Everett Forkner, National Pork Board president

Everett Forkner, a pork producer from Richards, Mo., and member of the National Swine Registry and America’s Best Genetics, was elected president of the 15-member National Pork Board. Forkner, the board’s past vice president, is the owner and president of Forkner Farms Inc., which has 550 purebred sows and markets 7,500 hogs per year. With members of his family, he also raises corn, soybeans and wheat on 2,000 acres in west central Missouri. Forkner started his one-year term at the World Pork Expo, held last week in Des Moines.

Forkner has traveled the world to sell his purebred pigs in Europe, China and Southeast Asia. An animal science graduate of the University of Missouri, he has maintained his passion for improving swine genetics. He has served as president and on the board of the American Landrace Association and on the board of the United Duroc Association. He also has a long history of service to the pork industry at the local, state and national level. He is a past president of the Vernon County Pork Producers and served on that group’s board of directors from 1970 to 1995. He also has served on the Missouri Pork Producers Association Board of Directors. Additionally, he also is a member of Vernon County Farm Bureau and Vernon County Cattlemen’s Association.

Nationally, Forkner is serving his second three-year term on the National Pork Board. He has served as chairman of the producer-led Animal Science Committee. He also has served on the Niche Committee and as a member of the Nutritional Efficiency Consortium. At the board level, he serves on the Administrative Committee.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management.

Courtesy National Pork Board