A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 29, 2000
USDA
Announces
Rules For
Pork Checkoff
Referendum
DES MOINES, la. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has announced the
rules for the referendum on con
tinuation of the pork checkoff
program. The nation’s pork pro
ducers will have the opportunity
to continue the successful 14-
year-old pork checkoff, which
has repositioned pork in the
minds of U.S. consumers, by
voting “yes” in a referendum.
According to the rules, the vote
will be held Sept. 19, 20, 21,
2000, at local Farm Service
Agency (ESA) offices. Absentee
voting will be Aug. 18 to Sept. 21
with absentee ballots available
Aug. 1.
“I think it is critical that pro
ducers get informed and under
stand what the checkoff has
done for them and can continue
to do for them,” said Donna
Reifschneider co-chair of the
Vote Yes Task Force. “I want to
encourage all pork producers to
vote yes. Pork producers need to
be making the decision about
our future, not letting that deci
sion be made for us,” according
to the Smithton, 111., pork pro
ducer.
Co-chair of the Vote Yes Task
Force, Karl Johnson said, “The
pork checkoff has been a phe
nomenal success at what it was
designed to do, build demand
and address issues that individ
ual producers couldn’t do on
their own. The pork checkoff is
producer-driven and has
evolved to meet the needs of
pork producers.”
According to Johnson, a Man
kato, Minn., pork producer,
“the checkoff-funded pork. The
Other White Meat® advertising
campaign, originally under
taken to reposition pork to U.S.
consumers, has done so. Today
the campaign has increased U.S.
pork demand, reversing a dra
matic decline from 1979 to
1985.”
Johnson continued that U.S.
pork is making its mark world
wide. Through checkoff-funded
foreign market development,
the U.S. is now a net exporter of
pork instead of a net importer.
In 1990, the U.S. exported only
244 million pounds of pork. In
2000, the U.S. will export about
1.27 S billion pounds of pork.
Johnson also sighted a 17 per
cent increase in pork’s usage at
restaurants as a direct result of
checkoff-funded efforts. He said
that increase is important be
cause 54 percent of all U.S. pork
is eaten by people away from
home.
The USDA rules restrict
voting eligibility to those pro
ducers who have marketed one
or more hogs from Aug. 18,
1999, through Aug. 17, 2000.
Upon a challenge of eligibility,
the USDA will require docu
mentation of proof of sale. A
complete set of rules on the re
ferendum on continuation of the
pork checkoff program are
available through the USDA, or
by logging on to pork’s website
at www.nppc.org.
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Stress, Sweat, And Sweet Success In
Store At Shippensburg Fair
lifetime production class. The Wickard family from a dairy
in Shippensburg shows only Swiss at the fair. “That’s Just
what we liked so we got into it. They’re you’re pets and we
just enjoy them,” said Lonni’s wife Vickie, who takes care
of fitting the animals for the shows. “They’re more gentle
and docile, just nice to work with. They’re friendly and
adapt a little quicker to different temperatures and
weather,” Vickie pointed out that the Swiss exhibit longev
ity in production and in the show ring.
Cow playing cards were the hottest item sold at this
year’s Shippensburg fair. Holly Killinger, 9, Carlisle, Domi
nique Righi, 14, of Newville, and Tori Fuller, 14, also from
Carlisle took advantage of a break in the action to try out
the Holstein-patterned cards, even though Tori showed
only Jerseys at the fair. “This is a tough show for the Jer
seys, since it’s a district show,” said Tonda Fuller, Tori’s
mother.
Jane! Zinn, 9, of Newvile, Sarah Wickard, 12, of Lo-Vi
Swiss and owner of the animals, and Jenny Zinn, 13, also
of Newville won the Brown Swiss division of the three
generation class. The class is unique to the Shippensburg
fair. “We Just started this last year,” said Art Salisbury of
Alto Genetics who worked at the show’s record table.
“We’re getting into a day and age where a cow can flush
and have 20 daughters. This was a class actually brought
out in the ’sos and ’6os in the Guernsey breed.” Salisbury
compares the class to picking up a pedigree to check a
how a cow’s family is evolving.
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Photos by Michelle Ranch
A preveterinary major at Juniata College, Billie Jo Zei
gler showed the grand champion market goat. Zeigler
spent her summer working with a veterinarian to prepare
for her chosen career. Matthew Souder showed the re
serve winner in the market goat class.
Also at Tuesday night’s FFA livestock sale, the 115-
pound grand champion market lamb, owned by Josette
Fought, went for $BOO to Hoss’ Steak and Sea House. Bill
Leib owned the reserve grand champion market lamb.
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Celebrating her first year in the dairy beef ring, Amy
Kaucher showed the champion dairy beef animal. She has
shown Jersey cows for the past eight years.
Charity Fisher, 16, Greencastle, is a Junior in the Tus
flf r °«. S ? ho °! J D ! StriCt - Toda y Rsher . w ho learned how to