January 28, 2010
For More Information, contact
Don Nikodim, (573) 445-8375
Strategies for a New Era at the 2010 Missouri Pork Expo
Missouri Pork Industry to Host Educational Sessions and State’s Largest Swine Trade Show
Columbia, Mo.,—The Missouri Pork Association welcomes producers, suppliers and distributors to the 2010 Missouri Pork Expo. The two-day event promotes the pork industry, educates youth and adults, and distributes information from current research. The Expo begins the morning of Wednesday, February 10 and runs through Thursday afternoon, February 11 at the Holiday Inn Select Expo Center.
The Educational Series and one-day Swine Trade Show are feature attractions for the 2010 Expo. Participants may also attend events including the FFA Pork Speaking Contest Finals, Pork Industry Banquet and Pork Leadership Breakfast.
The largest swine-specific trade show in Missouri will include more than 60 agricultural businesses. The show registration, sponsored by Davidson Construction and Management Co. LLC, opens at 8 am Wednesday and includes a silent auction, as well as the Trade Show Hospitality Area, sponsored by MFA, Inc. Live auction items to be sold during the Pork Industry Banquet will also be on display. The trade show closes at 5 pm that evening.
More than 100 youth are expected to complete Show Me Quality Assurance (SMQA) certification during the 2010 In the Show Ring educational workshop. The Wednesday workshop prepares young people to show swine at the local and state levels. Youth will learn good management, nutrition and showmanship practices during sessions led by industry professionals. Live animals for the sessions will be provided by OBC Genetics of Wellsville. Participants will also enjoy lunch and a scavenger hunt, sponsored by FCS Financial. SMQA certification is required for youth swine exhibitors in Missouri.
The Missouri Pork Expo will host a barbecue lunch on Wednesday, sponsored by Cargill Pork and prepared by the Mizzou BBQ Team. This will follow the FFA Pork Speaking Contest finals, sponsored by MFA Incorporated.
The 2010 Expo Educational Series kicks off February 10 with Dr. Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics of Des Moines, IA, who will give a swine industry update, sponsored by Alltech. Producers can also attend the PQA Plus Certification session Wednesday afternoon.
The Pork Industry Banquet will include a wine tasting, courtesy of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, as well as the Missouri Pork Association’s live auction. There is an additional $25 fee to attend the Banquet, which is sponsored by the Pork Checkoff and Farmland Foods.
The Educational Series continues February 11 with the Pork Leadership Breakfast, featuring Jim Wiesemeyer from Informa Economics in Washington, D.C. There is an additional $35 fee to attend the breakfast, which is sponsored by Murphy Brown LLC and the National Pork Producers Council. Stay after breakfast for topics presented by the Commercial Agriculture Program at the University of Missouri. Faculty from MU will discuss legal issues in the industry, upcoming issues and a weather update. Darrick Steen with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will discuss the new CAFO rules.
The Expo concludes with a Missouri Pork Association Board meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Additional sponsors for the 2010 Missouri Pork Expo include ADM, the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Missouri Agribusiness Association, Sirrah Bios and UPI/Parks, LLC.
Registration for the Expo is $10 and includes all activities except the Pork Industry Banquet and the Pork Leadership Breakfast. The fee is waived for Missouri Pork Association members and youth.
More information regarding the 2010 Missouri Pork Expo is available at www.mopork.com, or through the Missouri Pork Association at (573) 445-8375.
The Missouri Pork Association represents the state’s pork producers in the areas of promotion, research, education and legislation. For more information about this or any other programs of the Missouri Pork Association, go to www.mopork.com, or call the Missouri Pork Association office at (573) 445-8375.
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