Ohio Porkline Spring 2024 by OhioPorkCouncil

PUBLICATION

SPRING 2024

OF THE OHIO PORK COUNCIL Porkline Ohio

OH-PIGS Celebrates 10 Years!

Ohio Pork Council

PLATINUM GOLD

SILVER BRONZE

www.OhioPork.org pork@ohiopork.org

STAFF Executive Vice President

Cheryl Day cday@ohiopork.org

Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations

Mike King mking@ohiopork.org

Education Director

Kayli Mitchell kmitchell@ohiopork.org

Director of Showpig Program

Kelly Morgan kmorgan@ohiopork.org

Director, Events and Promotion

OH-PIGS Celebrating 10 Seasons of Success.... Demonstrating Ohio Pork’s Strength................ Consumer Demand Takes Center Stage........... Ohio Pork Leaders Program............................. Ohio Pork Council Interns................................. Vet Students Find Multiple Career Paths......... Ohio Pork Congress Reaches New Heights...... “Yes”

Traceability......................................... Ohio Pork Council 9798 Karmar Ct. Suite A New Albany, OH 43054 P: 614-882-5887

p. 4-7 p. 8-9 p. 10-13 p. 14 p. 15 p. 16-17 p. 19 p. 20 In this issue Cover photo: Beckett Warner, son of Nate and Stephanie Warner, Washington Courthouse, Ohio, is a proud young exhibitor in OH-PIGS.

Saydee Baughman sbaughman@ohiopork.org Advertising Send inquiries to: Mike King P:317-432-1491 mking@ohiopork.org Printing Post Printing Company Minster, OH 45865 Lucy Homan P:937-286-3349 lucy.homan@postprinting.com

Celebrating 10 Seasons of Success

In what began as a way to simply have a better organized and more manageable state show pig circuit in 2015, OH-PIGS has now become the catalyst for creating value for people of all ages and for the nation’s entire pork industry.

“There was some doubt about what we were exactly trying to do back then,” said Kelly Morgan, Director of OH-PIGS for Ohio Pork Council. “Back then the commercial industry in Ohio was much more uncertain about the necessity of a statewide show pig circuit, but we’ve come a long way in demonstrating why we’re an asset to the entire industry, including those on the commercial side.”

What Morgan and everyone involved in OH-PIGS (Ohio Pigs Influencing Great Sportsmanship) couldn’t have known nearly 10 years ago was the impact the program would have in so many ways from groundbreaking science to heartwarming events and lots of educational opportunities.

But the long-term effects continue far beyond the banners and premiums. This type of program creates an atmosphere built to produce a new generation of young people interested in and excited to work in today’s pork industry.

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OH-PIGS

Mike King Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations OH-PIGS Director, Kelly Morgan, takes time to mentor and talk with youth during shows and events.

Early Champions Encourage Growth

From its beginnings with about 100 young people ages 3-21, OH-PIGS made good on its promise to showcase education during its spring-summer cycle as much as possible by means of quiz bowls, biosecurity lessons, and general swine health information. Along with demanding topnotch integrity in how shows are managed, it’s made for a winning recipe for growth as about 200 youth are currently OH-PIGS members and many more attend the weekend shows during the season.

Dr. Todd Price of Seneca has always championed youth involvement in all aspects of the pork industry, which is why he stepped up early to help form OH-PIGS despite his busy schedule of running veterinary businesses and raising his own pigs. He said, “The show pig industry connects the pork industry with youth and helps teach them about the industry, biosecurity, and how to conduct themselves. This kind of investment in time is valuable as kids make their career decisions.”

From the beginning, Andrew and Lindsey Caldwell of Leesburg knew that they wanted their daughters Maddie and Miley to be involved in showing pigs for many reasons, so they enrolled them at seven and three years old, respectively. “It’s a great opportunity for them to learn responsibility in taking care of animals and to learn empathy, compassion, and competition as well through OH-PIGS,” Lindsey said. “They build trust with their animals, get to travel all over the state of Ohio, and make new friends, while spending time with us as a family.”

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Life lessons with OH-PIGS start very young with hard work and fun.

Echoing her mom’s sentiments, Maddie, now 17, says that her experiences with OH-PIGS will help her in the future as she looks to her future career goals. “From showing in the ring to doing things like the Swientist program, being interviewed by The New York Times, or working with the participants in the Breaking Boundaries show, these different experiences have helped shape me as a person and a leader.”

Another early champion of OH-PIGS was current Ohio Director of Agriculture, Brian Baldridge. “He even helped host a show in his area in the early years,” Morgan recalled. “More recently, he has been instrumental in helping us create the first-ever legislative showmanship show held during last year’s Ohio State Fair.”

A.J. Genter, an ag lender, show pig judge, and breeder based in Pettisville, also knew from the beginning of OH-PIGS how important it is for youth to have a show circuit dedicated to key outcomes such as networking, building life skills, and creating lifelong friendships.

“OH-PIGS has become the gold standard program and many states have looked at what we have built in Ohio and modeled their programming to mimic ours,” Genter said. “It’s providing limitless opportunities for our youth to develop a love for the swine industry—the same youth who are the future leaders of the pork industry!”

Science Shines Throughout

Also seeing the potential early on, but from a unique perspective was Dr. Andy Bowman, Ohio State University associate professor in epidemiology. He quickly understood how OH-PIGS as a program could help him and his team detect viruses that had been circulating at several fairs during the summer.

“We quickly realized that these youth shows were happening before the fairs and could spread influenza through the show pig population,” Bowman said. “The OH PIGS circuit was one of many places we started conducting surveillance ahead of fair season that was able to help so many others.”

It wasn’t long before Bowman and others saw how instrumental OH-PIGS’ participation in this breakthrough work was making a difference.

“It allowed us to understand how influenza spreads and work out surveillance methods like anonymous snout wipes that are now the standard for our entire surveillance program,” Bowman added.

OSU’s Swientist program brings science to pig shows for additional hands-on learning related to swine.

Complementing this hardcore science was the popular Swientist program, managed by the Ohio State University veterinary medicine team who focused on the interaction of youth at the shows with their pigs in terms of disease transmission.

“Our relationship with OH-PIGS has allowed Dr. Arruda, Dr. Nolting, and me to lead the academic community and swine industry on research and education initiatives in the show pig niche,” Bowman said. “While this portion of the industry is often overlooked, there are many opportunities for discovery and education.”

Far-Reaching Impact

According to Morgan, on a typical show weekend, about 200plus youth “…chase banners, make lifelong friends, and hone their knowledge through skillathon contests.”

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“One of my favorite and often overlooked benefits of the OHPigs program is the opportunities it affords to youth with a non-traditional ag background,” said Scott Isler, who operates Islercrest Farms in Prospect with his family and serves on the OH-PIGS board. “These kids get involved at a young age by showing pigs around the state and maybe nationally, and it sparks an interest that often continues to influence their career choice enough to bring them into to the larger pork industry.”

Morgan said she hopes that young people get involved and stay involved in Ohio’s pork industry. She cites Islercrest Farms’ Summer Doty, an OH-PIGS alum, who now serves as a farrowing barn manager on the farm, as a prime example of this success.

“Today, the pork industry in Ohio is seeing that OH-PIGS is more than a youth show pig circuit,” Morgan said. “It’s a major net positive for the state and beyond.”

The first OH-PIGS Breaking Boundaries show in 2023 was an amazing success for all participating youth and their families.

OH-PIGS Wins Over Time

Wins Over Time

Here are a few key highlights of accomplishments and firsts over the years.

2015

• First OH-PIGS season with about 100 members.

• Flu-testing begins with Dr. Bowman at Ohio State.

2017

• Swientist Program begins.

2020

• During COVID, began enhanced tracings of pigs and people.

• With help of Dr. Price and OH-PIGS, the Ohio Youth Livestock Expo in lieu of state fair using COVID safety protocols.

• Regularly achieve 200 OH-PIGS members.

2021

• Dr. Price influenced changes at the Ohio State Fair swine shows to accommodate COVID restrictions.

• Enhanced biosecurity began with a 48-hour biosecurity break on the schedule.

• RFID 840 tags become required for pigs.

2022

• OPC hosted Junior Swine Day with the first biosecurity session with parents.

• Foreign animal disease prevention emphasized.

• OPC Purchased RFID 840 readers to improve check in at the Ohio State Fair.

2023

• Required 840 Tags for OH PIGS-sanctioned shows.

• Dr. Arruda holds parent session on biosecurity and Secure Pork Supply Plans.

• Began Secure Pork Supply Plan writing assistance for families with Dr. Arruda.

• Inaugural Breaking Boundaries show held for special needs youth at Ohio State Fair.

• Inaugural Legislative Showmanship Contest held at Ohio State Fair with Director Baldridge.

2024

• Ohio Show Pig Foreign Animal Disease Tabletop Exercise held in Columbus.

• Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio share a grant to host biosecurity and African swine fever discussions at national swine shows (NPB grant).

• Inaugural OH-PIGS Fall Season kicks off in September.

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OHIO PORK’S STRENGTH Demonstrating

As a pig farmer, the past 18 months have been extremely challenging. I understand that you are currently making difficult decisions that have the potential to shape the future of your farming operations, your family, and the industry as a whole.

Despite the hardships, Ohio farmers have proven that they are incredibly resilient and tough. As an industry, we are experiencing a shift that can demonstrate the Ohio pig industry’s ability to stand united against all odds and show the world what we are capable of accomplishing together.

I want to reassure you that you are not alone in facing these challenges. The Ohio Pork Team, including leadership and staff, is working tirelessly every day to support you and your farm.

Over the past three years, the Ohio Pork Council has received almost $1 million in national Pork Checkoff grants to support work in the state. Our team has used these funds to guide the organization forward successfully and intentionally.

In 2023, we created a strategic framework for community engagement based on third-party research that gathered consumer and community leaders’ perspectives. As an organization, we transformed the framework into actionable steps to reduce barriers to raising pigs in Ohio and selling pork.

Selling more pork is a top priority because if we don’t sell pork, you don’t make money. However, it’s not a straightforward process. Many factors come into play, such as taste and price, which are still the main decision factors for some consumers when making food choices. While pork is affordable in comparison to other proteins, the taste can be debated along with the consumers and chefs’ struggle in cooking pork to its optimal flavor.

The Ohio Pork Team, including leadership and staff, is working tirelessly every day to support you and your farm.

For younger consumers, food is about health. One big misconception is that pork is unhealthy. However, as a protein, pork delivers high nutritional value per calories consumed. So, we need to change the old narrative.

Cheryl Day Ohio Pork Council Executive Vice President Cheryl Day Ohio Pork Council Executive Vice President

Providing food for today’s consumer is vastly different. Delivering the right product at the right portion size is critical. The pork loin, the most efficient cut, is too large and complex for the average consumer to prepare. Consumers have not taken advantage of the price to seamlessly exchange ground pork for ground beef because it is not available in every store.

At some level, the consumer also must feel good about how pigs are raised. If the pig farm down the road seemed like a bad neighbor, it could cause hesitation in buying pork.

The consumer buying preference is as complex as fixing the pork demand problem. It is essential to acknowledge that an emotional connection to pork is not evident in the United States.

Rest assured, the Ohio Pork Team is not making excuses or giving up. We are working hard to tackle the challenges in pork demand at the local, state, and national level. In this issue of Porkline, you will find various initiatives aimed at reconnecting consumers with pork.

However, we are also aware of the bigger picture. Focusing solely on pork demand while ignoring the need to build trust with the community or neglecting production problems and legislative efforts will only add to the challenge of sustaining Ohio’s pork production. It’s about striking a balance and putting together a well-crafted team that works diligently every day for every pig farmer, inspiring progressive change for the pork industry.

Together, let’s show the world just how strong the Ohio Pork Team can be.

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TAKES CENTER STAGE Consumer Demand

New technology, demographic shifts, macro-economics – they all affect today’s changing consumer food-buying habits; and understanding them has never been more complex. That’s why National Pork Board and the Ohio Pork Council have redoubled their efforts to make more progress and more “wins” in the critical area of domestic pork demand.

Understanding Consumer Types

For NPB’s market growth team it’s about heading in the right direction and being efficient as they try to engage today’s consumers to purchase more pork. To help achieve this goal, the board approved $2 million last year to create consumer segmentation profiles that will help direct future marketing efforts.

“The consumers of today and tomorrow are younger, more diverse, and are rapidly growing with trillions of dollars in buying power,” said Bill Even, CEO, NPB. “This investment will allow us to be experts on pork consumers and not rely on others to understand them.”

NPB partnered with Material, a leader in consumer segmentation, to build this segmentation and create unity and focus among all key pork stakeholders and those that influence consumers’ purchase decisions. NPB’s goal is to distill data and insights across a multitude of industry-related topics (nutrition, consumer patterns, behaviors, sustainability, multicultural preferences, and historical sales) to ultimately uncover the voice and desires of the consumer.

“This new information will allow us to aid our ability to talk with consumers and reach them with particular messages about pork as food or in how we raise our pigs,” Even said.

By the Numbers

$7.75 M FOR DOMESTIC MARKET DEMAND

$7 M

DEDICATED TO HUMAN NUTRITION GEN X + STILL BUYS MOST PORK

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NPB CEO Bill Even addressed producers at the 2024 National Pork Industry Forum in Chicago on pork demand among other key Checkoff-funded initiatives.

While all the specifics of the Checkoff-funded consumer information project are still forthcoming and deployment of inmarket tactics are a year-plus away, the data from it promises to allow much greater insights into and differentiation of today’s 130 million U.S. consumer households by using hundreds of key attributes. This type of in-depth data analysis is already used and deployed by major companies such as

Walmart, Amazon, ConAgra, and others, to reach consumers effectively. For example, it will allow future pork campaigns to better target marketing strategies such as “add-to-list” and “add-to-cart” to reach in-store, e-commerce and hybrid shoppers while also introducing ground pork and sausage products for all new and existing shoppers.

“This is a culmination to what we started in 2017,” Even said. “This journey is complex, but it allows us to be a lot more targeted and smarter about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”

For 2024, the NPB has allocated almost $8 million of its $47.5 million budget to work on domestic market demand and an additional $7 million dedicated to human nutrition, which is often closely related to activities that help build demand. Meanwhile, international market development is budgeted at $9.55 million.

Targeting Younger, Multi-cultural Markets

Although Gen-X and older consumers still buy the most pork domestically, it’s critical to be looking at younger and multicultural Americans, who are estimated to be 97% of U.S. population growth in the next 20 years. NPB has been actively engaging in the Hispanic and African American markets over the last few years to take advantage of their fondness for pork.

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At the Ohio Pork Congress, the National Pork Board’s Neal Hull, director of domestic market development, and José de Jesús, senior director of multicultural marketing, offered their insights into what producers can expect from the Pork Checkoff in the coming weeks and months to improve consumer demand in light of some eye-opening data.

On the upside, NPB recognizes that Ohio is among the top 10 most populous and deserves an outsized share of attention to reach today’s consumers. On the challenging side, Hull told those attending the Ohio Pork Congress that new research shows that Millennials and especially Gen Z, consume far less fresh pork than the older generations do.

Realizing the challenges ahead, Hull and de Jesús outlined several key strategies and activations that will help build demand, especially aimed reaching the younger consumer that values taste and flavor.

Convenience stores continue to grow in importance to NPB’s consumer outreach. Hull cited stronger relationships with c-stores across the country with new offerings such as pulled pork, Cuban sandwich, pork quesadilla, a bone-in fried chop, and most comprehensive of all – a full line of pork products at the Kwik Trip/Kwik Star chain in the upper Midwest. This chain is offering fresh chops for sale, BBQ pork, pork fritter sandwich, fresh bacon, and bacon-wrapped loins for takehome cooking.

On the multicultural front, de Jesús says NPB will continue to focus on African American and Hispanic consumers as they have a high affinity for pork culturally. That’s the upside. On the challenging side, both groups view pork as less healthy and safe than competing proteins.

De Jesús says this reality means using the data to drive tactics that work. This means Hispanic-oriented messaging will highlight pork’s versatility with vegetable dishes and African Americans will get messaging that promotes more fresh pork cuts that are healthier than further processed items.

OPC ADDS “MARCH MADNESS” TO MARKETING MIX

In seeking new ways to make pork relevant to today’s timestrapped consumer, the Ohio Pork Council team decided it made sense to go where the eyes and ears of Ohioans are in March—basketball coverage.

“We knew that we wanted to take this opportunity to show up to Ohio consumers in a new way to take advantage of today’s sports viewing habits,” said Cheryl Day, OPC executive vice president. “We’re fortunate to have such a forward-thinking board that will allow us to try something different to market pork.”

From March 1 through April 8, anyone in the greater Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, or Toledo area who watched ESPN’s streaming coverage of NCAA March Madness coverage likely saw one of five different “Surprisingly Pork” ads and short videos from the Checkoff-funded campaign that was cobranded with OH Pork. The ads extolled the virtues of pork, especially from a nutritional and taste aspect that are resonating better with younger generations. This tactic allowed all those watching on TVs, phones, computers, or tablets in these metro areas to see the campaign’s assets if it was from a streaming or cellular service source.

The Surprisingly Pork campaign is designed to disrupt many consumers’ ingrained beliefs of pork and focus on demand creation for lean, fresh pork. The goal is to communicate health and wellness facts that will educate and drive awareness to increase long-term market demand.

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“Partnering with ESPN and National Pork Board on this allowed us to do something unique as a state to promote pork in a fun and cost-effective way,” Day said. “We know that increasing domestic pork demand is critical and we want to continue to do everything we can to increase awareness in Ohio consumers that pork is a great choice pork for them and their families whether it’s a center-of-the-plate protein, a side protein, or an ingredient in a favorite or new recipe.”

Aside from the general awareness the campaign generated, OPC created a specialized Ohio-centric March Madness page that viewers saw when clicked for more information from the ads. By doing so, they got more information about why pork is THE wholesome and versatile protein of choice produced by Ohio pig farmers.

In addition, consumers who clicked for more information were enticed to enter OPC’s drawing for a grill and supply of pork in exchange for their name, email, etc., to enter the contest. By doing so, they automatically start getting the monthly OH Pork consumer-focused newsletter full of great pork recipes.

While the campaign’s final results were pending at publication time, ESPN marketing partners told OPC that “the response has been great as fans are engaging with OH Pork’s messaging above our industry benchmarks for viewing and click-through rates.”

As for OPC’s overall marketing strategy, Saydee Baughman, OPC director of events and promotion, said the ESPN campaign is mirroring the proven success of the ongoing Google Ads campaign that OPC began about a year ago. It continues to reach thousands of Ohio consumers each month through targeted algorithms to show them ads and videos the promote sustainability produced by Ohio pig farmers.

“We’re very excited about the early results of the March Madness campaign and we’ll continue to look for other innovative ways to add to our overall marketing efforts to increase pork demand in Ohio whether it’s directly aimed at consumers or key influencers like chefs, educators, or food service,” Baughman said.

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OHIO PORK LEADERS PROGRAM Launches First Class

In a first for Ohio’s pork industry, the Ohio Pork Council officially launched Ohio Pork Leaders program last fall with an inaugural class of 14 young men and women (see photos) from across the state. The program is designed to help develop young people in agriculture to become strong leaders who can represent and begin to lead tomorrow’s pork industry.

“Like many others here in Ohio, I had a great experience by participating in the national Pork Leadership Institute a few years ago, so there was a lot of support for creating a statespecific program to help develop more leaders here in the state,” said Nathan Schroeder, OPC treasurer. “We can’t have enough people early in their careers who will take the next step in becoming leaders in our industry.”

Those who decide to apply for participation in the program must have at least one year of pork industry career experience and are between 18 and 35 years of age – and of course, they must have a passion for the pork industry. Once selected, the group hones their leadership skills by participating in a variety of meetings, activities, and training sessions throughout the yearlong program designed to advance their growth as a pork industry representative.

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Brooklyn Ashcraft Selina Bevilacqua Lucas Buehler Michelle Flick Alexa Hamilton Caleb Hershberger Kalyn Kadam Cody Kaiser Rick Knapke Tyler Logan Justin Moeller Molly Rhodes Pablo Salinas Edward Van den Hengel

MEET THE 2024 Ohio Pork Council Interns

Cadance Atkins – Pig Care

Cadance is from Carey, Ohio, where she was an active member of the 4-H and FFA programs. She grew up showing pigs at her county fair and continues this passion at national shows. Throughout these experiences, she found a passion for the swine industry and hopes to further her knowledge and experience. Cadance is a first-year student at the University of Findlay majoring in animal science with a minor in business administration. She is a member of the Student Activities Board, UF Cattle Show Team, and an Orientation Leader. Outside of school, she enjoys being a tutor at an elementary school and working at her local vet’s office.

Gracie Sprague – Pig Care

Gracie is from Genoa, Ohio, where her involvement in the Ottawa County 4-H program and GenoaPenta FFA chapter shaped her passion for the agriculture industry. She grew up exhibiting livestock, including hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry. Gracie is currently an incoming sophomore at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, pursuing a degree in agriscience education with the intent to become an Agriculture Educator and FFA Advisor, inspired by her passion for agricultural literacy and developing the next generation of leaders in the field. She is a student ambassador for OSU ATI and participates in the Agriculture Communicators, Educators, and Leaders of Tomorrow, where she serves as the reporter.

Kelsie Mannasmith - Communications

Kelsie is from Burbank, Ohio, and attended Norwayne High School. She was highly involved in FFA and 4-H, where she enjoyed career development events and showing livestock. Kelsie is now a sophomore at The Ohio State University CFAES Wooster with majors in agricultural communications and community leadership and a minor in agribusiness. While attending, she has been a student ambassador, resident advisor, and a member of the ACELT, ASM and Collegiate Farm Bureau clubs. In May, she will graduate from CFAES Wooster with two associate degrees, then transition to Columbus campus for two more years.

Leah Meyer – Communications

Leah Meyer is from Anna, Ohio, where she was heavily involved in FFA, 4-H, and her family’s grain operation. Meyer has shown hogs for 13 years and beef feeder calves for the past three years. It was through these experiences that Leah found her passion for advocating for the agricultural industry. She is completing her first year at The Ohio State University with a major in agricultural communications and a minor in agribusiness. Leah participates in Sigma Alpha Agricultural Sorority, Agribusiness Club, and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.

Riley Stull – OH-PIGS

Riley is from Wooster, Ohio, where she was an active member in 4-H and FFA. She grew up on a swine farm and has shown pigs since she was four years old. She has exhibited at the Ohio State Fair, Wayne County Fair, OH-Pigs Circuit, and national shows. Her experience and passion for the swine industry earned her a position on the National Junior Swine Association’s Junior Board of Directors where she is currently finishing her two-year term. Riley is currently a junior at The Ohio State University where she is majoring in agribusiness and applied economics with a minor in agricultural communications. She is also a member of the Saddle and Sirloin Club.

Cadance Atkins Gracie Sprague Kelsie Mannasmith Leah Meyer

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Riley Stull

FIND MULTIPLE SWINE CAREER PATHS Vet Students

By Mike King, Ohio Pork Council

OPC Investment in the Future Yields Dividends

For most young people, a weekend trip to Nashville isn’t typically associated with higher learning and career guidance. However, that’s exactly what happened for a group of 22 The Ohio State University veterinary students as they attended the recent American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) meeting. In fact, they found this trip to Music City offered something far more useful and valuable than what’s offered on Broadway Street – insights into swine-centered careers that they never imagined.

“We always want to the be a strong supporter and advocate of veterinary students in Ohio who show any interest in large animals and especially swine,” says Cheryl Day, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council. “We know that they have incentives to work outside of the pork industry today, so our board decided that helping these students attend this major swine veterinary meeting was a wise investment in our industry’s future.”

Thanks to the proximity of this year’s AASV meeting and OPC’s travel help, the group of OSU vet students was the second largest one attending with only Iowa State being slightly larger. In addition, several OSU students won scholarships and awards for their academic and research achievements, which added to the collective positive vibes for this group.

“Having this kind of support from OPC made a big difference in helping get students networked with others,” says Jessica Higgins, DVM, Kalmbach Feeds. “I had multiple veterinarians reach out to me about how engaged the OSU students were this year and it seemed like a lot of good connections were made that will hopefully lead to more swine vets in the industry.”

Of those attending who responded to an informal poll after the multi-day event, all said that they were more interested in pursuing a career in swine medicine than before or were certainly more interested in it even if they did not plan to practice swine medicine exclusively – making this trip to Nashville end on a high note for the future of Ohio’s pork industry.

Dr. Andy Bowman, OSU (center left) and Mike King, OPC (center right), helped facilitate the OSU veterinary students in meeting with many swine veterinarians who work in all areas of the pork industry.

In fact, they found this trip to Music City offered something far more useful and valuable than what’s offered on Broadway Street – insights into swine-centered careers that they never imagined.

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“We are grateful for the travel assistance provided by the Ohio Pork Council. It means a lot that you would support us in learning from professionals in the swine veterinary world.”

—Allison Rapp, third-year student and president of OSU’s Food Animal Club

“I always have wanted to be a swine veterinarian and this year’s AASV meeting has reaffirmed my commitment to the profession.”

Patrick Jung, first-year student

“For me, learning so much more about foreign animal disease and what we can do now with producers to prepare really piqued my interest. I’m definitely considering a career in swine medicine.”

Laura Irwin, second-year student

“As a Californian, being at Ohio State and now attending this conference allowed me to learn that I love problem-solving on the herd level with commercial pork producers.”

—Kaitlyn McFarlan, second-year student

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National Pork Board Assistant Chief Veterinarian Patrick Webb engaged with many of the OSU vet school students during the AASV meeting in Nashville.

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2024 OHIO PORK CONGRESS Reaches New Heights

When looking back, most of those who attended the 2024 Ohio Pork Congress will likely recall it as one of the best in the show’s recent history despite more than a year of tough economics for the pork industry.

“Ohio has the industry’s greatest producers and allied industry supporters and I truly mean it,” said Cheryl Day, OPC executive vice president. “The turnout and overall success we saw in Lima this year was because of our producers’ resilience and optimism that things are looking up.”

This year’s pork congress saw about 500 attendees over its two-day run who attended Tuesday’s Swine Health Symposium, Wednesday’s Key Issue Industry Updates, or both, while they took time to visit with the Lima show record of 77 tradeshow exhibitors.

“I was pleased to hear from many fellow producers and others that this year’s pork congress was worth their time and effort away from the farm to attend,” said Nick Seger, OPC president. “We certainly appreciated all of the support by our sponsors to keep building this great show here in Ohio.”

Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge returned to Lima after his early debut at Ohio Pork Congress last year. He emphasized the need for producers to tell their farming story to everyone, including lawmakers. He added, “The Ohio Pork Council does a tremendous job representing Ohio’s pork producers.”

Another highlight of the 2024 pork congress was the annual Friends of Ohio Pork PAC Auction, which in another recent high brought in over $38,000. These funds will continue to help OPC address critical legislative issues important to Ohio producers.

No congress is complete without recognizing many great individuals during the awards luncheon. (See winter Porkline for all winners.) This year’s winner of the Ohio Pork Industry Excellence Award was Dr. Dave Shoup of Orrville.

Pork congress attendees did not go hungry either. Once again, Bellfontaine-based Executive Chef David Lani cooked up some amazing new pork recipes that had people talking and having seconds. From a traditional smoked sucking pig and pork sliders to much more inventive fare, Chef Lani took pork taste to new heights with his offerings that included baconwrapped armadillo eggs, candied bacon deviled eggs, Thai lettuce cups with ground pork, and more.

“From the producers, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, veterinary students, and others who participated, the experience we had this year in Lima was one that I’ll remember,” Day said. “It certainly helped set the tone for a much more positive and upbeat 2024.”

Mark your calendar for the 2025 Ohio Pork Congress on Feb. 4-5 in Lima!

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NPB’s José de Jesús gave an update on Checkoff’s ongoing outreach to Hispanic and African American consumers to build pork demand.

PRODUCERS VOTE YES for Traceability

Taking a proactive step protect the U.S. pork industry, producers approved a resolution to strengthen the nation’s swine traceability system at the National Pork Industry Forum held in March. The action, which will now be submitted to USDA for inclusion in its national swine traceability regulations, is designed to bolster national swine herd biosecurity and business continuity.

Taking a proactive step to protect the U.S. pork industry, producers a resolution to strengthen the nation’s swine traceability system National Pork Industry Forum held in March. The action, which will now be for inclusion in its national swine traceability regulations, is designed to national swine herd biosecurity and business continuity.

Taking a proactive step to protect the U.S. pork industry, producers approved a resolution to strengthen the nation’s swine traceability system at the National Pork Industry Forum held in March. The action, which will now be submitted to USDA for inclusion in its national swine traceability regulations, is designed to bolster national swine herd biosecurity and business continuity.

“Traceability is a priority for the industry and has been for decades,” said Lori Stevermer, incoming NPPC president and Minnesota pork producer. “These standards will improve our ability to control the spread of a foreign animal disease and lessen the economic impact of an outbreak should one occur.”

“Traceability is a priority for the industry and has been for said Lori Stevermer, incoming NPPC president and Minnesota pork producer. “These standards will improve our ability to control the spread of a foreign animal and lessen the economic impact of an outbreak should one

“Traceability is a priority for the industry and has been for decades,” said Lori Stevermer, incoming NPPC president and Minnesota pork producer. “These standards will improve our to control the spread of a foreign animal disease and lessen the economic of an outbreak should one occur.”

OPC President Nick Seger adds Ohio’s strong voice to those calling for approval of the resolution for enhancing the nation’s swine traceability system.

for approval of the resolution for enhancing the nation’s swine traceability system.

OPC President Nick Seger adds Ohio’s strong voice to those calling for approval of the resolution for enhancing the nation’s swine traceability system.

KEY TRACEABILITY COMPONENTS

A producer-led task force brought together stakeholders throughout entire pork supply chain in 2022 to identify and address current gaps in the live swine traceability system. That process resulted in the following recommendations:

A producer-led task force brought together stakeholders throughout the entire pork supply chain in 2022 to identify and address current gaps in the live swine traceability system. That process resulted in the following recommendations:

See Final Draft Standards

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• All swine owners would need to register for a premises identification number (PIN).

• High-risk swine (from traceability perspective), including cull breeding stock and show/exhibition stock, would be required be tagged with an AIN (animal identification number) RFID (radio frequency) tag.

• High-risk swine (from a traceability perspective), including cull breeding stock and show/exhibition stock, would be required to be tagged with an AIN (animal identification number) RFID (radio frequency) tag.

• Producers would be asked record consistent data points, including PIN of origin, PIN of destination, date of movement, animal type, and any official identification that is present. Producers would be asked to record this data electronically within three business days.

• Producers would be asked to record consistent data points, including PIN of origin, PIN of destination, date of movement, animal type, and any official identification that is present. Producers would be asked to record this data electronically within three business days.

• Movement data would reported to a centralized database following the detection of a trade-limiting disease.

• Movement data would be reported to a centralized database following the detection of a trade-limiting disease.

• Semen would require a label with the PIN of the source herd.

• Cull markets and packing plants would use tattoo numbers unique to each facility.

“Industry delegates at Pork Forum took a proactive step to protect animal health and producers’ livelihoods,” said Scott Hays, outgoing NPPC president. “An outbreak of a foreign animal disease in the United States would result in the immediate suspension of pork exports from the U.S., which totaled over $8.2 billion in pork and pork products last year.”

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To be your voice, we need your voice.

Pat Hord CEO Hord Family Farms Bucyrus, OH

“By raising pigs, we are providing food for people around the world. That’s a mission that we care greatly about at Hord Family Farms. We have dedicated our lives to feeding families through sustainable food production. My team does all we can to ensure the right thing is being done, even when no one is watching. Unfortunately, that’s not the narrative that is always pushed to consumers. While I’ve been blessed to be joined by my children who have come home to the farm, the social and political attitudes toward animal agriculture are much different for them today than when I started. With this trickier landscape, we as producers must do everything we can to act in the best interests of our industry.

Being an investor in the National Pork Producer Council’s (NPPC) Strategic Investment Program (SIP) is an action you can take as a producer toward our industry’s future success. By voluntarily being a SIP investor, you are providing funding for groups such as NPPC and the Ohio Pork Council to fight on your behalf. They do so much that none of us can do on our own. They can bolster favorable trade agreements for pork, squash burdensome regulations, and engage with corporate partners, so they can push back against animal activist demands. But they can only do so when they have enough resources.

I invite you to join me in becoming a SIP investor today, so family farms like mine and yours can continue to feed the world for years to come.”

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PRODUCERS VOTE YES for Traceability

PRODUCERS VOTE YES for Traceability

PRODUCERS VOTE YES for Traceability

KEY TRACEABILITY COMPONENTS

KEY TRACEABILITY COMPONENTS

KEY TRACEABILITY COMPONENTS

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