Pork Producers Tend to Business at Annual Meeting

By Sarah Watson, Livestock Editor
Wednesday, February 7, 2007 10:34 PM CST

Pork Producers convened in Wisconsin Dells last week for the annual business expo of the Wisconsin Pork Association.

Items on the agenda included WPA's annual meeting, with award and scholarship presentations, pie auction, silent auction and the Taste of Elegance culinary competition.

Producer service award

Doug Wolf co-owner of Wolf L&G Farms, LLC earned WPA's Distinguished Service Award. Doug and his son, Shannon, oversee the 850 sow farrow to finish enterprise marketing 19,000 hogs annually. The farm also includes a 1,200 crop acres along with both cow-calf and feedlot operations.

Doug has held several leadership positions on the local, state and national levels. Currently he is serving as a board member on the National Pork Producers Council, as well as on their Farm Bill Task Force and Environmental Committees.

He has also participated in a number of meetings for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Farm Bill Task Force over the last year, representing WPA. He served on the DATCP Grow Wisconsin Livestock Task Force.

Industry service award

Tom Crenshaw was awarded the 2006 Distinguished Service Industry Award.

Crenshaw has been a professor at UW-Madison since 1992 in the animal science department and has been with the university since 1980. In addition to teaching responsibilities, Crenshaw serves as the director of Swine Research and Teaching Center at the Arlington Research Station. As the director, he provides support for the animal science department and campus swine research and teaching programs. Crenshaw's research efforts have been focused on swine nutrition, reproduction and behavior.

Crenshaw served on the WPA liaison and research committees. He has been a strong advocate for the Wisconsin pork industry and played a key role in rebuilding the Arlington swine facility following the fire that destroyed the original facility.

He is currently working with the association to create a position within the university and UW-Extension with a pork focus, replacing the swine UW-Extension specialist position.

Master Seedstock Award

Tom and Marge Knauer, Avalon, were honored as the Master Seedstock Producers of the Year.

The award is given to a seedstock producer who's demonstrated significant achievements and quality advancement to the pork industry in Wisconsin.

The Knauer family began raising hogs in 1977 when they purchased 13 crossbred gilts and added a Landrace boar. Their first Landrace purebred gilts, the Nancy sow line, farrowed in 1978 and are the dominant sow line in their herd today. Their breeding program includes purebred Hampshire and Landrace, focusing on performance testing, carcass traits, and maternal evaluation. TKF (Tom Knauer Family) sales include breeding stock, show pigs (pure and crossbred) and market hogs to customers concerned with a residue-free quality product. Wisconsin, numerous other states, Mexico, Japan and Korea are now home to many TKF bred stock.

Marge and Tom have served on many pork industry boards and committees. Tom served three, three-year terms on the American Landrace Association Board of Directors, and served as president during the introduction of the Landrace breed to the National Swine Registry. Marge was the first women to ever serve on a national Landrace committee.

Both are members of the Rock County Pork Producers, WPA, American Landrace Association, Hampshire Swine Registry, American Yorkshire and Wisconsin Yorkshire Clubs. In addition they have served as the Rock County 4-H Fair assistant swine superintendents and as 4-H and swine and beef leaders.

Agri-Communicator award

Danny Meyer, Loyal, was presented with Agri-View's Agri-Communicator award.

Meyer has been the owner and manager of the Swinehaus, Inc. a 300-sow farrow to finish operation for 24 years. The Swinehaus produces 6,000 feeder, show and breeding pigs per year. He was raised on a dairy farm and began raising and showing pigs with his father while in high school, a tradition he continued with his own sons.

Meyer was selected as the recipient because of his participation in Operation Main Street Program.

Meyer completed the program in November of 2005. Since that time, he has made nine presentations to local civic organizations about the pork industry including economic contributions of the industry to Wisconsin, and updates on environmental, animal care, and other industry issues. His time commitment is helping to change perceptions about the pork industry.

New directors

At the meeting, the membership elected Bob Spurley of Linden to the board of directors. Spurley will be fulfilling an at-large, one-year unexpired term on the board. Spurley will assume the position vacated by Art Mueller, Clinton, who served two years on the WPA Board.

Mike Salter, Black Creek, was elected to the Northern region for a three-year term.

Lynn Harrison completed a three-year term on the board, and did not run for re-election due to his commitment as vice president of the National Pork Board.

In addition, Brian Klubertanz, Waterloo, and Alicia Prill-Adams, Platteville, were re-elected to the board.

New officers

Elected as officers for 2007 are: Jonathan Wyttenbach, Sauk City, president; Shannon Wolf, Lancaster, vice president; Deb Gay, Reeseville, treasurer; and Alicia Prill-Adams, Platteville, secretary. Al Ries, Lomira retired as president of the board.

Karlene Krueger, Eden, was elected to the pork industry seat on the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association board of directors.

Pork Act Delegates

Elected to represent WPA and serve at the 2008 National Pork Industry Forum as Pork Act Delegates were Jonathan Wyttenbach, Sauk City; Al Ries, Lomira; and Alicia Prill-Adams, Platteville, alternate.

New resolutions

WPA members approved resolutions for 2007. Eight new resolutions were passed. These resolutions propose:

Support the use of sound science to serve as basis of animal husbandry and the oppose ballot initiatives and marketing based on emotion rather than sound science. WPA members reaffirmed six additional resolutions.

Youth scholarships

Several youth were awarded scholarships. These scholarships included Whitmore Memorial Scholarship and WPA Scholarships.

The Whitmore Memorial Scholarship was established as a legacy to the late Rex Whitmore, a master statesman and communicator who served as the first executive director of the Wisconsin Pork Association.

Applicants must be a junior or senior at UW-Madison, Platteville or River Falls, and each university selects a candidate to represent their school in the selection of the scholarship.

The three 2007 finalists are Kelsey Sambs, Fort Atkinson, daughter of Greg and Arlette Sambs, UW-Platteville; Paul Humphrey, Ixonia, son of David and Mary Humphrey, UW-Madison; Jim Magolski, New London, son of Dave and Carol Magolski, UW-River Falls.

Magolski was the recipient of the $500 scholarship. Magolski is a junior majoring in animal science at UW-River Falls. He is currently the student manager of the swine enterprise at the university. His duties include all aspects of production in a farrow to finish operation. This past summer he had an internship in procurement for Hormel Foods in Austin, Minn. During his time at Hormel he gained experience in buying, grade and yield scoring, livestock handling, and research and development experience. Magolski plans to earn his doctorate degree in meat science to pursue a career in teaching or research and development.

Sambs and Humphrey both received a $250 scholarship from the WPA.

Sambs is a junior at UW-Platteville majoring in agriculture education. She is a member of Block and Bridle, Ag Business Club, and a member of Collegiate FFA. Upon graduation, Sambs plans to obtain a teaching position in agriculture education. She owns and manages her own sow herd, and plans to continue to raise show pigs for students and use the operation as part of her classroom tools.

Humphrey is a junior at UW-Madison, majoring in animal science and life sciences communication. He is very active in the Saddle and Sirloin Club were he serves as the swine scholarship and swine show chairman as well as the academic quadrathalon coordinator. He is also active in National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and the Pre-Vet Club on campus. Humphrey was recently selected as a candidate in the WPA Youth Mentorship Program.

Devin Goehring, Lowell, son of Dan and Gail Goehring, received the $500 WPA scholarship. The WPA scholarship is presented to a high school senior who will be pursuing further education with an interest in agriculture. Goehring plans to study animal science and participate in livestock judging teams after high school graduation. His long-term goal is to obtain a master's degree with an emphasis in swine genetics. He would also like operate a small swine operation in the future to produce pigs for 4-H and FFA projects.

The five finalists for the WPA Scholarship will receive a $100 scholarship from the WPA. The finalists are Goehring; Erin Theder, Watertown, daughter of Ed and Gail Bielinski; Emily Treu, Berlin, daughter of Terry and Paula Treu; Jada Martin, Chili, daughter of John and Joan Martin; Elizabeth Wensel, Black River Falls, daughter of Paul and Kara Wensel.

Judging for the WPA Scholarship is based on a short essay, agriculture experience, financial need, involvement outside 4-H/FFA, educational background and transcript.

Pie and silent auctions

The Pie Auction that raised $7,125 for youth involved in pork and livestock projects in Wisconsin. The funds from the pie auction support educational activities and scholarships

A silent auction was held to develop a scholarship in memory of Buell Gunderson, a Wisconsin pork industry leader, who passed away earlier this year. Over $2,600 was raised at the auction.

 

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