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A group of swine industry personnel from Ukraine recently visited the NSR office as part of the Cochran Fellowship Program. This program is coordinated through the USDA and is meant to provide training in a variety of agriculture fields for countries with developing industries. Dr. Tom Baas and Chad Yoder, both of Iowa State University, served as the U.S. hosts and coordinators for the training program. The training started at Iowa State University and included visits to a number of NSR members’ farms – Waldo Farms, De Witt, Neb.; Cedar Ridge Farms, Red Bud, Ill.; The Maschhoffs, Carlyle, Ill.; and Whiteshire Hamroc, Albion, Ind. The trip wrapped-up with visits to National Swine Registry and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Hello everyone! My name is Taylor Fritsch, and I’m pleased to introduce myself as National Swine Registry’s Marketing & Communications Intern for 2012. It’s such an honor – and such a pleasure – to be serving the members of the NSR. I’m very excited to jump right into the mix for the M&C division this summer assisting with writing, design, social media, photography and so much more.
My journey in agriculture didn’t begin with swine. As a proud Badger from the state of Wisconsin, my family is involved in the industry that makes up almost half of our state’s agriculture – dairy. Growing up I was active with my family’s 70-cow, 600-acre operation, feeding my fair share of baby calves and helping out in whatever way I could. When I became old enough to show, I was pretty excited about breaking a dairy heifer to take to the fair. When my [ … ]
Hi all! My name is Ali Harwell and I am the NJSA Intern this summer. I am so excited to have the opportunity to be involved in another side of this awesome organization. We are already busy getting ready for WPX and NJSS and cannot wait for everyone to see what we have planned for this summer!
A little more about me… I am a senior Spartan from Michigan State University (MSU) majoring in environmental studies and agriscience with a specialization in secondary education. With this degree, I will have the opportunity to teach kids about the many aspects of agriculture. I hope to inspire future generations to be good representatives of agriculture and share the good news our industry has to offer. Activities that keep me busy at MSU include the livestock judging team, Sigma Alpha Agriculture Sorority and Block & Bridle.
A native of Coldwater, Mich., I grew up in [ … ]
Pictured (l-r): Perfecto Corpuz, Pia Ang and Bill Verzani, all from the USDA/FAS Manila office, Justin Fix of the National Swine Registry and Tony Clayton of Clayton Agri-Marketing, Inc.
The National Swine Registry recently completed a Philippines trade mission, participating in the 21stHog Convention and Trade Exhibit in Cebu City, Philippines, with an America’s Best Genetics (ABG) booth. During the show, members of the USDA/FAS Manila office traveled to Cebu City to participate in several of the event’s activities. The group stopped by the ABG booth to visit with Dr. Justin Fix about the Philippines market (group pictured above). Thanks to all who stopped by the ABG booth!
Just prior to travelling to Cebu City for the tradeshow, Mr. Tony Clayton of Clayton Agri-Marketing, Inc., Mr. Bobby Badilla, Carmel Import/Export Corporation, and Dr. Justin Fix traveled to Cavite Pig City, located in General Trias, Philippines. During the visit, the trade team viewed [ … ]
One question we are often asked in the Pedigree department is how to record a litter. For those of you who may be registering your pigs for the first time, I wanted to put together some information to help you get started.
First, you will need to make sure you have been set up with a Herdmark. You can acquire a Herdmark by contacting the NSR office here. A Herdmark is a second form of identification that goes in the front of the name of each pig you record.
We allow you to record as a Member of the NSR or as a NonMember. Members receive discounted litter rates and a one year subscription to the Seedstock Edge magazine, along with voting privileges. If you are interested in becoming a member, visit the Pedigree Section of our website and click on ‘NSR Member Application’ or simply click here.
If the dam of [ … ]
With the spring showpig sale season winding down, most of us have time to take a quick breath before plunging into show season. (If you’re not in the field, that is.) In the NSR Marketing and Communications Department, we’re using this break to catch up on paperwork, prepare for the next issue of Seedstock EDGE and start re-designing our website.
I’m sure many of you will be sending show and sale results off to your web designers. But before you do, put your site through the paces and see if it passes these tests highlighted in Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think (a fast, surprisingly entertaining read on web usability):
Don’t Make Me Think (or anyone for that matter) – Surfing the web should not be a critical thinking exercise and neither should navigating your website. Ensure that visitors to your site don’t have to think by making your site [ … ]
The Grimm – Stewart – Schminke Sale that was scheduled for Sunday, April 15, at the Tippe Beef Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been canceled. Stewart’s Duroc Farm will be offering their consignments during a Buyer’s Choice Auction sale scheduled for April 16.
Schminke’s Genetics will also be having an online sale on April 15. Visit their website here or contact Al at schminkegenetic@southslope.net for more information.
During the first week of March, while many of us were in Belton for Southwest Type Conference, several communities in South-Central Indiana were hit by large tornadoes, causing widespread damage and injuries throughout Clark County. Many families in the path of this storm were left with their homes damaged or completely destroyed.
Feeling compelled to help those affected by the tornadoes, the Shaffer family of Albany, Ind. decided to donate 1% of the proceeds from their 2012 Shaffer’s Goldrush Customer Appreciation Pig Sale to help a family from the Clark County area, who lost their home.
“My mom’s house was hit and destroyed by a tornado when she was little, so she’s always been able to relate to tornado victims,” Aimee (Shaffer) Inskeep shares. “We just wanted to be able to do something to help this family.”
Breeders from across the country brought their weanling pigs, all sired by boars from [ … ]
Purple Power’s Customer Appreciation Sale will be held on Sunday, March 25 (not March 31 as listed on the NJSA Calendar) at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, Lafayette, Ind. The sift will begin at 11 a.m. with Kade Hummel sifting the pigs. The sale will begin at 4 p.m. Check page 259 in the March Seedstock EDGE for more information. Contact Chris Danner at 765.414.1161 or NSR Representative Mike Paul 765.427.2692 for more information.
A couple weeks ago, Dr. Fix and I had the opportunity to travel to Northern Illinois for a visit with Jim Moest. Jim and his brother, Steve, are owner-operators of High Plains Pork.
In the last year, High Plains Pork has partnered with PureTek Genetics in the use of purebred genetics in a commercial test herd. This partnership is proving to be a win-win-win situation, with High Plains Pork, PureTek Genetics, and National Swine Registry (NSR) all realizing the genetic benefits of collaboration and data sharing between the commercial and purebred industries.
For Jim and Steve, they not only receive genetic services from NSR through Clint Schwab and Justin Fix, but they are also making advances in their commercial herd that would be difficult to attain outside of this partnership. “We’re speeding up that process because we’re getting the best boars on a third of our herd, so around 600 [ … ]