820-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4, 1995
Networking Opportunities
Exist For Pork Producers
MALINDA MILLER
National Pork Producers Council
Lower-than-expected cash hog
market prices during 1994 forced
many pork producers to review
and analyze their operations. Not
only were short-term concerns
important, but producers also pon
dered future production considera
tions.
Indeed, all U.S. pork producers
were affected in some way by the
downturn in market prices. Yet
some producers across the country
faced the economic situation as
groups rather than as individuals.
These producers wire members of
producer networking groups.
What is networking? It is the
1990 s term being used in the pork
industry to describe business
arrangements between producers.
In some cases, it also involves
arrangements between pork pro
ducers and ag suppliers.
“Producer networks are being
established throughout the United
States,” said Earl Dotson, director
of producer education for the
National Pork Producers Council
(NPPC). “The types of networks
being formed by producers range
from seedstock and feeder pig pro
duction, group marketing, pur
chasing, to information-sharing.”
Producers with similar long
term business goals are coming
together and forming networks,
said University of Missouri ag
economist Dennis DiPietre. “Net
working in the pork industry is
gaining access to those resources
which are needed for your success,
but are not in your own capability
to provide,” said DiPietre.
A producer must decide if a
given network group fits his partic
ular operation. “Just because it (the
network) works by itself or it
works for your neighbor doesn’t
mean it will work in your opera
tion,” said lowa State University
Extension livestock economist
John Lawrence. Each producer has
different needs, different strengths
and weaknesses, and different
financial abilities, Lawrence said.
Networking is a viable alterna
tive for some, but not all produc
ers, said Lawrence. “And it is not a
substitute for good management. It
is disciplined management
because you have someone else
looking over your shoulder,” he
said.
“I think the role of networking
on the horizontal level can help
producers networking both their
assets, their information, and their
abilities into production systems
that are going to be competitive
and will make sense in the future,”
said Jan Schuiteman, DVM, presi
dent of Pro-Edge, LTD., in Sioux
Center, lowa. Schuiteman has been
involved with networks for nearly
seven years.
“We actually started network
ing before networking was popu
lar,” he said. Schuiteinan works
with networks in northwest lowa
that range in membership from
four to 15 producers, and are
involved with activities such as
centralized breeding, group pur
chasing, coordinated marketing,
and knowledge management.
Leadership is a crucial element
in a networking group. Lawrence
said a group’s leader may be one of
its members, or it may be someone
from outside the group, such as a
veterinarian, lender, accountant, or
local input supplier. Whomever is
selected, the leader is one of the
major keys to a group’s success.
Linden Olson, a crop and pork
producer from Worthington, Minn.,
suggests having someone outside
of the network group serve as the
leader if no one within the group
has the time or the expertise to
lead.
Olson belongs to Green Prairie
Coop, a gilt multiplier cooperative
in southwest Minnesota, that has
about 70 members. All members of
the cooperative contribute corn,
but not all members are pork pro
ducers. The group benefits from
adding value to locally produced
com, he said.
The benefits of networking,
said Lawrence, include capturing
resources that would not otherwise
be possible by working alone.
Some of the possible benefits and
real economies that may be cap
tured by producer networking
groups, depending on the type of
group, Lawrence said, include
obtaining proven technologies,
access to information, selling mar
ket hogs in semi-load lots, using
segregated early weaning, or vol
ume purchasing of inputs.
“We have to realize that some
of the benefits these networks are
going to receive are not financial,”
notes Olson. “The benefits may be
seeing more of the people in our
community working toward a
common goal and viewing each
other as friends in a venture to keep
our communities stronger.”
Networks do have limitations.
For one, a networking group
requires committed members, said
Lawrence.
“If there is to be a problem, it
will be a "people problem. They
have to have an incentive to be
York County 4-H Beef Club
Twelve members showed pro
ject steers at the 1995 Farm Show.
Competing and placing are as fol
lows;
Angus Steers
Keith Grubb Ist and Clinton
Hoke 4th in Light Weight Class
Tammi Grubb 3rd in Middle
Weight Class
Sara Hoke 2nd in Heavy
Weight Class
Hereford/Polled Hereford Steers
Jodi Dutrey 2nd-RESERVE
CHAMPION and Travis Reed 4th
Oother Purebred Steers
Jamie Reed 2nd-RESERVE
CHAMPION
Crossbred Steers
George Dutrey, Jr. 6th Light
Weight Class 1
Herman Hake sth and Cassan
dra Hake 6th Light Weight Class 2
New projects will start at the
next meeting on Feb. 6 at the 4-H
center in Bair Station. New mem
bers are welcome. Contact Tim
Beck, or Lois Rankin at the Penn
State York County Cooperative
Extension for more information
(717) 757-9657.
Cumberland 4-H
The first annual meeting of the
Cumberland County 4-H Live
stock Club was held on Jan, 16 at
the Cumberland County Extension
committed. They won’t do it out of
the kindness of their hearts. There
has to be an economic incentive
and things have to be structured for
them to do the right thing, not
cheat on the system,” said to
Lawrence.
A networking group also means
joint responsibility and liability
among members. To form a group,
formal business procedures includ
ing bylaws and articles of incorpo
ration are necessary.
Scott Jeckel, vice president and
manager of Jeckel Pork Farm, Inc.,
at Delavan, 111., said one of the
challenges network group mem
bers have to overcome is opening
up their financial records to other
members. “We are considerably
more humble at sub-$3O hogs than
we are at $4O-plus. It’s probably a
pretty good time for people to get
together and say, ‘Hey, what can
we do to lose less money?’ “
Jeckel belongs to informational
networks in central Illinois. “There
is strength in numbers. The more
people you’ve got on your side,
probably the better off you are
going to be,” Jeckel said.
The greatest benefit to Jeckel
has been sharing information
among members. “What do you do
that is better than I do? What do I
do that is better than you do? And
how can we use those areas to bet
ter each of us? If it doesn’t win-win
on both sides, than it’s not going to
work,” he said.
For more information on pro
ducer networking, call Scott Bur
roughs, director of producer net
working, or Earl Dotson, director
of producer education at the
National Pork Producers Council,
(515)223-2600.
Office.
The 4-H pledge was led by
Stephany Holtry and Jenny Creek
led the Pledge of Allegiance. Elec
tions were then held.
Officers elected were presi
dent, Michelle Cornman; vice
president, Shane Conaway; secre
tary, Bill Leib; assistant secretary,
Shane Winner; treasurer, Kasi
Scheaffer; news reporter, John
Creek; social chairmen, Jenny
Creek and Stephany Holtry; and
county council representatives,
Michelle Cornman and Jenny
Creek.
Broken Bit 4-H
The first meeting of the Broken
Bit 4-H Horse and Pony Club was
held January 19 at the Mt. Airy
Fire Hall.
Sixteen members and four
leaders were present. Elections
well be held at the next meeting,
Feb. 16 at the Mt. Airy Fire Hall.
There will be a Bob Allen clin
ic on horsemanship at lower
Hopewell Horse Center on April
22-23. Contact Helen Farrington,
(717) 6267-2837.
Plans are underway for open
Horse shows this summer, at
Lower Hopewell, June 18. The
Fall Fun Show will be on Sept. 23.
For more info on club activities
or to join, contact Helen at (717)
627-2837.
SEE YOUR NEARES
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