| Ron Craig Inducted into Wayne County Agriculture Hall of Fame
In late November, the Wayne County Agriculture Hall of Fame posthumous award went to NCPC board member Ronald Jessie Craig during the annual Farm/City Banquet.
The Wayne County Agriculture Hall of Fame was founded in 1984 as a way to honor local residents who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture.
Selection criteria focus on outstanding contributions to agriculture in a managerial, leadership and voluntary capacity and their impact in the community.
In making the presentation, Extension Agent Kevin Johnson said that Craig began farming at age 13 because of his love for agriculture. Craig was in his early 30s when his family moved to Wayne County in 1986.
He worked for Goldsboro Milling Co. and in 1995, Craig purchased a 624 farrow-to-feeder hog farm, grew the business to a 5,000-sow operation, 65 beef cattle and 1,000 head goat dairy.
Ron had also recently been honored as Outstanding Livestock Producer of the Year in 2007 by the Wayne County Livestock Development Association.
"Ron passed away on April 28 and left a legacy that has affected numerous Wayne County citizens," Johnson said.
Craig's widow, Debbie, and her four children accepted the award on behalf of the family.
Credits: Goldsboro News-Argus
|
| Passing of Bill Raufer
William B. Raufer, died on Nov. 23, 2009 in Raleigh.
Bill was born Aug. 22, 1922, in St. Louis to William G. and Mary T. Raufer. He was raised in Bowling Green, Mo., and earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the rank of master sergeant. During his time at Mizzou, he met Mary Jane Swift and they married in June 1948. They had three sons.
His early career took him to Des Moines, Iowa, with Meredith Publishing, then to Chicago with Quaker Oats Co. He moved to Quincy in 1952 with Moorman's Manufacturing Co. and retired in 1984 after many years as the company's advertising manager.
Bill and Mary Rose Warinner were married in 1970, each bringing three children to the marriage (never a dull moment!). Bill and Mary Rose retired in 1984 and soon moved to North Carolina. During "retirement." Bill worked for 20 years as a free-lance writer for various publications, mainly in the agricultural industry, including Pork magazine.
He is survived by sons, Mark Raufer of Springfield, Ill., Tom (Linda) Raufer of Bloomington and Eric (Cathy) Raufer of Bloomington; and stepchildren, Kathy (Bob Aufuldish) Warinner of San Anselmo, Calif., Robert Andrew (Wiweka) Warinner of Geneva, Switzerland, and Sarah Allen of Houston, Texas. He is also survived by nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mary Rose recently preceded him in death on Nov. 5, 2009.
|
 Tour of NC Hog Farm on YouTube!
Murphy-Brown LLC has posted a tour of a Bladen County farm on You Tube to teach the public about modern swine production!
Check out the video here. |
Study Shows Moving Pigs Inside Has Huge Benefits
COLUMBIA, MO(MU release) - A study by University of Missouri Extension swine experts shows that moving pigs indoors has led to improved health for pigs and higher-quality product for consumers.
Since the shift to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), veterinarians have seen a significant decline in parasites, said Beth Young, swine veterinarian with the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Program. Young spoke at the 2009 Swine Institute in Columbia, Nov. 10.
The Commercial Agriculture Swine Focus Team looked at changes in the swine industry since 1945.
In the 1940s, 55-70 percent of pigs were infected with lungworms. By the 1970s lungworm outbreaks only affected about 11 percent of farms. "In the past decade, lungworms are rarely seen," Young said.
"Likewise, 78-94 percent of pigs were infected with kidney worms in the 1940s, and now infestations are rarely seen," she said.
Trichinella and toxoplasma also have seen dramatic drops in recent decades. Scientists believe this is because pigs are not feeding on garbage and have no access to wildlife in CAFO facilities.
Trichinella infection in humans from eating undercooked pork was once fairly common in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, the only real danger of contracting trichinella through food consumption is from eating game meat.
Toxoplasma was noted in 42 percent of sows in the 1970s and is now down to 6 percent. Because pigs are confined, they are not exposed to cats, the carriers of the parasite.
Young said that many other swine diseases have seen significant decreases or eradication since the move to confined operations. The list includes swine dysentery, atrophic rhinitis, actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, brucellosis, classical swine fever (hog cholera) and pseudorabies.
| |
|
News from WashingtonFind out what's going on in Washington that affects the pork industry.
Click here to keep up to date on NPPC's press releases. | |
Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities
Duplin County Center: 6:00 Hours Credit
12/07/2009 - 9:00AM-4:30PM
Topics include: Mortality Composting, Methane Capture, Biofuel Opportunities,
USDA-Rural Development Energy Grants, Understanding Phosphorus Levels,
Sludge Management.
Duplin County Cooperative Extension Office
Cost: $10 (includes lunch: WG Simmons' pork chops...)
Contact: Wanda Hargrove, at 910-296-2143
Robeson County Animal Waste Classes - Session One: 2.00 Hours Credit
12/08/2009 - 10:00 AM
Robeson County CES Center, Lumberton
Contact: Michelle Shooter 910-671-3276
Robeson County Animal Waste Classes - Session Two: 2.00 Hours Credit
12/08/2009 - 01:00 PM
Robeson County CES Center, Lumberton
Contact: Michelle Shooter 910-671-3276
Roberson County Animal Waste Classes - Session Three: 2.00 Hours Credit
12/08/2009 - 03:00 PM
Robeson County CES Center, Lumberton
Contact: Michelle Shooter 910-671-3276
Pitt County CEC Training: 3.00 Hours Credit
12/09/2009 - 02:00 PM
Pitt County Ag Center, Greenville
Contact: Phillip Rowan 252-902-1703
2009 Agricultural Drainage Management Field Day - 2.5 Hours Credit
12/14/2009 - 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Registration begins at 8:30 AM, Lunch at 12:30 PM
Pitt County Cooperative Extension Center, Greenville.
Highlights: Benefits of agricultural drainage management, cost-share program update, farmers' panel and field visits in Pitt and Beaufort Counties.
Contact Carl Crozier:carl_crozier@ncsu.edu or 252-793-4428 x 134
|
2010 NCPC Award Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 NCPC Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Annual Conference.
You may submit nominations for the Pork All American, Outstanding Pork Producer and Hall of Fame.
The nomination deadline is December 22, 2009.
Please note, if you have nominated someone in prior years who was not a recipient, please resubmit the nomination with updated information. We would like to consider them for 2010.
For more information, go to NCPC's website.
|
|
The North Carolina Pork Council: We Bring a Lot to the Table |
| Use this area to provide your contacts information about your organization. | |
