Posted April 16, 2014

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, food safety, animal welfare and biosecurity will be some of the pressing topics covered on June 26 at the third annual Iowa Swine Day at Iowa State University in Ames.

Regional, national and international leaders in swine research, economics, veterinary medicine, production, animal welfare and the marketplace will address challenges facing the pork industry, animal science and consumers. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State campus.

Speakers include Dr. Richard Raymond, former U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary for food safety, and Justin Ransom, national director of supply chain management for McDonald’s.

Iowa Swine Day is open to all pork producers, pork industry suppliers, extension personnel, consultants, researchers, veterinarians and students, who are eligible for a discount on registration if they are currently enrolled in school.

The cost of the meeting is $60, if registered by June 13. The fee includes coffee, snacks, lunch and a copy of the proceedings. Advanced registration is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/iowaswineday/.

The event is presented by the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Pork Industry Center and ISU Extension.

The conference follows the 2014 Lauren Christian Pork Chop Open being held the previous day at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames.

Cost for the 18-hole best ball tournament remains the same at $85 per person ($340 per four-person team), which includes lunch, beverages, and snacks. The registration deadline is Wednesday, June 11, or when the field of 32 teams is filled. The registration form is available on the Iowa Pork Industry Center website.

On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Awards and a reception honoring the 2014 recipients of the Lauren Christian undergraduate and graduate scholarships will follow the tournament at the course.