Wal-Mart Meat Division V.P. Keynote
At Midwest Pork Conference
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—Pork
producers from Ohio, Indiana,
Kentucky, Michigan have joined
forces to organize the first ever
Midwest Pork Conference
(MPC), September 6 and 7 at the
Indiana State Fair Events Cen
ter, Indianapolis, Ind.
“Marketing For Profitability”
is the theme for the educational
sessions on Friday, September 7.
Experts will conduct professional
training sessions on maximizing
opportunities in a changing mar
ket, marketing manure, success
ful industry marketing ventures,
Humans And Horses At Risk
For Mosquito-Bome Diseases
ANNAPOLIS, Md. Concern
about mosquito-bome disease in
fecting Maryland’s equine ani
mals, ostriches and emus is rising
among Maryland Department of
Agriculture (MDA) veterinarians.
Conditions are favorable for ap
pearance of both Eastern Equine
Encephalitis (EEE) and West
Nile Viral Encephalitis (WNV) in
Maryland and surrounding states
this summer. Both viruses are
spread by mosquitoes from in
fected birds to humans, horses,
and various species of birds.
Mosquitoes trapped recently
on Ctuncoteague Island, Va. were
found infected with EEE virus.
Four crows found dead in Balti
more tested positive for WNV,
and the disease has been found in
New Jersey crows and mosqui
toes as well as in mosquitoes
trapped in Delaware. Further
more, large populations of mos
quitoes are predicted in all Mid-
Atlantic states.
Horses, ponies, donkeys, and
mules can be protected from EEE
by vaccination, but the vaccines
are only effective for six to 12
months. Maryland State Veteri
narian, Dr. Roger Olson, urges
owners of equine animals, os
triches and emus to take precau
tionary measures against the dis
eases and to consult their local
veterinarian about vaccination
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| Specializing in agriculture and construction industries
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mandatory price reporting, pack
er profiles, adding value to pork
through niche marketing and
food safety issues in the pork in
dustry.
Keynote speaker is Ken Par
nell, vice president of Wal-Mart’s
meat division. Parnell will discuss
Wal-Mart’s meat sales activities
and where he sees the future for
the meat industry.
Sponsored by the Indiana Pork
Producers Association (IPPA), in
cooperation with the Ohio, Mich
igan and Kentucky pork produc
ers associations, the two-day
against EEE. It is hoped that a
vaccine for WNV will be avail
able for horses later this year.
Meanwhile, the risk can be re
duced by avoiding exposure to
mosquitoes and helping to elimi
nate breeding sites of mosquitoes.
Recommendations, which can
be adapted to protect both horses
and humans, include avoiding
outdoor activities after dusk, use
of insect repellents, eliminating
standing water, installing fine
mesh screening in windows and
doors of homes and stables, and
avoiding marshes and wetlands.
People are advised to wear
light colored, long sleeved shirts,
and long pants. Standing water is
the largest source of mosquitoes.
Bird baths, used tires, rain gut
ters, tarps and grill covers, or any
other containers should be emp
tied or flushed to minimize mos
quito populations.
Maryland horse owners should
be alert for any of the. following
symptoms in their animals: ap
prehension, depression, listless
ness, trembling, head shaking,
lower lip or tongue paralysis, lack
of coordination or staggering,
weakness of hind legs, paralysis,
or sudden death. If any of these
symptoms are observed, a veteri
narian should be contacted im
mediately.
More animals recover from
event will focus on professional
development for today’s pork
producer, with a customized
trade show time exclusive of
other conference events.
“With the World Pork Expo
being cancelled because of the
foot and mouth disease outbreak
in Europe, this is the opportunity
for producers from around the
Midwest to get together and learn
from each other,” says Sherrill
Rude, MPC Manager.
MPC’s trade show will feature
more than 250 exhibitors involv
ed in the pork industry. To give
WNV than from EEE, but many
do not. Some die and others are
humanely destroyed because of
permanent brain or spinal cord
damage. MDA’s five Animal
Health Laboratories will perform
free post mortem examinations
including testing for rabies, EEE,
WNV, and other neurologic dis
eases on such cases.
Citizens are advised also to re
port dead crows, blue jays, or
raptors (hawks, owls, etc.) to
Maryland’s West Nile Virus Call
Center at 1-866-866-CROW
(2769) from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon
day-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on
weekends. General information
regarding WNV is also available
at that number.
C-SAW Offers Help
With Pa. Watershed Grants
PENNSBURG (Montgomery
Co.) Local groups that have re
ceived a PA DEP Growing
Greener Grant or are interested
in improving their application for
one can receive free technical as
sistance from the C-SAW Pro
gram.
The Southeastern Pennsylva
nia Resource Conservation and
Development (SEPA
RC&D) Council is accept-
I ing applications from local
X groups and municipalities
!for the C-SAW Program.
C-SAW, Consortium for
Scientific Assistance to Wa
tersheds, is a group of tech
f nical specialists available to
j assist on watershed activi
f ties.
Arthur B. Holland, SEPA
RC&D chairman said,
“Help is available for organ
izations and agencies to
gain the knowledge and
MPC participants quality time
with exhibitors, the trade show
will run from 12:45 p.m. to 5:30
p.m., Thursday and Friday after
the educational segments have
concluded.
According to Rude, the MPC
will offer five different profes
sional development educational
tracks producers can participate
in. Sessions are planned for each
track on both Thursday and Fri
day. “We’ve tried to meet the
needs of all types of pork opera
tors by picking timely topics and
featuring the best experts in the
business,” adds Rude.
Track 1 sessions are designed
for key decision makers in pork
operations with multiple employ
ees at different site production fa
cilities.
Track 2 targets the producer
who receives a significant portion
of their income from pork pro
duction and is interested in now
to differentiate their operation.
Track 3 sessions focus on con
tract growers/managers who are
looking for new ways to diversify
and maximize their income.
Thursday’s Track 4 session has
been developed for people involv
ed in the onice/business manage
ment activities in a pork opera
tion.
Friday’s Track 4 sessions are
geared towards employees inter
ested in upgrading their skills.
In addition, there is a Track 5
session for producers interested
in getting a first-hand look at the
retail and foodservice industry
who utilize pork.
Thursday, September 6, is
skills necessary to successfully
complete a Growing Greener
Grant or prepare an accurate ap
plication for a grant.”
The Growing Greener Grant
Program is part of the Pennsylva
nia Department of Environ
mental Protection effort to pro
tect and improve the state’s
watersheds.
Five organizations are avail
able to help. The participating
technical experts are Alliance for
Aquatic Resource Monitoring at
Dickinson College, Canaan Val
ley Institute, Delaware River
keeper Network, Stroud Water
Research Center and the United
States Geological Survey. These
specialists will not conduct the
monitoring or complete the proj
ects, but are available to help
identify solutions and provide
training to accurately monitor ac
tivities.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 28,2001-A35
Speaker
“Production Technology Day”
and feature sessions with indus
try experts on profitable manage
ment of swine facilities, exploring
pork production options, new
ideas in pork production, em
ployee relations, financial man
agement, swine nutrition, liabili
ties in pork production, and how
to get the best contract.
Other MPC activities include a
Ribs N’ Bibs golf outing Wednes
day afternoon, September 5 be
fore the official conference kick
off. The golf outing will be fol
lowed with a Ribs N’ Bibs recep
tion at the Indiana State Fair
grounds Exposition Hall.
Thursday evening the “Best of
the Midwest” tasting reception
will feature new value-added
pork products available to con
sumers.
Friday morning conference at
tendees can participate in a con
tinental breakfast and learn
about new university research
projects in the Midwest.
Early-bird registration for all
events (before July 31) is $75 and
$lOO at the time of the confer
ence. For producers interested in
attending only one full day of the
MFC, registration is $5O.
Registration is $25 for produc
ers wishing to attend only the
trade show and luncheon. Chil
dren ages 6-18 registration is $25.
To register for MFC call the reg
istration office at 317-713-1553.
For more information about
MFC, contact the Indiana Pork
Producers Association at
(800-535-2405) or email them at
info@midwestpork.com.
Some of the services available
include: determining watershed
issues, selecting appropriate
equipment, identifying macroin
vertebrates, riparian and stream
restoration, and data interpreta
tion. The C-SAW Program is
funded by a special Growing
Greener Technical Grant. This
partnership’s free services will be
available for the next two years.
Information about the C-SAW
Program or to obtain an applica
tion for technical help, please
visit the project Website, http://
pa.water.usgs.gov/csaw. For more
information or to submit an ap
plication, contact the Southeast
ern Pennsylvania Resource Con
servation Development Council.
The office is located in Penns
burg, Montgomery County.
Phone: (215) 541-7930.