Pork producers in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota are invited to participate in the 2005-2006 PorkBridge educational series starting in December.
PorkBridge was offered as a two-state pilot program last year in Nebraska and Ohio. Positive results led to program expansion.
“PorkBridge focuses on providing timely, relevant and accurate information on six specific topics to people who own or work in swine grow-finish facilities,” says Mike Brumm, program coordinator from the University of Nebraska. “We know that producers in the Midwest want this type of information and this program helps us deliver it literally to their door step.”
PorkBridge combines electronic information viewed on computer with live oral presentations from experts by telephone. The week before each session, subscribers receive a CD containing details on that session and information on accessing the live speaker presentation. Session times are filled on a first-requested, first-filled basis.
”Cost for participating in this subscription-only series is $125, which covers materials and phone calls for all six sessions,” says Iowa State University (ISU) animal scientist Ken Stalder. Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) at ISU coordinates registration and mailings.
Session dates, presenters and topics are:
- Dec. 8, 2005: Mike Brumm, University of Nebraska, Impact of out-of-feed events and water restrictions on grow-finish performance;
- Feb. 9, 2006: Locke Karriker, Iowa State University, The basics of on-farm necropsy;
- April 6, 2006: Rick Stowell, University of Nebraska, The basics of ventilation controllers;
- June 1, 2006: Robert Thaler, South Dakota State University, Keeping pigs eating in hot weather;
- Aug. 3, 2006: Alex Ramirez, Iowa State University, The basics of grow-finish biosecurity; and
- Oct. 5, 2006: Lee Johnston, University of Minnesota, Animal welfare considerations in grow-finish facilities.
A brochure is on the IPIC Web site at www.ipic.iastate.edu/PorkBridge/2005brochure.pdf. Iowa residents can contact Ken Stalder at (800) 808-7675.
