U.S. Pork Center of Excellence

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: <br/>The U.S. pork production industry faces a crisis in availability of human capital. Fewer farms are producing significantly larger numbers of hogs which creates a shift from family farms to commercial production facilities and to a professional workforce. The lack of skilled, trained pork production workers strains the ability of producers to maintain an optimum production and animal welfare focus and responsibly manage the environment while remaining economically viable. Dwindling numbers of trained swine specialists provide science-based information to producers, conduct critical research, and provide classroom instruction for the next generation of swine industry leaders. These factors impact food safety, environmental efforts, and animal welfare and workforce opportunities. The USPCE exists to facilitate national research, education and
extension collaboration to deliver resources to producers and end users. Curriculum developed meets industry need for a trained work force and the next generation of educated leaders. Nutrition and reproduction resources need to consolidate and deliver research information to producers in an accessible, intuitive manner. Environmental issues are addressed with a collaborative, multistate, multi-institutional, integrated research, education and extension effort. Outcomes include trained workforce for production facilities, source for science-based training for producers, science-based for credit curriculum for undergraduates as future industry leaders and researchers, science-based information readily available to producers and policy makers by which to make educated decisions.
<p>APPROACH: <br/>The Pork Information Gateway (PIG) provides science-based and peer reviewed information on all aspects of pork production to producers. Domain editors evaluate content and determine focus, updates, and revisions. They develop and review fact sheets, which are formatted and posted to website. Evaluation is conducted by the Domain Editors. The National Swine Nutrition Guide (NSNG) compiles information on all aspects of swine nutrition from several sources into one science-based and peer reviewed resource for use by producers. It was updated and expanded to include a nutrient excretion module and expanded feed stuffs library and metric conversion. Evaluation was provided by producers and swine specialists with feedback on undated, revisions and additions. Swine Science Online (SSO) courses are offered on a regular rotating schedule through Ag*Idea, a national
consortium of universities offering programs and courses in agriculture disciplines. Instructors are scheduled through 2015. It is governed by a permanent policy committee that manages course content, development of new courses, instructors, schedules, recruitment and evaluation. All courses were beta tested before going live. Ongoing evaluation provided by participation of instructors and students in the courses. It is promoted by participating universities, instructors, policy committee, at trade shows, professional conferences, and national and state pork organizations. All beta testing of courses for Professional Swine Manager Curriculum will be completed by fall 2012. Community college instructors are recruited and trained to provide instruction. Producers are recruited to provide facilities for hands on training and to promote the community college training program with employees.
The same sources are part of the marketing plan to recruit students to participate. Professional Swine Manager Certification system is scheduled for completion in 2012 in collaboration with National Pork Board. Participating students and instructors provide evaluation. The National Swine Reproduction Troubleshooting and Management Guide is under development. It will make swine reproduction information accessible on a virtual decision trees. Fact sheets will deliver information on solutions and videos demonstrate specific tasks. All aspects of this project are virtual, making resources available on PIG or by CD. End users will be solicited for evaluation, results of which will be used by the design committee for revision. Long term plan is being developed for managing information updates, revisions and additions. All are marketed at trade shows, through social and print media, USPCE
website, and national and state pork associations and professional conferences.
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/02 TO 2013/09<br/>Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: The US Pork Center of Excellence, hosted by the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since its establishment in 2005, has been relocated off-campus in response to sequestration-prompted budget cuts. Oversight, management and staffing of the center has transferred to the National Pork Board Checkoff offices in Clive, Iowa. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported