The annual Professional Pork Producers Symposium will be held at the 2007 Ohio Pork Congress on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at The Columbus, a Renaissance Hotel in downtown Columbus. The symposium will address many issues that Ohio's pork producers face today. The seminar will feature speakers from across the nation, and cover topics from circovirus and associated diseases to ethanol and its impact on animal agriculture.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 7. The symposium will begin at 8:30 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. Guest speakers will include: Pat Halbur, DVM, Ph.D., Iowa State University; Jerry Shurson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Steve Murphy, National Pork Board; Jim Bannerman of Alltech; Robin Davis, Hord Livestock Management Team; and Joe Higgins, Cooper Farms; Naomi Botheras, OSU Dept. of Animal Sciences; Steve Stitzlein and Alan Adams of Heimerl Farms; and Steve Hershberger and Ben Zientech of Kalmbach Swine Management.

Topics to be covered include:
• What We Know About Porcine Circovirus and Associated Diseases • Feeding Distillers Grains to Pigs
• An Update on PQA Plus
• A Realistic Look at Ethanol and its Impact on Animal Agriculture
• Treatment and Control of PCVAD • Promoting Your Farm and Business
• Benefits of an On-Farm Animal Welfare Training Program
• Tips on Getting Weaned Pigs Started
• Farrowing Room Tips

Pre-registration is $35 per person and registration at the door will be $50. The pre-registration deadline is Jan. 26, 2007. The registration fee will include a buffet lunch and materials for the symposium and allow producers to visit the trade show floor. Checks should be made payable to the Ohio Pork Producers Council and mailed to OPPC, 5930 Sharon Woods Blvd., Ste. 101, Columbus, OH 43229. Registration forms are available online at: www.OhioPork.org. The trade show floor will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for producers to see the latest technologies and meet with industry businesses. A reception will be held at 4 p.m. just prior to the Live Auction at 4:30 p.m.

For more information on the 2007 Ohio Pork Congress, contact the Ohio Pork Producers Council at 800-320-7991 or visit them on the web at: www.ohiopork.org.