9:15 a.m. – 10 a.m. - Pork Quality Initiative - Everett Forkner, Truline Genetics
The National Pork Board has been involved with producer-led meat-quality projects and initiatives for more than 25 years. Increasing the consistency of pork quality will be the major cornerstone of reaching this objective primarily by sorting various pork quality attributes such as pH, color and marbling. The ideal cooking temperature – 145F, with a three-minute rest, also will continue to be emphasized.

10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. - Social Media in Pork Production - Erin Brenneman, Brenneman Farms; Logan Thornton, 2017 Pig Farmer of Tomorrow; Brad Greenway, 2016 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year
There are over 2.3 billion active social media users worldwide, and that number continues to climb. At this session, the three producers will share how they share their farms’ stories through social media and offer tips on how you can join the conversation.

11:15 a.m. – Noon - Compensation in Pork Production - Karen Hoare, National Pork Board
The 2017 survey of Employee Compensation and HR Practices in Pork Production provides both a benchmark for producers when evaluating their current HR strategies and positive talking points when promoting careers in pork production. At this session, learn about the key findings from the survey and comparisons with the 2011 survey. Hoare also will highlight successes and opportunities for the pork industry in recruiting and retaining employees.

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. - Sub-Therapeutic Growth Promoting Antibiotic Alternatives - Wes Schweer, Iowa State University
Due to increased restrictions in the use of sub-therapeutic antibiotic growth promotants in pigs, there is a need to understand effective ways to evaluate dietary alternatives. This review of published literature was performed to determine how different alternatives influenced growth performance.

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Who Are the Auditors Coming onto my Farm? - Collette Kaster, PAACO
This session will provide producers with more details about the types of people who are conducting Common Swine Industry Audits, including their backgrounds, the types of training they receive and their ethical responsibilities as third-party auditors.

9:15 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Pork Quality Initiative  - Jim Compart, Compart Family Farms, Inc.
The National Pork Board has been involved with producer-led meat-quality projects and initiatives for more than 25 years. Increasing the consistency of pork quality will be the major cornerstone of reaching this objective primarily by sorting various pork quality attributes such as pH, color and marbling. The ideal cooking temperature – 145F, with a with three-minute rest, also will continue to be emphasized.

10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. - Veterinary Feed Directive - Chris Rademacher, Iowa State University
This session will to answer your questions on the increased use of veterinary feed directives (VFDs) in pork production.

11:15 a.m. – Noon - Walking through Sow Housing and Tools Available - Tim Safranski, University of Missouri
This session will present an overview of sow housing, including an introduction to recently developed tools available to help you choose or use various sow housing options.

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. - Secure Pork Supply Implementation - Pam Zaabel, Iowa State University
Business continuity for the pork industry during a foreign animal disease outbreak revolves around the ability to move animals to processing facilities and between production premises. Having the Secure Pork Supply Plan implemented prior to an outbreak enhances coordination and communication between all stakeholders. Webb and Zaabel will present an overview on the progress of the Secure Pork Supply Plan.

2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. - U.S. Exports and International Trade - Becca Nepple, National Pork Board and Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University
Learn about U.S. pork export markets, insights into world economics and the growing opportunities for global trade.