Posted Feb. 8, 2012
Two workshops designed to help pork producers manage building ventilation equipment have been set for north central Iowa later this month.
One session will be held Tuesday, Feb.28, at the NIACC farm shop in Mason City. The second will be on Feb. 29 at the Van Diest Building at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City. Each program will be held from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Pork Industry Center are sponsoring the program with funding provided by Smithfield Foods to cover speakers and program materials.
“The workshop will teach basic ventilation principles for moisture control and heat relief, motor curve characteristics for variable speed fans, and how to identify and solve common ventilation problems and mistakes,” said Jay Harmon, Iowa State University agricultural and bio-systems engineering associate professor.
In addition to classroom presentations, presenters will demonstrate ventilation principles by using a portable room equipped with single speed and variable speed fans, a variety of inlets and controllers. The ventilation trailer is a unique educational tool that was funded by the Pork Checkoff and developed by the land grant universities of Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota State. The Iowa Pork Producers Association donated $18,000 toward development of the trailer.
“This course gives participants hands-on experience with ventilation systems so they’re ready to go when they return to their operations,” Harmon said. “They actually turn the dials and twist the knobs, which is the best way to learn.”
There is no charge for the workshop. Participants will receive a course notebook with handouts. Attendance is limited to 30, with a minimum of 10 registrations required to hold the workshop. Preregistration is required and will be available until the day before the workshop date, only if space remains.
For additional information or to preregister, contact Russ Euken, Extension livestock specialist, at (641) 923-2856, (641) 231-1711 or reuken@iastate.edu.