Welcome to the Pork Conference
Networking
Network with the more than 900 attendees at NPIC with most producer participants representing the top 150 pork production systems in North America. Participants represent areas of management, production, nutrition, health, finance, human resources and more.
Speakers
NPIC will showcase over 25 highly qualified speakers who will bring their expertise to mainstage and breakout sessions.
Break-outs
Break-out sessions are presented on Monday afternoon of the conference. Participants will have the opportunity to choose between 10+ sessions focused on relevant industry topics.
Family Fun
Wisconsin Dells, better known as “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®” offers fun for all ages. Enjoy the endless hours of fun at the NPIC host hotel, Kalahari, where there is an exciting mix of rides, slides and adventures for the whole family in the resort waterpark and thrilling indoor theme park. Plus, check out the resort’s other amenities such as Spa Kalahari & Salon and exceptional dining options.
Golf
Year after year folks look forward to the annual NPIC golf tournament held on Tuesday afternoon at the award winning Trappers Turn Golf Course in Wisconsin Dells. Please visit the Registration section of the web page to register for the golf tournament.
Hope to see you there!
Once again, three days of exceptional presentations, networking and collaboration will take place during the conference. We hope to see you in July!
About Conference
National Pork Industry Conference
The National Pork Industry Conference (NPIC) was the vision of Larry Graham and has roots back to the early 90’s. The current generation of NPIC was founded by Larry & Jean Graham in 1996 and was initially held at various upper Midwest locations. As the conference attendance grew, it ultimately found a home at the Four Seasons Resort, then Tan-Tar-A at Lake of the Ozarks, before moving in 2010 to its current location at the Kalahari Waterpark and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
The NPIC conference is built upon three pillars: education, networking, and family. The conference offers a wide array of sessions focused on current swine industry topics, nutrition, health, safety, marketing and more. 21st Century Strategic Forums, L.L.C. produces and hosts the conference and partners with leading allied industry companies to deliver what some call, “The Best Pork Producer Event in North America”.
The National Pork Industry Conference is held annually the 2nd week of July and attracts 900 attendees with most producer participants representing the Top 150 Pork Production Systems in North America.
Get The Kids Involved
The National Pork industry Conference (NPIC) is partnering with Smithfield Foods and the National Pork Board to offer the 2022 Youth Workshop event to elementary and middle school-age youth.
The workshop will be an exciting and interactive way to get our youth involved in the pork industry – and have some fun along the way!
Youth will learn about the pork supply chain, food safety and handling and have a chance to cook up their very own pork creation.
Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Please arrive 15 minutes before the workshop to check-in with staff. Parents may attend the eating portion of the Workshop in the Kilimanjaro Ballroom at 11:00 am. The Workshop will end at 12:00 pm noon in the Kilimanjaro Ballroom for picking up participants.
Lead Sponsors
Cooperating Sponsors
Conference Agenda
Sunday
July 10, 2022
Registration
Location: Kalahari Convention Center, Africa Ballroom Foyer
NPIC KICK-OFF BBQ
Location: Kalahari Convention Center, Africa East & West
Join us for a family friendly barbeque featuring roasted pigs and entertainment for the whole family. Join old friends and make new ones as we kick off the conference with a bang!
Monday
July 11, 2022
Buffet Breakfast
Location: Africa West
Keynote: The Trust Edge™: How Top Leaders and Organizations Drive Business Results through Trust
Speaker: David Horsager, CEO and Best-Selling author, “The Trust Edge”
Trust is a fundamental, bottom line issue. Without it, leaders lose teams and organizations lose reputation, retention of good people, relationships and revenue. But with trust, individuals and organizations enjoy greater creativity, productivity, freedom and results. Through David’s industry leading research The Trust Outlook™ and firsthand experience working with the world’s highest performing organizations, David reveals how top leaders and organizations drive business results to become the most trusted in their industry.
Location: Africa East
Break
Location: Africa Foyer
Sustainability, Today’s Consumer and the Wendy’s Approach
Speaker: Liliana Esposito, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at The Wendy’s
Location: Africa East
The Pork Industry Sustainability Journey: How are we doing and how do we improve and keep score? Panel Discussion
Panel:
Dr. Sara Crawford, Sustainable Environmental Consultants
Ashley McDonald – Assistant Vice President Sustainability Development & Outreach, National Pork Board
Dr. Bradley Wolter, Chief Executive Officer, The Maschhoffs
Location: Africa East
Conference Attendee Lunch
Location: Africa West
Sit down and recap the morning sessions, catch-up with fellow conference attendees and industry friends, old and new.
All-Attendee Breakout – The Trust Edge™ 2.0
Speaker: David Horsager
Take trust to the next level by diving deeper into three more pillars in the Trust Edge framework and gain the strategic advantage of being a trusted leader. During this interactive session, David will share more actionable takeaways for leaders to increase engagement, earn the trust of those they lead, and solve top challenges!
Location: Africa East
Session 1 – Breakout Sessions (Pick 1)
- Farm Credit Services of America – The Agricultural Outlook: Opportunities and Headwinds in 2022 and Beyond – Matt Erickson, Agricultural Economic and Policy Advisor for Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit
- Fast Genetics – Novel Technologies: The Changing Landscape of Swine Genetics
- Ideas for Reducing Sow Mortality – Dr. Lucina Galina, Zoetis; Jamie Studer, Iowa State University, Emma Lasco, Zoetis
- Nursery Production – Pillen Family Farms
- Finishing Production
- How do US SHIP, AgView, SPS, and CSSC work together to help me during an ASF outbreak – Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, Chief Veterinarian, National Pork Board; Dr. Tyler Holck
- Digital Farm Management and Digital Insights – What is Possible? David Speller, OPTIFarm
- Managing Risk During Unprecedented Times – Pat Von Tersch, Owner, Pro Ag Marketing
Session 2 – Breakout Sessions (Pick 1)
- AP
- Compeer Financial
- Genesus
- Ideas for Reducing Sow Mortality – Dr. Lucina Galina, Zoetis; Jamie Studer, Iowa State University, Emma Lasco, Zoetis
- Nursery Production – Pillen Family Farms
- Finishing Production
- How do US SHIP, AgView, SPS, and CSSC work together to help me during an ASF outbreak – Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, Chief Veterinarian, National Pork Board; Dr. Tyler Holck
- Digital Farm Management and Digital Insights – What is Possible? David Speller, OPTIFarm
- Managing Risk During Unprecedented Times – Pat Von Tersch, Owner, Pro Ag Marketing
Session 3 – Breakout Sessions (Pick 1)
- Elanco
- Farm Credit Mid-America
- Ideas for Reducing Sow Mortality – Dr. Lucina Galina, Zoetis; Jamie Studer, Iowa State University, Emma Lasco, Zoetis
- Nursery Production – Pillen Family Farms
- Finishing Production
- How do US SHIP, AgView, SPS, and CSSC work together to help me during an ASF outbreak – Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, Chief Veterinarian, National Pork Board; Dr. Tyler Holck
- Digital Farm Management and Digital Insights – What is Possible? David Speller, OPTIFarm
- Managing Risk During Unprecedented Times – Pat Von Tersch, Owner, Pro Ag Marketing
Tuesday
July 12, 2022
Buffet Breakfast
Location: Africa West
Early Bird Session: Fireside Chat with Our Industry CEO’s
Location: Africa East
Bill Even, CEO, National Pork Board
Bryan Humphreys, CEO, National Pork Producers Council
Can You Hear Me Now? Panel Discussion
Panel:
Rob Brenneman, Owner/Operator, Brenneman Pork
Tork and Sawyer Whisler, This’ll Do Farm
Matthew Rooda, Founder/CEO of SwineTech, Host of the Popular Pig podcast
Erin Brenneman, Brenneman Pork
Cristen Clark, Farmer and Blogger at Food and Swine
Location: Africa East
Break
Location: Africa Ballroom Foyer
Mainstage 1: National Pork Producers Council: Vision and Key Issues
Speaker: Bryan Humphreys, CEO, National Pork Producers Council
Newly appointed CEO, Bryan Humphreys, will share his vision for NPPC, and his team of key NPPC Executives will updated conference attendees on key regulatory, trade and legislative issues and strategies.
Location: Africa East
Mainstage 2: Resiliency for Agriculture
Speaker: – Michele Payn, Founder, Cause Matters Corp.
Michele will help conference attendees find hope, humor, and healing in protecting their mental health through the storms shaking the agricultural business. Michele brings perspective on how to change the stigma about prioritizing self-care, asking for help, and having the tough conversations with your team members.
Location: Ballroom 2-7
Break
Location: Africa Ballroom Foyer
Mainstage 1: Opportunities and Challenges to the North American Pork Industry
Speaker: – Christine McCracken, Executive Director, Protein Analyst, Rabobank
Location: Africa East
Mainstage 2: Embracing Diversity in the Workforce and HR Hot Topics Facing the Pork Industry
Moderator: Shonda Sammons, 21st Century Ag Leadership
Panel:
Heidi Vittetoe, Owner, JWV Pork
Silvia Castañeda, Human Resources Manager, Eichelberger Farms
Ben Keeble, VP of US Operations, Sunterra Farms US
Location: Ballroom 2-7
Conference Ends for the Day
NPIC Golf Tournament
Location: Trappers Turn Golf Course
Wednesday
July 13, 2022
Grab n Go Breakfast
Location: Africa West
Early Bird Session: What’s on Your Mind?
Moderators: Steve Weiss and Ben Woolley
This is truly a bull session. Some past attendees have rated it the most beneficial session of the conference. It’s a chance for a group of producers to get together and discuss anything on their minds.
Location: Africa West Breakouts
Health and Disease: What does the Industry Need to be Doing? Panel Discussion
Panel:
Dr. Paul Yeske, Veterinarian and Partner, Swine Vet Center
Dr. Tyler Holck, Veterinarian and Industry Consultant, Iowa State University, Feed His People
Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, Senior Vice President of Technical Services and Innovation, Perdue Farms
Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, Chief Veterinarian Officer, National Pork Board
Location: Africa West Breakouts
Focusing on the Markets – Led by Industry Economic Experts
Speakers: Dr. Steve Meyer & Joe Kerns, Partners for Production Agriculture
Location: Africa East
Registration
Address
21st Century Strategic Forums
Clear Lake, Iowa 50428
Send Email
Phone
(712) 898-8076
With over 30 years of experience, including a strong focus in the financial services industry, Shonda Sammons works directly with employers and employees to provide coaching, guidance, and expertise to build brand advocates. Through working directly with frontline and support staff, and gaining a thorough understanding of a company’s strategic and branding focus, she fosters abilities and uncovers hidden competitive advantages in a company’s existing workforce.
Frank Mitloehner is a Professor and Air Quality Specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. He received his MS degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and his Ph.D. degree in Animal Science from Texas Technical University.
Dr. Trey Kellner received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 2017, following his B.S. at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He joined AMVC Nutritional Services as their first Swine Nutritionist. Trey oversees the feeding program for over 150,000 sows and 1,200,000 market pigs per year in 9 states across 28 feed mills. Trey works in tandem with primary caretakers, production managers, veterinarians, central feed desk employees, and feed mill managers to execute successful feeding programs and predict economic and performance outcomes. His professional, research and academic achievements have earned him recognition as a: Stahly/Peo Outstanding Swine Nutrition Graduate Student, ASAS Young Scholar, and Iowa State University Graduate College Emerging Leader. Most recently, Trey was honored with the 2020 Young Alumni of Distinction Award by the Animal Science Department at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Trey currently resides in Audubon, Iowa with his wife Heather and son Theo.
Dr. Kelly grew up on a farm in Kokomo, Indiana, and always knew he wanted to be a veterinarian. In 2003, he graduated with a DVM from Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kelly is a swine practitioner and managing partner at Suidae Health and Production, a swine-exclusive practice of six swine veterinarians serving clients in Iowa and the Midwest. Since joining Suidae in 2003, Dr. Kelly has earned the respect of his clients through diligent application of scientific knowledge and art, integrity, and character. He currently resides with his family in Algona, IA.
Dr. Michelle Sprague – DVM
Kristen Cumming offers over 20 years’ experience in career development and human resources, complemented by a passion for demography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Education degree in Workplace and Adult Learning. Kristen was an instructor with the University of Alberta – Augustana Campus for eight years and for the past 20 has operated a successful consulting practice through which she serves as a speaker, facilitator, and trainer on recruitment and retention, leadership, and execution.
Dr. Tim Loula is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. He is co-founder and co-owner of Swine Vet Center, an exclusively swine veterinary practice in St. Peter, Minnesota which employs 15 swine veterinary consultants.
Dr. Chris Sievers – DVM
Jennifer is a Research Associate at Livestock Gentec, at the University of Alberta. She received her MSc in Animal Science from the University of Alberta, specializing in Gilt Management and Reproduction. Her work focuses on implementing management practices to better capture the true genetic potential of the contemporary dam and sire lines through improving gilt management to maximize sow lifetime productivity, improving the impact of AI boars in the production system and improving efficiencies at the production level. She enjoys working with industry partners to conduct research projects in commercial settings and analyzing production data to help make data-driven decisions that will positively affect overall herd performance.
Kara Stewart – Assistant Professor of Animal Science
Nick Giordano is Vice President and Counsel, Global Government Affairs for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). He leads NPPC’s D.C. office and is involved in all aspects of policy issues as they impact the interests of U.S. pork producers. Those issues include, but are not limited to, agriculture, economic, energy, environment, food, immigration, production, science & technology, tax, and trade.
Pat VonTersch, founder and owner of Professional Ag Marketing, has “skin in the game”. As a producer himself, Pat knows that to manage risk and react to the market, you must be adaptive and innovative. At Professional Ag Marketing, the overriding core value is to do what’s right for each client by helping them make the best decisions. A dedicated team of experts provides focused and customized models as well as share information, recommendations, and guidance to producers to help maximize their profitability.
Dr. Steve Meyer joined Kerns and Associates in January 2018 after serving as Vice President – Pork Analysis at EMI Analytics since May 2015. Dr. Meyer’s duties at Kerns and Associates include ongoing analysis of hog and pork markets and assisting Kerns clients (which now include the National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council) in using his insights to successfully manage their businesses. He brings a wealth of experience in the livestock industry. His breadth of work in the pork industry is unique. Prior to his time at EMI Analytics, Dr. Meyer was President of Paragon Economics, Inc. where he also monitored and analyzed cattle, beef, and poultry markets to meet the needs of his diverse set of clients. He served for 12 years as an author of The Daily Livestock Report sponsored by CME Group, an e-newsletter whose circulation grew steadily following its introduction in 2003. In addition, he writes a feature article for National Hog Farmer’s Weekly Preview e-letter that focuses on economic issues in North America’s swine/pork sector.
Dhamu R. Thamodaran, executive vice president, chief strategy officer, and chief commodity hedging officer for Smithfield Foods, Inc., has been a global leader in the agricultural industry for more than 30 years.
has twenty-five years’ experience working with producers, suppliers, and mills to support agricultural operations. He and his team assist clients with procurement and risk management activities related to hedging, ingredient purchase, optimizing relationships with mills, developing programs to assist in feed quality control, cost-effective diet formulation, operational benchmarking, livestock marketing, generational transition, and business development. Prior to this consulting venture, he directed risk management activities for industry leaders such as ADM, Premium Standard Farms, Continental Grain, and Iowa Select Farms. In his current enterprise as a risk management consultant, he and his team work with livestock producers and suppliers in 13 states. Clients include packers, producers, veterinarians, researchers, mill operators, and feed ingredient suppliers. Team members have also served as keynote speakers for international agricultural agencies and suppliers, providing context about commodity markets, nutritional factors impacting production, and operational sustainability, leadership, and ownership.