| The e-Newsletter of the NC Pork Council |
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Wendell Murphy featured in UNC-TV's Biographical Conversations series
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Mr.Wendell Murphy is being featured in the latest edition of UNC-TV's Biographical Conversations first person documentary series.
Biographical Conversations is an on-going original UNC-TV program that tells the life stories of "extraordinary North Carolinians whose impact and vision have earned them national prominence and a place in history."
Part 1 of the three-part series aired last Sunday, November 6, and parts 2 & 3 are scheduled for the next two Sunday nights (Nov 13 & 20) at 7pm.
To view a summary of each part in the series as well as a timeline of Mr. Murphy's life and career complete with a photo journal, visit the series website.
Click here to to see the series promo.
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Porter Wins Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award
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Thomas Porter, Jr was recently selected as the 2011 North Carolina winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award.
"I'm humbled to be named as Farmer of the Year," said the Concord, N.C., grower. "I thank God for the privilege of being able to tend a small portion of his land and taking care of his creatures. It's really something to be honored and respected for going out and doing what I love to do."
Along with his wife Vicky, Tommy farms 850 acres, of which 270 acres are rented and 580 acres are owned. They raise cattle, poultry, and swine. Their swine operation is on contract with Murphy-Brown, LLC, and consists of a 2,200 head sow unit which also serves as a multiplication unit.
This is second time the Porters have won the Sunbelt Farmer of the Year award for NC. The first time was in 2006. They have received numerous other awards over the years including the National Environmental Stewardship Award for Poultry presented by Tyson Foods in 1999, and again in 2004. They were voted Conservation Farm Family of the year in 1999 by the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and recognized by the N.C. Pork Council as the 2009 N.C. Outstanding Pork Producer.
Since its inception in 1990, the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award has evolved into the most prestigious honor in the southeast with 177 outstanding agribusiness leaders being honored for their "excellence in agriculture." Ten states participate in the program: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
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Swine farmers notified of upcoming water quality study
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Swine farmers in eastern NC should have recently received a letter from the NC Division of Water Quality (DWQ) regarding an upcoming study of water quality in waters near swine farms.
The study was accepted by the NC Environmental Management Commission as a reasonable alternative to a proposed mandatory monitoring rule that would have required all permitted animal operations to collect water samples from streams adjacent to the farm and pay for analysis of those water samples. Adoption of this less burdensome, more scientific approach was supported by farmers, NCPC, and other agricultural organizations.
The study will be jointly conducted by DWQ and the US Geological Survey (USGS). USGS is expected to begin taking water quality samples in February, 2012, from streams adjacent to a number of swine operations. The farms will be selected at random based on site characteristics such as farm size and available acreage and samples collected will be analyzed by the USGS.
If a stream adjacent to your farm is chosen, you will be contacted by DWQ staff in the coming months. Please note that sample results will not be used for determination of compliance with your permit.
A copy of the study plan prepared by the USGS can be obtained here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the NCPC office at 919/781-0361 or email Tommy Stevens .
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Smithfield Foods to Create 330 New Jobs in Lenoir County
Company to invest more than $85 million in Kinston facility
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Smithfield Packing Company, a $12 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor, will expand its facility in Lenoir County, according to a news release from the office of Governor Bev Perdue. The company plans to create 330 new jobs and invest $85.5 million during the next three years in Kinston.
The project was made possible in part by a $700,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. As part of the expansion in Kinston, the company will add a new product line of packaged meats. Smithfield Foods currently has more than 12,400 employees across North Carolina.
Smithfield Packing Company, which operates the existing Kinston facility, was founded in 1936. Primary lines of business include fresh pork, smoked meats, bacon, cooked hams, and hot dogs for retail, foodservice, and deli channels. The company exports products to approximately 30 countries. In addition to the Smithfield brand, its Gwaltney, Esskay, and Cumberland Gap products are among the leaders in their respective markets.
"The expansion of the Kinston plant will allow us to increase our packaged meats production to keep up with growing customer demand for our products," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods.
"From a local economic development standpoint, we are pleased that this project will bring additional jobs to North Carolina and add revenue to the local economy," said Tim Schellpeper, president of Smithfield Packing. "North Carolina is a great place to live and work, and we are delighted to contribute to the growth of this region," he continued.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $27,644, plus benefits. The Lenoir County average annual wage is $29,276.
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 55,000 jobs and $11 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Lenoir County, City of Kinston, and N.C.'s Eastern Region.
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Human resources training for pork producers and managers
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The National Pork Board (NPB) is hosting a human resources conference in Raleigh designed to help swine managers as they deal with the challenges of personnel management on December 8-9 at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel downtown.
NPB's Employee Management Conference will offer sessions ranging from hiring and firing to performance improvement derived from feedback and coaching.
The National Pork Board, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is responsible for providing consumer information, performing industry-related research and the overall promotion of pork as a food product.
Deborah Johnson, chief executive officer of the North Carolina Pork Council, noted, "This is a terrific opportunity for our pork producers and production company employees, especially those who are moving into the arena of managing people. We are strongly encouraging attendance."
The conference's keynote speaker and featured lecturer is Michael Brandwein, author of Levity and Learning I. Brandwein's keynote talk on the morning of December 9 is "Houdini's Greatest Secret Was That There Was One: Unlocking and Unblocking the Path to Personal & Organizational Success."
Registration is free and open to pork producers, their managers and production company associates. However, all participants are asked to register in advance by calling 800-456-PORK or faxing a registration form to 515-223-2646.
Here are links to the:
A limited number of guest rooms, under the NATIONAL PORK BOARD group name, is available at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel at the rate of $119 per night. Room reservations must be made with the hotel at 919-834-9900 before November 15.
Registrants may also call the NCPC office at 919-781-0361 for more information about the conference.
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2010 NCPC Environmental Steward Award application deadline is Nov 15
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The deadline to submit applications for the 2010 NCPC Environmental Steward Award is November 15, 2011!.
The NCPC Environmental Steward Award is a program to annually recognize a NC pork producer who excels in on-farm environmental stewardship. Started in 2008, it is also a great opportunity for the industry to promote environmental excellence and make the public - as well as policy makers - aware of the proactive measures producers are taking to protect the environment. The NCPC Environmental Stewards program is similar to the national program administered jointly between National Hog Farmer and Pork Checkoff. Both the state and national programs focus on manure management, soil conservation, water conservation, wildlife habitat, air quality and public relations. NCPC works with the top three applicants in the state program each year to help prepare their application for submission in the national program.
A brochure about the award can be found at this link and an application is available for download here.
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Industry Calendar | |
November 22 - Wilson Regional Pork Conference
5:30pm - 3 hours CEC - Meal included, pre-registration required - Contact: Walter Earle @ 252/237-0111
November 29 - Sampson County Waste CEC Class
9am - 6 hours credit available - Pre-registration required - Contact: Lynn Stillwell @ 910/592-7161
December 6 - Eastern Carolina Cattle Conference, Sampson County
Registration fee, pre-registration required - Contact: Paul Gonzalez @ 910/592-7161
December 8 - Bladen County CEC Class
9am - 6 hours credit available - Pre-registration required - Contact: Becky Spearman @ 910/862-4591
December 8-9 - NPB Employee Management Conference, Downtown Raleigh Sheraton Hotel
No charge for registration, pre-registration requested: 800-456-PORK.
December 12 - 16 - Nutrient Management Training - Raleigh
Technical Specialist certification requires completion of a series of online modules before attendance of the 5-day training program at NC State University. More information and online registration for full program here.
December 14 - Duplin County CEC Class
9am - 6 hours credit available - Registration fee, pre-registration required - Contact: Amanda Hatcher @ 910/296-2143
January 26 & 27, 2012 - Sampson County Animal Waste Certification Class
9am both days - register by January 12 - Contact: Lynn Stillwell @ 910/592-7161
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The North Carolina Pork Council. We bring a lot to the table.
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