Ben Wicker has joined Indiana Pork as the Director of Producer Outreach.  Wicker's time will be split between Indiana Pork Checkoff activities and Indiana Pork Advocacy Coalition initiatives.

On the checkoff side, Wicker will work on research and educational initiatives as well as producer outreach.  On the INPAC side, Ben will manage membership and work on local zoning, neighbor relations, and environmental issues.

Avoid mistakes: Ben Wicker has joined Indiana Pork as the Director of Producer Outreach. He hopes to help producers get things right the first time in the Know Before You Build program.

"Ben brings a great deal of experience in environmental permitting, agronomy, and other technical knowledge to Indiana Pork.  He will be an excellent resource both within the organization and for our producers.  We are excited to have him as a member of the team," said Josh Trenary, executive director of Indiana Pork.

Wicker is a Purdue University graduate with a degree in crop and soil science. He spent the previous seven years working at Gordon & Associates, Inc. as an agronomic and environmental consultant.  He grew up on a crop and dairy farm in Rush County which is where he currently resides with his wife and two daughters.

"We are very excited to have Ben on staff as our director of producer outreach," said Heather Hill, Indiana Pork Producers president. "With his extensive agriculture and pork industry knowledge and experience, Ben is a huge asset to Indiana Pork."

According to Hill, he has "hit the ground running" on the Know Before You Build program that was created in partnership between Indiana Pork, Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and Indiana Soybean Alliance as a resource for pig farmers before they build their next pig barn.