Iowa Pork Regional Conferences Will Offer Industry Updates Feb. 19–22

February 7, 2024

Four one-day educational conferences for pork producers across Iowa will take place Feb. 19-22. The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA), Iowa Pork Industry Center, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are joining forces to offer updates on the economic outlook of the pork market, swine health, disease preparedness, and more.

Pork producers, production employees, veterinarians, and swine industry stakeholders are encouraged to register and attend one of the four events.

The conference locations and dates are:

Monday, Feb. 19 — Orange City at the Sioux County Extension Office, 400 Central Ave. NW, Suite 700

Tuesday, Feb. 20 — Webster City at the Briggs Woods Conference Center, 2501 Briggs Woods Trail

Wednesday, Feb. 21 — Nashua at the Borlaug Learning Center, 3327 290th St.

Thursday, Feb. 22 — Washington at the Washington County Extension Office, 2223 250th St.

There are four topics for the afternoon sessions:

  • Updates from the National Pork Board — Dr. Brett Kaysen, senior vice president of producer and state engagement, will share program updates regarding work in domestic and international markets, as well as success in foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness.
  • Pork Market Outlook — ISU Extension Economist Dr. Lee Schulz will summarize the current supply and demand situation, draw implications for hog and pork markets, and outline a series of broader issues shaping the marketplace.
  • Hot Topics in Swine Health — Dr. Chris Rademacher will discuss new disease surveillance tools available to producers and what’s new with diseases such as PRRS, PED, and E. coli, as well as some emerging diseases. He will offer tips on preparing a farm for a foreign animal disease outbreak.
  • More Tools for your Toolbox — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has five area swine specialists across the state ready to help solve production problems and provide practical solutions. They aim to promote and enable efficient pork production by disseminating decision-impacting information to producers. They will discuss some of the tools they can put in your toolbox.

“I am excited to offer producers an opportunity to learn and engage with colleagues, extension, and National Pork Board staff,” said Zoey Dinkla, IPPA's producer education director.

In addition to the Regional Conferences program that runs from 1 to 5 p.m. each day, a separate morning session from 9 a.m. to noon will provide Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus® training. Producers can attend one or both sessions.

For details or to register online, visit iowapork.org/regionalconferences. Or preregister by calling IPPA at 800-372-7675 or emailing bsmeby@iowapork.org.