Welcome to the Pork Conference
Networking – Back in 2021!
Network with the 800 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 – Back in 2021!
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 – Back in 2021!
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!
NPIC celebrates its 24th year in 2020. Once again, three full days of exceptional presentations, networking and collaboration will take place during the conference. We hope to see you in August!
About Conference
24th Annual National Pork 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 1997 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 800 attendees with most producer participants representing the Top 150 Pork Production Systems in North America.
Lead Sponsors
Cooperating Sponsors
Registration
Registration is Now Closed
Already registered for the conference? A direct link to the virtual conference will be emailed to your registered email Friday, August 14 from our virtual conference platform, Hopin. Simply click the link, Accept Terms and join us for the start of the virtual conference on Monday, August 17 at 8 a.m. Central
*Note: NPIC Virtual Conference is best viewed on Chrome and Firefox browsers.
Conference Agenda
Day 1
Monday, August 17, 2020 *note, all presentation times are central standard time
Main Stage Session
- Feeding a New Age. Peter Zeihan, Owner – Zeihan on Geopolitics
- It has been a crazy year so far. Coronavirus, trade wars, mass protests. All have had – all are _still_ having – major impacts on pork producers, meat supply chains, exports, and consumption patterns. First the bad news: we are not going back to “normal”. Global and American pork, along with nearly every other economic sector, is transitioning to a new post-globalized system. Join Mr. Zeihan in a thought-provoking session looking at the future of US pork and the bumpy journey along the way.
Break
Main Stage Session
- Global Pork Trade and COVID Impact. Brett Stuart, Founder – Global AgriTrends
- Brett Stuart is one of the premier economists and sought-after speakers in our industry. Stuart will briefly recap the risks and uncertainties that may impact global pork trade, then spend the bulk of his time on what is certain and reason for a hopeful future for North American pork producers.
Break
Main Stage Session
- US Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad
Fireside Chat Wrap-Up
Peter Zeihan, Owner – Zeihan on Geopolitics and Brett Stuart, Founder – Global AgriTrends
Lead Sponsor Breakout Sessions
Lead Sponsor breakout sessions scheduled for live streaming at the times listed.
- 1:00 pm: 2020 Election and Political Landscape, Jim Wiesemeyer, Political Analyst – ProFarmer. Hosted by Farm Credit Services of America & AP
- 2:00 pm: Prevacent for Whole Herd PRRS Control, Dr. Pat Hoffmann, DVM, Technical Consultant – Swine Business Unit; Dr. Paul Yeske, DVM, MS, Senior Veterinary Consultant – Swine Vet Center. Hosted by Elanco
- 3:00 pm: Integrating Commercial Data into Genetic Improvement, Dr. Bob Kemp, Vice President of Genetics – Genesus; Global & USA Market Report, Jim Long, President & CEO – Genesus. Hosted by Genesus
- 4:00 pm: Fireside Chat – Uncertain Times: Current Situation and the Future of Our Industry, Mark Greenwood, Chief Diversified Markets Officer & Kent Bang, Vice President of Swine Lending – Hosted by Compeer
Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions available in the on-demand library starting at 4:00 pm.
- Leading Through Volatility, Kristen Cumming, Principal – Cantos Performance Management
- We know and are told frequently, that these are unprecedented times. The uncertainty causes anxiety in both our management teams and our staff. History shows us that in times of crisis and change, the best leaders rise to the challenge and it is their organizations that will come through strong and ready for whatever comes next. What does it take to be a great leader in times of volatility? Join Kristen in exploring this question and what it takes to lead through volatility.
- Managing Generational Differences, Shonda Sammons, Owner – Advocate Builders & Partner – 21st Century Ag Leadership; Jess Campbell, Vice President Food & Agribusiness, Swine – Farm Credit Mid-America; Lauren Griffeth, Ph.D., Director, Leadership Programs in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences – University of Georgia
- The new generations are lazy, privileged, and want gratification now. Is this true? Three generations of presenters will lead you through the generational differences and separate fact from fiction. The team will discuss how to lead, motivate, and manage organizations with multi-generational employees and managers.
- Gilt Reproduction – The Latest Innovations in Gilt Management, Jenny Patterson – University of Alberta; Kara Stewart, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences – Purdue University.
- The key to setting up sows for a lifetime of good health and productivity starts with how they are handled and managed as a gilt. Our presenters have a great background and a wealth of experience in both applied research and practical gilt management. This session should be a requirement for anyone involved in managing sows for optimum productivity.
- Nursery Performance: Some Crazy Ideas That Might Just Work! Dr. Chris Sievers, DVM – Swine Vet Center; Dr. Ryan Strobel, DVM – Swine Vet Center
- Risk Management: Tools in the Toolbox “Tips for Managing Risk in Challenging Times”, Pat VonTersch, Owner, Risk Manager – Pro Ag Marketing; Jeff Hoogendoorn, Risk Manager – Pro Ag Marketing
- Nutrition: How to Oversee and Communicate Feed Program Design, Predicted Outcomes, Execution, and Validation? Trey Kellner, Ph.D., Nutritionist – AMVC
- This breakout session will dive into how a feed program (formulations and protocols) is: created, generates predicted outcomes, executed on the slat level, and validated through quality assurance and data mining programs. Dr. Kellner will highlight lessons learned from creating: a maternal feeding program and use of protocols (sow body condition caliper, pre-farrow feeding, etc.), protocols on how to best start pigs on feed (when under 18 days of age, when PRRSv positive, etc.), and predicted outcomes and how to best communicate them.
Day 2
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 *note, all presentation times are central standard time
Main Stage Session
- Current State and Outlook for the U.S. Poultry Industry and Comparisons to the Pork Industry. Marc de Beer, Ph.D., President of Aviagen North America
- The pork industry shares a common mission with the broiler industry – turning corn into protein for human consumption. Randy Stoecker, former Western Operations President for Smithfield, often said, “If you want to know what the pork industry will look like tomorrow, look at what the poultry industry is doing today”.
- Dr. de Beer will explain what the poultry supply chain looks like and their hyper-customer focus. He’ll address the difference between the retail customer and the foodservice customer, plus producing to specs to meet different customers’ needs.You might conclude from de Beer’s comments that producers need to think about producing “pork” not raising “pigs”.
Break
Main Stage Session
- The “Other” Impact of COVID-19 on the Swine Industry. Christine McCracken, Executive Director, Animal Protein – RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness
- Christine McCracken is well known in the pork industry for her industry and business knowledge and research around the dynamics of the global protein industry. McCracken will take a look at the “Other” impacts the pandemic is having on labor, consumer shifts, trade, and more.
Main Stage Session
- Our Sustainability Story and How we Tell it. Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., Professor and Air Quality Specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis
- We all appreciate Dr. Mitloehner’s voice in support of production agriculture and we wish there were more “Franks”. Last year on the NPIC stage, Frank offered hope that his voice might be getting larger and louder. Join us to hear about Frank’s latest work and the progress he is making on bringing more people onto his team.
Break
Main Stage Session
- The Latest From the National Pork Board and Fireside Chat with CEO, Bill Even. Bill Even, CEO – National Pork Board
Day 3
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 *note, all presentation times are central standard time
Main Stage Session
- COVID and Regulatory Updates. Nick Giordano, Vice President, and Counsel, Global Government Affairs – National Pork Producers Council
- Nick Giordano will hit head on your top three concerns: COVID, Regulatory activity, and Trade. When it comes legislation, Mr. Giordano and his team are at the “point of the spear”. Get real-time updates on legislative activity and trade. Giordano will tell it like it is. Is there a reason for optimism or has the pandemic clouded everything?
Main Stage Session
- Straight Out of Washington – The National Election and More. David Wasserman, House Editor, Political Analyst – The Cook Political Report
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- With just eleven weeks until the General Election, Mr. Wasserman will handicap the important races and provide a look at the political/cultural trends behind the numbers. What could this election mean for 2021 and beyond?
Break
Main Stage Session
- Focusing on the Markets. Led by our industry economic experts, Dr. Steve Meyer, and Joe Kerns – Kerns & Associates
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- Always the highlight of NPIC is hearing Joe Kerns and Dr. Steve Meyer forecast the markets. They bring their own unique energy and perspective to the presentation. But, —– it is all about the numbers.
Conference Adjourns
See You Next Year. July 11-14, 2021
Address
21st Century Strategic Forums
3782 9th Street SW
Mason City, Iowa 50401
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.