PIG TALESThe Official Publication of the Kansas Pork Industry

Issue 2 2009

Join Us In Wichita for the 2009 Other White Meat Tour!

Dr. Zach MatzkinDr. Zach Matzkin

1004 E. Illinois St. • Assumption, IL 62510 • 217-226-4449 • Fax: 217-226-3540 • www.automatedproduction.com

Combining over 25 years of expertise in electronic sow feeding technology with industry leading service and support. Let AP and Schauer partner with you to provide sow housing solutions that maximize animal welfare and performance.

Dr. Zach Matzkin, VMD has joined the AP team as head of ESF technical support. Zach brings eight years of expertise in the installation, service and support of Schauer’s Compident ESF systems.

Jeff Schoening, ESF Sales Manager, is a 15 year veteran with AP. Jeff brings a wealth of industry experience, technical knowledge

and a reputation for first rate service and product support.

Electronic sow feeding is the only alternative to gestation crates that provides true individual animal nutrition. The electronic

identification of sows with RFID tags also opens the door to a host of other computer controlled solutions to the management of individual animals. This includes vaccination, heat detection, ultrasonic pregnancy exam and top dressing of nutritional supplements.

• Schauer is the world’s leading manufacturer of ESF systems• Thousands of units currently in use around the world• Expertise in system design and technical support• New “TOPO” user friendly computer interface system • Hand held units enable paperless barn management• Feeds up to 80 sows per Compident ESF unit• Straight ahead exit and retractable feed bowl maximizes animal throughput• Robust and reliable feed station, refined by experience

Jeff SchoeningJeff Schoening

Embrace the Future!

Your Source for InnovativeSolutionsSolutions

AP and Schauer PartnerAP and Schauer Partner

Pig Tales 3

The Official Publication of the

Kansas Pork Industry

Pig Tales is the official publication of the Kansas Pork Association and the Kansas Pork Producers Council. The publisher cannot guarantee the correctness of all information or absence of errors and omissions, nor be liable for content of advertisements. We reserve the right to edit or refuse all materials.

The KPA does not guarantee or endorse the performance of any products or services advertised within the publication.

All Pig Tales inquires should be directed to the editors at: Kansas Pork Association, 2601 Farm Bureau Road, Manhattan, KS 66502, Phone 785-776-0442, Fax 785-776-9897, E-mail: kpa@kspork.org, Web site: www.kspork.org

President-CeO Tim Stroda

direCtOr Of industry relatiOns

Jodi Termine

2009 KPa BOard Of direCtOrsChairman: Ron Suther – Blaine

Kent Condray – CliftonThomas Frederick – Hugoton

Jennifer Gerety-- SenecaAlan Haverkamp – BernJerry Morris-- Sedgwick

Pete Sherlock – Washington Michael Springer – Sycamore

Jim Nelssen – Kansas State University

2009 KPPC BOard Of direCtOrsChairman: Michael Springer- Sycamore

Kent Condray – CliftonAlan Haverkamp – Bern

Pete Sherlock- WashingtonRon Suther – Blaine

C O N T E N T S4 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Responding to HBO

5 KPA JOINS AG DAYAgriculture Groups in Topeka

6 THE OTHER WHITE MEAT TOUROverview of Event

7 THE OTHER WHITE MEAT TOUR Tour Dates

8 RECIPESOven Roasted Ribs

9 ADVERTISINGIndustry Advertising

10 KSU CONNECTIONKansas Jr. Swine Producer Day

11 KSU CONNECTIONSowBridge

12 NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL

13 NATIONAL PORK BOARD

14 KANSAS CITY TASTE OF ELEGANCE Event Overview and Results

15 RECIPES

ON THE COVER

PIG TALES

Dr. Zach MatzkinDr. Zach Matzkin

1004 E. Illinois St. • Assumption, IL 62510 • 217-226-4449 • Fax: 217-226-3540 • www.automatedproduction.com

Combining over 25 years of expertise in electronic sow feeding technology with industry leading service and support. Let AP and Schauer partner with you to provide sow housing solutions that maximize animal welfare and performance.

Dr. Zach Matzkin, VMD has joined the AP team as head of ESF technical support. Zach brings eight years of expertise in the installation, service and support of Schauer’s Compident ESF systems.

Jeff Schoening, ESF Sales Manager, is a 15 year veteran with AP. Jeff brings a wealth of industry experience, technical knowledge

and a reputation for first rate service and product support.

Electronic sow feeding is the only alternative to gestation crates that provides true individual animal nutrition. The electronic

identification of sows with RFID tags also opens the door to a host of other computer controlled solutions to the management of individual animals. This includes vaccination, heat detection, ultrasonic pregnancy exam and top dressing of nutritional supplements.

• Schauer is the world’s leading manufacturer of ESF systems• Thousands of units currently in use around the world• Expertise in system design and technical support• New “TOPO” user friendly computer interface system • Hand held units enable paperless barn management• Feeds up to 80 sows per Compident ESF unit• Straight ahead exit and retractable feed bowl maximizes animal throughput• Robust and reliable feed station, refined by experience

Jeff SchoeningJeff Schoening

Embrace the Future!

Your Source for InnovativeSolutionsSolutions

AP and Schauer PartnerAP and Schauer Partner

Are you ready for grilling season? Try Sante Fe Chops next time you pull out the grill.

6 boneless pork center loin chops, 1 1/2-inch thick1 tablespoon chili powder1 tablespoon ground cumin1 tablespoon ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon salt

In small bowl mix together chili powder, cumin, pepper and salt. Rub evenly onto both sides of chops. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a kettle-style grill. Grill chops directly over fire for a total of 12-15 minutes, turning once.

Pig Tales4

President’s Comments

Tim StrodaPresident-CEO

Kansas Pork Association

National and state pork producer groups provided responses to HBO’s recent documentary “Death on a Factory Farm” which shows actions at a hog farm that are not condoned and, in fact, abhorred by responsible pork producers.

At the National Pork Producers Council’s March 5-7, 2009, annual meeting, pork producers reaffirmed the industry’s strong support for the well-being of its animals:

“The U.S. pork industry recognizes its moral and ethical obligation to provide for the responsible treatment of animals. Any willful mistreatment or neglect of animals is unacceptable; pork producers do not and will not defend those who choose to participate in the mistreatment of animals. The U.S. pork industry takes animal well-being very seriously and has a history of developing programs that help train producers and their employees on proper animal care, handling and transporting procedures. The U.S. pork industry affirms its obligation to act swiftly to end any mistreatment and to take immediate corrective actions to fully restore proper and responsible animal care.”

For years, pork producers, through the Pork Checkoff, have been funding research in animal welfare, animal health, food safety and public health. These research findings are then used to develop educational materials for producer training programs.

Here’s a short timeline of Responsible Pork Production.

1989 – Developed Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) program to identify practices with the potential to result in a food safety hazard and to minimize that risk through producer education about relevant on-farm practices.

2002 – Developed Transport Quality Assur-ance (TQA) program to educate personnel

who transport hogs on the proper care and han-dling of animals during the loading, transporting and unloading processes.

2003 – Developed Swine Welfare Assurance Program (SWAP) to assess the well-being of pigs during all phases of production.

2007 – Developed Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus), a continuous improvement program that helps producers measure, track and con-tinuously improve animal well-being. The pro-gram includes “10 Good Production Practices,” on-farm assessments of animal well-being and random third-party audits of production practices.

2008 – Launched “We Care,” a responsible pork initiative that includes Ethical Principles for U.S. Pork Producers. The principles include pork pro-ducers’ obligation to protect and promote animal well-being.

2009 – Urged that all pork producers become PQA Plus certified and participate in PQA Plus on-farm assessments and that all animal trans-porters become TQA certified.

As we develop and update our training pro-grams, animal welfare will become a larger component. We must demonstrates to our cus-tomers and to the public that responsible pork producers are dedicated to the production of safe, wholesome food while following accept-able animal well-being practices.

Responding to HBO Documentary

Pig Tales 5

KPA Joins Ag Groups for Ag Day in Topeka

The Kansas Pork Association partnered with The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Depart-ment of Commerce, Kansas Wheat, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Sunflower Commission, Kansas Farmers Union, Kansas Cot-ton Association, Kansas Soybean Commission and the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission to host a luncheon to honor Kansas Agriculture Day 2009 on Thursday, March 19, in Topeka.

Secrettary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky addresses the Ag Day crowd.

The lunch featured Kan-sas foods and promoted Kan-sas agriculture. Each legislator recieved a fold-er containing fact sheets that described the different facets of agribusiness throughout Kansas (wheat, corn, cotton, beef, pork, farmer, etc.). Sen. Mark Taddiken, Senate Agriculture Committee, and Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky addressed the legislators and encouraged Kansas agriculture to continue producing safe and wholesome foods for the world to enjoy.

Legislators help themselves to delicious Kansas foods.

Pig Tales6

The Other White Meat Tour is Ready to Roll

Building on the success of the 2008 The Other White Meat® Tour, the Pork Checkoff is hitting the road again in 2009. The 28-week tour will include several new cities and events, as well as retail visits across the country. A new addition to the 2009 tour includes partnerships with local food banks.

“Our research shows that consumers want to have a positive experience with a product before buying it,” said Traci Rodemeyer, manager of pork information for the Pork Checkoff. “The Other White Meat Tour will facilitate the positive experi-ence between consumers and pork through sam-pling opportunities and personal interactions with pork producers.”

The Other White Meat Tour will be traveling across the country through the traditional grill-ing season of May through September, stopping at high-traffic consumer events that reach a large per-centage of the Checkoff’s target audience, females 25-49 years old with kids in the home and who want to be better cooks.

“Pork’s presence at these large events will defi-

nitely be noticed,” said Barb Determan, a pork producer from Early, Iowa and member of the Pork Checkoff Demand Enhancement Commit-tee. “Along with sampling pork, our exhibit will be entertaining, engaging and educational.”

In addition to the face-to-face interaction with consumers, The Other White Meat Tour will be fully supported through an integrated campaign of public relations, advertising and retail promo-tions.

“The tour allows us to integrate all of our mar-keting efforts to directly impact domestic pork expenditures,” said Rodemeyer. “In addition to local radio advertising and customized retail pro-motions, we will also work with local chefs and media to educate consumers about pork and The Other White Meat Tour.”

We need your help! May 9-11 Kansas will host the Other White Meat Tour at the Wichita River Festival in Wichita, KS. We will need a total of 20 volunteers to work with us at the festival. Contact the office for details.

Get Involved and Join Us May 8-10 in Wichita!Volunteers will be offered travel and hotel expenses.

Pig Tales 7

Wichita River Festival Wichita, KS May 8-10

Memphis In May BBQMemphis, TN May 14-16

Taste of CincinattiCincinatti, OH May 23-25

Retail VisitsMidwest May 28-31

Taste of CharlotteCharlotte, NC June 5-7

Big Apple BBQNew York, NY June 13-14

City Stages Work Classic Birmingham, AL June 19-21

D.C. BBQ BattleWashington D.C. June 27-28

Taste of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN July 2-5

National Cherry FestivalTraverse City, MI July 9-11

Three Rivers FestivalFt. Wayne, IN July 17-19

Jazz & Rib FestivalColumbus, OH July 24-26

Bite of OregonPortland, OR August 7-9

Retail VisitsWest Coast, August 12-16

California State FairSacramento, CA August 21-23

Pier OneSan Francisco, CA August 29-30

Taste of ColoradoDenver, CO September 4-7

Puyallup FairPuyallup, WA September 11-13

Taste of NewportNewport Beach, CA September 18-20

OktoberfestDenver, CO September 25-27

Taste of St. LoisSt. Louis, MO October 2-4

Taste of AtlantaAtlanta, GA October 10-11

South Carolina State FairColumbia, SC October 14-18

Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships

Lynchburg, TN October 23-24

Pig Tales8

PORK & SAUCYFor flavorful rubs, marinades, and sauces, pork makes the perfect canvas. And nothing expresses this better than thick, juicy

ribs on the grill. Whether it’s a big celebration or informal get-together, they’re always a crowd-pleaser. So make pork a part of

your next gathering. Visit us online for hundreds of simple, great-tasting recipes. And get a little saucy with your cooking.

TheOtherWhiteMeat.com/PorkRecipes

Hoot-N-Holler Baby Back Pork RibsCooking Time: 60 Minutes

©2009 National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA. This message funded by America’s Pork Checkoff Program.

KPAKPA

Pig Tales 9

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Reward

In response to a member request, the Kansas Pork Association Executive Board has initiated a reward program. The Board hopes this program can serve as a deterrent to crimes being committed on member’s operations.

A maximum of a $2,500 reward will be offered to individuals who provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of persons stealing, killing or seriously injuring swine. The Association also offers a reward to individuals who provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of persons vandalizing pork production facilities.

The reward also may apply to informants who assist in the arrest and conviction of persons stealing livestock equipment or pharmaceuticals. If you would like to know more about the program, please give the KPA office a call at 785-776-0442.

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PORK & SAUCYFor flavorful rubs, marinades, and sauces, pork makes the perfect canvas. And nothing expresses this better than thick, juicy

ribs on the grill. Whether it’s a big celebration or informal get-together, they’re always a crowd-pleaser. So make pork a part of

your next gathering. Visit us online for hundreds of simple, great-tasting recipes. And get a little saucy with your cooking.

TheOtherWhiteMeat.com/PorkRecipes

Hoot-N-Holler Baby Back Pork RibsCooking Time: 60 Minutes

©2009 National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA. This message funded by America’s Pork Checkoff Program.

KPAKPA

Pig Tales10

K-State Connection

Hosts Another Great Kansas Junior Swine Producer Day

The 2009 Kansas Junior Swine Producer Day was held on March 21 in Weber Arena at the Kansas State University main campus. Over 300 youth registered and attended the event.

“The day is for more than youth of all ages. Parents, swine project leaders and other adults attend to in-crease their knowledge and abilities,” said Joel DeR-ouchey, livestock specialist with K-State Research and

Extension.“This educational

event is hands-on and highly interactive. We’re hoping to stimu-late enthusiasm, as well as provide a foundation in the management and care of youth swine projects,” DeRouchey said.

All participants received a show-pig information booklet, a

T-shirt, a pencil, a water bottle and a show guide

inside their Pork, The Other White Meat bag. In ad-dition, the day featured giveaways that totaled more than $500 in prizes and included a lunch for all partici-pants.

The day’s agenda included:* Selecting a youth project* Swine skillathon* Nutrition know-how* Showing like a pro* Three experience-related breakout sessions--

swine identification and ear notching (beginner), daily care (intermediate and senior), and swine finance 101.

Getting students involved and thinking on their own is one of the major focus’ for the Swine Skill-a-thon which was designed by K-State Youth Livestock In-tern, Kayla Clawson and Extension Youth Coordinator Sharon Breiner.

Skill-a-thon winners include:Juniors-pictured below 1st- Austin McNorton, 49 2nd- Lane Mai, 46 3rd- Kately Bohnenblust, 45 4rth-Matthew Henry, 45 5th- Gatlin Clawson, 44

Seniors-pictured below 1st- Ethan Frantz, 78 2nd- Wade Davis, 74 3rd- Amanda Bekemeyer, 68 4rth- Tina Voelker, 67 4rth- Tyler Tebow, 67

“It was a great day, a lot of fun with great involve-ment from our kids and families,” said Breiner, “the kids also really enjoyed the visit from Willie the Wildcat.”

Jr Swine Producer Day participants study

work stations

Pig Tales 11

To the pork industry

Have you heard of SowBridge?

The schedule is as follows: May 6, 2009 Reproductive Manipulation using PG600, Dr. Rob Knox, University of Illinois June 10, 2009 Reproductive Manipulations using Matrix, Dr. Ron Bates, Michigan State University July 1, 2009 On-Farm Semen Evaluation, Dr. Wayne Singleton, Purdue University August 5, 2009 Induction of Farrowing, Dr. Tim Safranski, University of Missouri September 2, 2009 Sow Watch and Piglet Care the First 24 Hours, Matt Davis, Hord Livestock October 7, 2009 Effective Pest and Rodent Control, Dr. Ralph Williams, Perdue University

Topics that have already been covered include: - Composting Mortalities Dr. Bob Thaler, South Dakota State University - Proper Euthanasia of Sows and Piglets Dr. John Deen, University of Minnesota - Breeding Management in Pens and Stalls Bob Ivey, Maxwell Foods - Crossfostering Approaches and Bump Weaning Dr. Barb Straw, Michigan State University - Optimizing Sow Performance Jon Hoek, Belstra Milling Company, Inc. - Creep Feeding Dr. Joel DeRouchey, Kansas State University

The cost of the program is $250 and includes a set of 12 sessions and supporting materials. For more information on past topics or to join SowBridge contact the Sherry Hoyer at 515.294.4496.

SowBridge is a series of programs that provide education and information to people who are involved in managing or caring for boars, sows, and/or their litters. This includes owners, employees, technicians, managers, and technical service providers. The series is designed to improve the understanding and applica-tion of various tools and techniques involved in daily care of the breeding herd and piglets. The program recognizes that the pork industry is continuously changing and current information is needed, but less time is available towards continual training programs for employees, managers an owners.

Intended to address this challenge, The Sowbridge

program, is a series of lectures designed in a distance learning format. The enrolled participant would re-ceive a CD in the mail one week prior to a scheduled learning session. Instructions are included with each CD and participants are expected to review the infor-mation before the session. On the day of the session, participants call a toll-free teleconference number and follow along on the computer as the speaker reviews the visuals. Sessions begin at 11:35 central time and last approximately 30-45 minutes in length. The program was designed to be completed over the noon period minimizing interruption of the normal daily work schedule.

Pig Tales12

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) conducts public policy outreach on behalf of its 44 affiliated state association members 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 market.

The NPPC is primarily funded through the Strategic Investment Program, a voluntary producer

investment of $.10 per $100 of value that funds state and national public policy and regulatory programs on behalf of the U.S. pork producers.

NPPC APPROVES RESOLUTIONS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES

At its annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum held March 5-7 in Dallas, the National Pork Producers Council adopted a number of resolutions, including ones that call for:

· The federal government, once the ethanol blender’s credit and tariff on ethanol imports expire at the end of 2010, to “transition” to a counter-cyclical payment system that provides ethanol producers a safety net during severe economic times.

· Opposition to giving incentives, including subsi-dies, for cellulosic ethanol production from corn-ethanol co-products and to any increase in existing federal or state mandates on corn-based ethanol usage.

· Opposition to increasing the percentage of ethanol that must be blended with gasoline from its current 10 percent rate.

· Opposition to efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from farms.

· Evaluating the economic, policy and regulatory impact on the U.S. pork industry of so-called global warming.

· Improvements in unloading procedures for pigs at packing plants, including a protocol for dealing with pigs still on trucks when a plant is shut down by inspec-tors for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service.

· USDA to publish weekly pork export data.· Increasing USDA’s Farm Service Agency loan guaran-

tee levels to $5 million from just under $1 million. · NPPC to give input and provide direction to USDA to

ensure that the rules for the Country-of-Origin Labeling law and its implementation do not cause harm to the pork industry.

· All pork producers to participate in the U.S. pork industry’s Pork Quality Assurance-Plus program, which educates producers about best management practices and

includes on-farm site assessments and potential third-party audits of production practices.

· Pork processors to encourage animal transporters to become certified under the U.S. pork industry’s Transport Quality Assurance program

“The resolutions approved by NPPC producer delegates reflect the issues of concern to the U.S. pork industry and its ability to produce safe, wholesome, nutri-tious product and to compete in the global marketplace,” said NPPC President Don Butler. “NPPC will work with Congress, the Obama administration and the entire pork chain to address these and other matters of importance to U.S. pork producers.”

KENNEDY ANTIBIOTICS BAN DETRIMENTAL TO PIGS

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would be detrimen-tal to the health and well-being of pigs, would increase pork producers’ production costs and the price consumers pay for pork and could jeopardize public health, according to the Nation Pork Producers Council.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., introduced legislation that would ban the use in livestock of animal health prod-ucts that prevent or control diseases.

“Pork producers are committed to maintaining the well-being of our animals, and we need access to a range of animal health products to keep our pigs healthy and, in turn, produce safe food products. These bills will prevent that, and we’ll see more pigs die and higher production costs, and that means consumers will pay more for pork,” said NPPC President Don Butler.

A 1999 ban in Denmark on some antibiotics used in pork production resulted in an increase in piglet deaths and in the amount of antibiotics used to treat diseases.

The Kennedy bill, which would prohibit the use of antibiotics that promote growth in livestock but which also would ban ones that prevent and control disease, was introduced to address the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But a 2000 survey of human health experts found that 96 percent of antibiotic resistance in humans is due to human use of antibiotics. Additionally, according to the Animal Health Institute, less than 5 percent of animal antibiotics are used for nutritional efficiency – which promotes growth – and even the majority of those prevent diseases.

“Pork producers have a moral obligation to use anti-biotics responsibly to protect human health and provide safe food,” said Jennifer Greiner, DVM, NPPC director of science and technology. “Producers also have an ethical obligation to maintain the health of their pigs, and antibiot-ics are an important tool to help us do that.”

Pig Tales 13

The National Pork Board has responsibility for research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with

pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in

advertising, consumer information, retail and food service marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, education and technology, and swine health, pork quality and safety.

PORK CHECKOFF OFFERS PORK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, YOUR PORK INDUSTRY INVESTMENT

The Pork Checkoff is offering the 2009 Pork Management Conference, Your Pork Industry Investment, May 6-8, in Fort Myers, Fla.

“The Pork Checkoff provides this conference for pork producers, including anyone involved in the manage-ment, accounting or finances of an operation, as well as consultants and lenders,” said Ron Schoo, chairman of the Pork Checkoff’s Producer Services Committee and a pork producer from New Um, Minn. “This Checkoff-funded conference offers the most up-to-date production and financial information that affects the pork industry today.”

During the conference, participants will learn about topics such as emerging food trends, credit analysis, U.S. agriculture outlooks, global trade and more from several pork industry professionals. Three concurrent sessions are planned for Thursday. Topics include managing employee benefit costs, real life production budgeting, hedge strate-gies, business interruption, GAAP update, production targets, tax update, A-Z nuts and bolts on pork production and worker safety/OSHA.

A complete agenda is available online at pork.org or con-tact the KPA office for more information.

PORK SHINES AT AG DAY DINNERA menu of Irish stout and maple-glazed rack of pork

with smoky bacon crushed potatoes, accompanied by mixed greens with smoked ham, wowed more than 150 guests at the mid-March Ag Day Dinner at the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture’s (USDA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This meal has to be perfect, and Chef Mark Salter takes great pride in ensuring that the pork is exceptional,”

says Howard Greenblatt, national foodservice marketing manager for the Pork Checkoff, who helped prepare and plate the dinner.

For the past six years, the Pork Checkoff has worked with the National Pork Producers Council, which sponsors the Ag Day meal. This year’s dinner, which included guest speaker and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, was served to ag industry leaders from various commodity groups and other industry organizations.

Salter, one of the Pork Checkoff’s Celebrated Chefs and executive chef at Maryland’s famed Inn at Perry Cabin, was extremely pleased with this year’s event. “My goal is to make sure that everyone appreciates the pork that is served, and this was probably the best dinner we’ve done with USDA. Not only did the Irish stout tie in with St. Patrick’s Day, but it pairs well with pork.”

The guests concurred. “The pork dinner was outstand-ing,” says Richard Degner, executive director of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “In fact, one of the gentlemen at my table requested the recipe, stating that the pork re-minded him of prime rib. The meal was a tremendous effort on behalf of America’s Pork Producers.”

SUPERMARKETS, COMMISSARIES SUPPORT PORK PROMOTIONS

Being in the right place at the right time has generated unique pork promotions across the country and around the world this year, from major supermarket chains to commis-saries at U.S. military bases.

Earlier this year, an advertising agency approached the Pork Checkoff about buying a full-page ad in the official 2009 Super Bowl program guide. The package deal includ-ed pork advertising at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl. To increase exposure for pork, Mike Walser, Pork Checkoff’s retail marketing manager for the south east division, also contacted Delhaize America, the parent company of Food Lion, Hannaford Bros., Harvey’s and Sweetbay Supermarkets, which include 1,500 stores.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), which services 276 military bases worldwide, has also enlisted special pork promotions in 2009. By partnering with John-sonville sausages, the Pork Checkoff worked with DeCA to feature a full-page sausage ad and 50-cent coupon in Janu-ary’s “Military Maxi Saver” flyer, a coupon magazine that is hand-delivered to each military family’s door.

In fact, the campaign was so successful that DeCA is already working with the Pork Checkoff on a “Meat Your Healthy Choices” promotion for the summer of 2009. In this meat managers’ contest, the commissary with the high-est percent increase in pork sales will win prizes.

Pig Tales14

optimizes productivity

Alpharma, the Alpharma logo, and BMD are registered trademarks of Alpharma, Inc.

The BMD sow program yields areturn-on-investment of 9:1.

Multiple research studies have shown:

Animal Health Tel 1-800-645-4216 alpharmaswine.com

A 5-week sow

program boosts maternal

health, resulting in piglets

that generate

BMD®

more income.more income

healthier

heavier

faster

more

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What Is We Care?The We Care responsible

pork initiative is a joint effort of the Pork Checkoff, through the National Pork Board, and the Na-

tional Pork Producers Council, to help demonstrate that producers are accountable to established ethical principles and animal well-being practices.

The pork industry already offers numerous programs, including Pork Quality Assurance Plus® (PQA Plus®) and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA), to support an-imal well-being and maintain a safe, high-quality supply of pork. The We Care initiative ties everything together to help the public view the pork industry as a self-regulated business that earns the trust of others.

Other programs that producers can take part in to sup-port the We Care responsible pork initiative include Op-eration Main Street, Neighbor to Neighbor and NPPC’s LEADR program.

To find out more about the We Care responsible pork initiative contact the KPA office.

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A Big Win for Woo

Chef Justin Woo, from the Oak Room at the In-tercontinental Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City, garnered top honors at the Taste of Elegance culinary competition held February 24 at the Overland Park Marriott. His winning entrée, Pork Cheek with Spicy Pork Ravioli Truffle Reduction, Bulls Blood Salad, Brussels Sprouts, earned him the $1,000 prize and an invitation to compete in the national Taste of Elegance competition.

The event was sponsored by the Kansas Pork As-sociation, Missouri Pork Association, Sterling Silver Premium Meats, the ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association, the Overland Park Marriott, Wyldewood Cellars and Harvesters Community Food Network. Twelve chefs competed in the competition, with Ster-ling Silver brand pork featured center plate.

Chef Matt Chatfield of the Culinary Center of

Kansas City in Overland Park, Kansas received sec-ond place with his entrée, Fire Roasted Pork Rack Chop with Fresh Herb Salt Crust and Barley Risotto. Chef Jason Thomas of the Brookridge Golf & Country Club in Overland Park pre-pared the third place entrée of Southwest Asian Pork. The People’s Choice Award went to Chef Brian Hove with the KCI Marriott in Kansas City for his Calypso Pork.

Chef Woo will advance to the national Taste of Elegance in Baltimore, Maryland, which has been sponsored by the National Pork Board since 1987.

Woo’s winning dish.

Pig Tales 15

optimizes productivity

Alpharma, the Alpharma logo, and BMD are registered trademarks of Alpharma, Inc.

The BMD sow program yields areturn-on-investment of 9:1.

Multiple research studies have shown:

Animal Health Tel 1-800-645-4216 alpharmaswine.com

A 5-week sow

program boosts maternal

health, resulting in piglets

that generate

BMD®

more income.more income

healthier

heavier

faster

more

healthier

heavier

faster

more

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Kansas Pork Association2601 Farm Bureau RoadManhattan, KS 66502

PIG TALESThe Official Publication of the Kansas Pork Industry

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Support the Association by becoming a member or advertising in Pig Tales!Become a member today! Visit our Web site, www.kpa.org or call the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 to get a membership or Industry Partner form. For advertising rates, sizes and deadlines, please contact the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 or E-mail kpa@kspork.org.

“W“W“WEEE D D DELIVERELIVERELIVER T T THEHEHE M M MALEALEALE””” When was the last time you got the Service and Quality you

deserve from your boar stud?

At ZFI, we’re more than just another semen supplier. We realize that semen from

genetically superior animals is of little value if it is not handled properly and delivered on time.

That’s why we personally deliver our semen and maintain control of quality from our

boar to your door. (877) ZFI-STUD - (877) 934-7883

- Family Farming Operation Since 1916 - Six Generation Family Business -- 3 Days/Week Delivery - Personal Courier Service -

- Ultra Remote KS Location - PRRSv FREE for 10 years -

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