Legislation Would Encourage More Veterinarians to Practice in Rural Areas

A newly introduced bill backed by the American Farm Bureau Federation would help bring more veterinarians to rural areas.

 

“Timely veterinary care is key to maintaining the health of our nation’s poultry flocks and dairy and livestock herds. However, a shortage of animal care professionals in many rural areas is putting farm animals at risk, jeopardizing the farms and ranches that care for them, and impacting the stability of our food supply,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a letter to the sponsors of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (H.R. 2447), Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis,), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.).

Video: How to Capture the $80 Million Ground Pork Opportunity | 2026 Retail Trends

Meat is having a moment, and ground pork is perfectly positioned to help you capture new category growth.

In this business intelligence deep-dive, National Pork Board experts Bailey Morrell and Rick Smith break down the latest consumer behaviors, retail trends, and an $80 million incremental retail opportunity in ground pork.

Watch to learn how expanding your ground pork offerings, utilizing proper fat-lean ratio labeling, and building a dedicated "grinds set" can attract Gen Z and Millennial shoppers while driving "center of the plate" profitability.

we cover:

• Insights from the 2026 Power of Meat presentation.

• Why ground pork is the "gateway meat" for younger, high-value shoppers.

• How adding just two new ground pork SKUs can drive incremental sales.

• Actionable merchandising strategies, including the right fat-lean ratios for specific recipes.