Ontario Pork Congress prepares for 2020 at their Annual General Meeting

Oct 30, 2019
By Leslie Stewart
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) held their Annual General Meeting on Oct 23. The meeting took place at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club in St. Marys, Ont. and was attended by over 50 people.

Highlights of the event included the election of the 2020 OPC Executive, the presentation of the Hog Jog’s record-breaking donation, and the announcement of the 2020 Ontario Pork Congress.

Meghan Kirkpatrick was elected President of the OPC for 2020.

The OPIC Hog Jog Community presented their largest donation to date ($57,000) to L’Arche Stratford at the AGM. L’Arche Stratford welcomes individuals with or without intellectual disabilities to live together in a community setting.

2020’s Ontario Pork Congress will be held June 17-18.

2020's OPC Executive

Back (left to right): Francisco Trejo (vice president), Henry Gronestege (second vice president), Kirk McLean, Brent DeVries (director)

Front (left to right): Kevin Varley (recording secretary), Kristy Perrin (director), Meghan Kirkpatrick (president), Tom Murray (treasurer)

Photo Credit: Glenn Ruegg

Video: Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.