligible

StateFair FairofofTexas Texas State FortWorth Worth Fort Texas’Elite EliteShowcase Showcase Texas’ SanAntonio Antonio San Houston Houston RodeoAustin Austin Rodeo 93

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Woodward County Fairgrounds |Woodward, Oklahoma

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE EXHIBITORS AND FAMILIES ON THE SUCCESS THEY HAD IN 2019 AND 2020.

SEPT. 4-6, 2020

Entry Deadline: August 12, 2020 For more information or to enter visit nationalswine.com

1318 North Chadbourne San Angelo, TX 76903 800-447-4281 or 325-653-6765 www.palmerfeed.com 95

Thanks to a unique partnership with the Texas Pork Producers Association (TPPA), the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University is working hand-in-hand with industry leaders to create a positive impact on the Texas swine industry. With TPPA’s support, WTAMU is at the helm of cutting-edge research while educating and training future leaders in agricultural production.

• New TPPA scholarship for WTAMU students pursuing a career in the pork industry

For more information on how to support WTAMU’s Agriculture Program, call 806-651-2070 or visit wtamu.edu/ag 96

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• Faculty and staff that engage in developing youth leaders in the pork industry through hosting Texas Pork Leadership Camp events • Providing learning and service opportunities to students through participating in the San Antonio Stock Show Gilt Show

• Facilitating educational opportunities for youth participants through hosting the San Antonio Stock Show Swine Skillathon • Developing future leaders and educators in the swine industry through service opportunities with the Rodeo Austin Swine Show

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Producer Spotlight

The Biggs Family

Brandon and Ethan grew up in a farming and ranching family. Both received their bachelors and masters degrees from Texas Tech University in Agricultural fields. Ethan Farms 2,500 acres of cotton and corn, and runs 100 head of commercial cattle. Brandon is in outside sales for Nutrien Ag Solutions. Both Ethan and Brandon married girls who were competitive in the show arena as well.

Brandon and Megan have 3 children.

Bristol, who has begun showing

in some jackpot shows.

Brix

Breagan

The twins and , whose favorite place is the farrowing barn.

W Ethan and Kreighton

have a son and a daughter.

Kyatt and Kais, who love

to ride with their dad out to the farm to check on all the livestock.

ith only 25 sows made up of Berks, Chesters, Spots and Crosses, Biggs Livestock is located in Edmonson, TX and is owned and operated by brothers Brandon and Ethan Biggs. Biggs Livestock started in the mid 2000’s with 3 gilts from Rory Duelm. A short time after, Brandon and Ethan partnered with Todd Beyers and Biggs Livestock operations really took off. Todd has been a big part of Biggs Livestock from the very start. Their partnership in the early years shaped the genetics lines we still use in our breeding decisions. As a fellow breeder today, Todd is an invaluable friend and supporter of Biggs Livestock. Along with Todd, Kevin Mock was instrumental in the beginning phases of selecting females and helping with breeding decisions for the operation. Brandon and Kevin’s family have a strong bond formed from the livestock industry and still discuss operations frequently. For the young people that have aspirations of raising pigs Brandon and Ethan reflect back at their experiences and would encourage you to, “Find somebody that is successful in the industry that is willing to take

the time to show you the ropes. Surround yourself with successful people.”

Many close friendships and partnerships have been formed

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through their endeavors and they feel very blessed to raise good livestock and good kids. The brothers are a great team together. Ethan, man of few words who gets stuff done, prefers to handle the farm operations while Brandon, the talkative one who can be seen at the sales and shows, handles the breeding and marketing. It certainly takes a village to run an operation, and family has been the biggest help day in and day out. Ricky Biggs, the boy’s Dad, has been the greatest help and supporter of Biggs Livestock. He is known around the farm by many names, some include: Paco, RTW, and now Bigg. He helps with all jobs, big and small to keep Biggs Livestock rolling. It’s always nice to have family that is involved in the same industry, when it comes to problems with livestock, Brandon calls on his father in law, Joe Couts, to find out old tricks to solve problems with sows or farrowing. Others that have impacted the development of Biggs Livestock have been Michael Dawson, Rory Duelm, Kyle Stephens and Jay and Will Winter. “They have all served as inspirations and support from

the very beginnings of our herd. We continue to look to them for livestock knowledge, genetics, and friendship in the industry.”

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Biggs Livestock has been blessed with a lot of success. They have acquired quite the list of accomplishments in such a short time and over the years they have had great memories in and out of the show ring. Some of their fondest memories include; Brandon will never forget having the Reserve Grand barrow at San Antonio in 2011 with a Landrace while being an Ag Teacher, raising the Grand Champion barrow at the 2018 Fort Worth Stock show (in addition to having another in the grand drive), raising the Champion Chester back to back years at Houston in 2014 and 2015 and hanging over 20 breed or reserve breed champions at Texas, Oklahoma and National shows. “One thing that makes our operation unique is

the amount of success we have been able to have with such a small number of sows. We strive to keep the very best females and are very selective since we keep our herd small compared to other breeders. We go through each day with the focus on making the next generation better than the last.” On

the crossbred side, the genetic line that has had the most impact goes back to the 357 sow from Heimer, they have retained 4 daughters of hers. She is the mother to the 2018 Champion Cross (Grand) and the mother of Bigg Money

(boar standing at MB Genetics). “Some of our proudest accomplishments have happened in the Chester ring. We are very proud of the success of each and every breed we produce, but the Chester breed holds a special spot on the farm at Biggs Livestock.” Speaking of the Chester breed, “The Chester sow famously known as MJ and the boar First Take have had the most impact on our herd.” This year at Texas’ Elite Showcase, Brandon and Ethan Biggs purchased the Foundation Sow donated by Beyers Farms.

Born in med-September of 2017, this two-year-old sow, 33-10, has earned quite the resume in only two litters.

“Biggs livestock has been tremendously successful in the Chester breed for the last 5 years and we want to continue that success. We feel like this year’s foundation female was a must have to keep us moving in the right direction.” It is evident that the pedigree of 33-10, First Take x Hilljack x Uno, is no stranger to the winners circle. TPPA and the Certified Texas Bred Registry are very thankful for Biggs Livestock for making this purchase and we wish them the best of luck with 33-10, we feel that her influence will be felt for many generations.

The future looks very bright for Biggs Livestock,

but for them their ultimate goal is; “Our goals are to stay relevant,

stay successful and to make better livestock, while building relationships with our customers and fellow breeders. Our ultimate goal would be to raise the Grand at San Antonio and Houston.” Now that can be hard without

numbers, “Although we are proud of our small herd size, it makes things very challenging as well when we try to stay at about 25 head because we have to be extremely selective in the females we keep or purchase.” The rewards that come with raising pigs far outweigh the challenges,

“The most rewarding part is by far the people that we get to work with, the youth and families we have developed close friendships with, and the industry connections. The show barn is an incredible tool to teach responsibility, loyalty, work ethic and other life lessons. There are very few other opportunities available to young people today that offer as many benefits as the livestock industry. It also allows you to form relationships in the industry that will be able to help you later in life.”

Outside of raising livestock, Brandon and Ethan

both enjoy taking time to unwind and relax. Both enjoy hunting, fishing and of course spending time with their families. It is very evident that Biggs Livestock is a family affair, “It is very rewarding and a whole lot of fun to share our passion with our kids and see them love the pig barn as much as we do.” Texas Pork Producers Association is lucky to be able to work with such a great family. Brandon currently serves on the Texas Bred Committee, and has played an instrumental part in the planning and execution of Texas’ Elite Showcase in Kerrville. They are also big supporters of the CTBR gilt sales; Ethan states, “We have

purchased many females from the CTBR gilt sales, 2 foundation females and numerous others. Each has more than paid for themselves with their 1st litter.

We think that the CTBR gilt sale is a tremendous opportunity to add key females and we are thankful to utilize that opportunity each year for Biggs Livestock.” Without people like this TPPA would not be where

it is today. They plan to continue raising quality show pigs for the youth to exhibit. Their success is noted by all, but they don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. We wish Brandon, Ethan and the entire crew at Biggs Livestock the

357 x Red Bone x Hillbilly Bone 33-10 BIGG Money

Grand Champion ‘18 Fort Worth 102102

First Take

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7 1 20

201 4 201 5 Success Over

8 1 20 The Years

6 1 20 201 9& 104 104

‘20

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Thank You

For your continued partnership and proud sponsorship of the

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XAS BRED R D TE EG E I F IS TI

Y TR

CE R

Certified Texas Bred Registry

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Introducing

Safe Choice Safeword X Next Man Up

Robbie & Keith Harkey // Hale Center, TX Robbie 806.778.7810 // Keith 806.778.3383

Private Treaty sales at the farm, call for appointment!

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Producer Connection

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