Pork leaders converge on D.C. for big talks

Sep 18, 2023

D.C. just became the hotspot for pork industry leaders. More than a hundred of them took over the city as part of the National Pork Producers Council’s Spring meet-up. With a lineup of experts and decision-makers, it was quite the event.

Scott Hays, the big boss at NPPC, started things off. He shared just how crucial these face-to-face chats with Congress members can be. "By being here," he noted, "you're giving them a real glimpse into our world."

So, what were the big talks about? Here's a sneak peek:

2023 Farm Bill: This one's all about protection against threats like foreign diseases and expanding markets. After a string of challenges post-2018, from pandemic woes to trade hiccups, this Bill might be the fresh start the industry needs.
California Proposition 1: NPPC feels the farm bill needs a federal solution for the issues brought up by this proposition, especially as it overlooks decades of scientific and animal welfare progress.
Trade: The U.S. sold a staggering $7.6 billion worth of pork to over a hundred countries in 2022 alone. Expanding this? On the agenda!
Labor Woes and the H-2A Visa Program: Despite attractive pay packages, the pork industry's facing a labor crunch. Maybe tweaking the visa rules could help?

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.