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The 2012 NSR Summer Spectacular is off to a great start in Louisville, Ky., this week! With a great set of contests, shows and sales on tap, we look forward to bringing you some sights and scenes from throughout the week. Be sure to watch the NSR Shows & Sales blog, where we’ll have results from tonight’s Junior Purebred Barrow Show appearing throughout the evening. Below are some photos from the first couple days of activities here in Louisville.
NSR Director of Junior Activities Cally Hass helps pair up some young NJSA members at Tuesday’s MVP (Mentoring Values People) event.
NJSA Junior Board members Amy Newnum and Kaylee Miller help their group during the scavenger hunt.
One of nearly a dozen Barnyard Olympics teams concentrate on catching their egg during the egg toss contest.
An annual favorite in the NJSA Barnyard Olympics, the water relay proved exciting again in 2012. Here, Nalaney Guyer tries [ … ]
Everyone knows our showpig issues get a little hefty. In fact, we expect three times the number of ads in our September Showpig issue of the Seedstock EDGE than the July issue you’re most likely flipping through this week. So for all of you advertisers out there wondering how to make your ad stand out among the clutter, here are a few quick tips.
Lead with a strong headline – (Sorry, but your farm name doesn’t count.) An ad headline needs to give potential customers news or advice, evoke emotion, establish curiosity or make a statement about your products. Now the trick to a good headline is making it short, but impactful. Five times as many readers will read the headline in an ad rather than the small print so make it a good one. Amazingly, most readers are bored by the ninth word. Marketing research shows the best headlines are less [ … ]
Recently, Justin Fix, Ph.D., Vice President of Global Technical Service for the National Swine Registry, attended the joint venture signing ceremony between Whiteshire Hamroc LLC and Tangrenshen Co. Ltd. The ceremony was held to celebrate the next step in the partnership between these two companies – the construction of an international genetic research and development facility in Northeast Indiana. Whiteshire Hamroc LLC, a genetics company located in Albany, Ind., has been a long-time member of NSR and utilizes STAGES™ for their genetic program. Tangrenshen Co. Ltd. is the operating partner behind Meishan Whitshire – the first Chinese-based joint venture to record U.S. derived pigs born in China with NSR.
The new research and genetic facility will participate in the STAGES™ genetic evaluation system and will quickly become one of the premier purebred herds in the world. In addition to the research, training will be provided for both domestic and international [ … ]
For those attending the NSR Summer Spectacular in Louisville, there is construction on the bridge crossing the Ohio River and long delays can be expected for exhibitors coming from the north on I-65 and exhibitors coming on I-64/I-71 from the east or I-65 from the west.
Following is a recommended detour for anyone coming from the north:
Take Exit 6 and travel west on I-265 to I-64 (Exit 121)
Follow 64 to I-264 (Exit 1)
Then follow I-264 to the Kentucky Expo Center
If you are traveling on I-64 from the west, please be sure to take I-264 to the Kentucky Expo Center.If you are traveling via I-71, take Exit 23 and follow I-264. From the east on I-64, take Exit 19 to I-264 for the Kentucky Expo Center.Safe travels, and see you in Louisville!
I am pleased to announce the hiring of Brian Arnold, Lafayette, Ill., as the VP of Member Outreach & Youth Development for the National Swine Registry. Brian is a graduate of Black Hawk East and Purdue University. He has served as an ag business instructor and co-livestock judging coach at Black Hawk East since 2006. He and his wife, Molly, along with their 1-year-old son, Reece, will be relocating to the West Lafayette area in the near future. We are excited to have Brian on board starting July 9th.
We have also hired Torie Schwartz, Rossville, Ind., as the Junior Activities Coordinator. Torie is a graduate of Black Hawk East and Western Illinois University, where she was a member of both school’s livestock judging teams. Torie also served as a junior board member and officer for the American Junior Shorthorn Association. We look forward to having Torie as part of our team.
Both Brian and Torie will be attending [ … ]
Gettin’ after it would be the name of the game for week two on the road starting June 17. With twelve herd visits on the list and only five days to get them done; a quick kick of the tires sent Brian and I on our way! I spent Saturday and Sunday in West Allis, WI sharing my enthusiasm for the show ring with an outstanding group of youngsters from all over the state of WI. Greg Krahn and I had an awesome weekend working with kids and pigs.
Monday afternoon, Brian and I made our way south west from Caney, KS to visit John Staude at the Oklahoma State University Swine Farm. Ladies and gents, this visit did not disappoint! John has got an elite set of up and coming WOW females that he and the boys are sure excited about. After evaluating this set I could surely see [ … ]
As many of you are aware, NJSA shows offer Bred-and-Owned awards for gilts as a special way to recognize junior exhibitors who are raising and showing their own pigs. For those of you headed to the NSR Summer Spectacular, this is a great opportunity and I thought I would go through the rules so you can make sure to be considered for this award if you raised your own hogs.
To be eligible for Bred-and-Owned awards, the exhibitor must declare that his or her pig is Bred-and-Owned when going through the pedigree portion of check in. The exhibitor must be shown as both the breeder and the current owner on the gilt’s registration paper. The name of the breeder or the current owner is not allowed to be in a family or farm name that includes a partner over 21 years of age. If there is more than one name listed [ … ]
I thought I had better put up a quick blog posting this week; I didn’t want the intern to outdo me two weeks in a row.
I have been busy looking at bred gilts this past week and trying to get a few STC hogs looked at during my travels as well. If you are in the market for breds, make sure you look at the set Peter Farms is sell tonight. I have also looked at the Huinker and Nelson offerings, and I have a visit with Olsen’s scheduled for tomorrow. If you have any questions about these gilts give me a call.
I hope that everyone has had a chance to catch their breath and get things caught up back home at the farm this week after an outstanding 2012 WPX. Surely, this year’s expo will be talked about for years to come with two record setting selling hogs that went through the sale ring. I truly felt privileged to be a part of an event that wouldn’t happen without such great breeders, and junior exhibitors and sponsors! Also, hats off to the rest of the NSR staff for running such a smooth event.
Michael and I set out on the road early Wednesday morning stopping by SGI and then making our way northeast to Decorah to visit John Hunikers. I was thoroughly impressed with my visit to both places.
Our visit to SGI served us well as Michael and I viewed a few boars that we agree will move the breeds in [ … ]
Whew, we survived an exciting and busy week at Expo. One of my favorite aspects of my job is seeing the high quality animals that are exhibited at our shows and sales.
As producers, I know you guys are constantly striving to raise the next “great one.” So this month in Stock Marketing, I’m going to share a few quick tricks you can use to promote your entries for the summer sales, shows and conferences.
Get a good picture. A picture is worth a thousand words, so if you want potential buyers to get excited about your entry – snap a good picture. Sure, you can tell people it’s a “great one,” but often, seeing is believing. Such was the case in Duncan last year when Bruce and Jenny Kaufman of Kaufman Showpigs, Crawfordsville, Iowa, got a great shot of their Hillbilly Bone son. His picture drew the interest of Prairie State [ … ]