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Nebraska Pork Producers Association names 2024 Pork Ambassadors

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association is proud to announce the 2024 Pork Ambassadors. Five college-age students, under the direction of Sophia Lentfer, education director for the association, will participate in the year long program.

  • Olivia Vanderford is a freshman studying agricultural communications at University of Nebraska Lincoln. Daughter of Jon and Taryn Vanderford of Lincoln, Nebraska.
  • Danielle Burge is a junior at UNL majoring in animal science and is a member of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program. Danielle is the daughter of Dan and Julie Burge of Grant, Nebraska.
  • Whitley Rut is a freshman at UNL from Arthur, Nebraska studying agribusiness with a pre-law option and minoring in business and law. Her parents are Tom and Kris Rut.
  • Kylie Beard is a sophomore at UNL majoring in animal science and minoring in agricultural economics. Kylie is the daughter of Eric Beard and Sara Mertens of Nelson, Nebraska.
  • Trevor Parde is a freshman at UNL studying animal science with a focus in livestock production and management. Trevor is the son of Doug and Cindy Parde from Adams, Nebraska.

This is an elite program that focuses on developing leadership and communication skills through a variety of firsthand experiences. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to gain experience about pork promotion, research and consumer information, while examining the industry’s future and discovering what their role is in the future of our industry. They will have opportunities to meet state and national industry leaders, and closely examine industry challenges.

They will graduate from the program with a $750 scholarship and an impressive understanding of the swine industry.

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In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Joshua Selsby from Iowa State University explains how heat stress affects swine biology and why now is the ideal time to prepare for next summer’s challenges. He breaks down its effects on muscle function, immune responses, and long-term metabolic outcomes. Learn how early planning can protect herd performance when temperatures rise again. Listen now on all major platforms! "Heat stress leads to a cascade of biological damage, beginning with metabolic disruption and expanding across multiple organ systems." Meet the guest: Dr. Joshua Selsby is a Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. With over 15 years of research on skeletal muscle physiology and heat stress, he focuses on understanding how thermal stress disrupts swine metabolism, immune function, and muscle integrity.