Last week, the National Pork Producers Council held their Spring Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C. The NC Pork Council was represented at the conference by Tim Craig, Kim Griffin, Bundy Lane, and David Herring. NCPC staff members Deborah Johnson and Angie Whitener also attended.

The two day event featured many speakers including Congressman David Scott (D-GA), a member of the House Agriculture Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; Congressman Roy Blunt (R-MO), a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee; and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The NCPC group had meetings on Capitol Hill and were able to talk with many congressional members from North Carolina including Reps. Heath Shuler, Bob Etheridge, Brad Miller, Larry Kissell, Howard Coble, Virginia Foxx, and Sen. Kay Hagan. They also were able to meet with staff in other NC congressional offices including the office of Reps. Mike McIntyre, G.K. Butterfield, David Price, Sue Myrick, and Sen. Richard Burr.

Many of the NC congressional members also attended NPPC's "Rack of Pork" reception that took place during the conference in Cannon House Office Building. 



NCPC board member Kim Griffin poses with Rep. Howard Coble



Rep. Bob Etheridge (right) talks with NCPC board member David Herring and enjoys a pork chop at the NPPC Rack of Pork event.

 

Around 1,400 pigs died in an early morning fire this past Monday. A lightning strike is being blamed for the fire that completely destroyed a hog house owned by Prestage Farms on Boykin Bridge Road just north of Garland in Sampson County.

WRAL visited the scene and interviewed production manager Mark Daughtry for their coverage of the story. In the interview - both on behalf of the company and from a personal perspective - Mark effectively communicated reactions to the devastating event. 

While monetary damages are always a consideration, the story was appropriately focused on the safety of those who responded to the fire and the sadness of the loss of so many animals.

We commend Mark and the entire crew at Prestage for handling a difficult situation with poise, humanity, and professionalism. 

If you have not seen the story, you can access the WRAL video here.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., - The National Pork Producers Council has hired Chris Wall as assistant vice president for government relations in its Washington, D.C., public-policy office.

"Chris has great leadership skills and an extensive background in agriculture," said Audrey Adamson, vice president of domestic policy issues. "He will be a valuable asset to pork producers in fighting for reasonable legislation and regulations."

Wall most recently was director of economic development in the office of Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., working on agricultural issues, including food-safety legislation and the 2008 Farm Bill. Previously, he was a senior legislative assistant for Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., dealing with agricultural matters. Wall also worked on the staffs of Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C., and Sen. George Allen, R-Va.

Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, Wall was vice president of Colorbee Inc., a Winston-Salem, N.C., small business.

Wall earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.