AMES, Iowa — The annual series of Iowa Pork Regional Conferences has been a long-standing partnership of Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and the Iowa Pork Industry Center. The shared goal of bringing research and education to producers continues with this year's program, topics and speakers. There are four sessions, one each day Feb. 19-22, at different locations, all starting at 1 p.m. All are free.

Iowa State extension specialists will offer a Pork Quality Assurance Plus® certification session from 9 a.m. to noon at that day’s regional conference site. These training sessions are sponsored by IPPA and are free to those who preregister. Attendees are responsible for their own lunch. Lunch will not be served at the conference sites. Download the event flyer.

The topics and presenters are:

• National Pork Board Updates by Dr. Brett Kaysen, senior vice president of producer and state engagement. He'll share program updates regarding the organization's work in domestic and international markets, and its success in foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness.
• Pork Market Outlook by Dr. Lee Schulz, Iowa State extension livestock economist. He'll summarize the current supply and demand situation, draw implications for hog and pork markets, and outline a series of broader issues shaping the marketplace.
• Hot Topics in Swine Health by Dr. Chris Rademacher, Iowa State swine extension veterinarian. He'll explain new disease surveillance tools available to producers and what’s new with diseases such as PRRS, PED, and E. coli, as well as some emerging diseases. Also attendees will get tips on preparing the farm for a foreign animal disease outbreak.
• More tools for your toolbox. The Iowa State extension swine specialist for each respective area will provide updates on various topics, and share info on a variety of information and decision-making resources available for producers.

Conference dates and locations
Monday, Feb. 19 – Orange City at the Sioux County Extension Office, 400 Central Ave. NW, Suite 700.
Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Webster City, Briggs Woods Conference Center, 2501 Briggs Woods Trail.
Wednesday, Feb. 21 – Nashua, Borlaug Learning Center, 3327 290th St.
Thursday, Feb. 22 – Washington, Washington County Extension Office, 2223 250th St.

See conference details and link to the online registration form on the IPPA website. You can also preregister by contacting IPPA by phone 800-372-7675 or email bsmeby@iowapork.org.

The Thursday sessions will be recorded and made available on the IPPA website after the conference series is complete.

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IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.