New this year is the opportunity for all pork producers at the World Pork Expo to participate in a PORK Academy seminar. 0 Leon Sheets, chairman of the Pork Checkoff’s Producer Services Committee and a pork producer from Ionia, Iowa said: “As a producer, access to accurate and timely information is vital to my operation and the Pork Checkoff is helping provide that through educational seminars like PORK Academy .“

PORK Academy is a series of in-depth seminars designed to help pork producers remain competitive in 0a rapidly changing global market place. PORK Academy allows producers to select those areas that they have the most interest.

“More producers can have the opportunity to experience PORK Academy,“ said Mr Sheets. “The seminars are designed to allow producers to get information that they can use on their farm but also allow them time to explore the other opportunities at World Pork Expo.“

PORK Academy’s seminars will focus on employee care, education, environment and market outlook. Topics include: managing cultural diversity in the workplace, co-worker to manager relations, safety in the work place, quality assurance and a special session titled 100 percent pork – lets keep it that way. The seminars will also include question and answer panels and a market focussed element that includes the outlook for summer 2007, feed costs for 2007-08 and the economic prospects for hogs and pork.

A brochure with a detailed list of the scheduled seminars is available at http://www.pork.org or by calling the Producer Service Center at 800-456-PORK.

In addition to PORK Academy, Pork Checkoff is sponsoring the Great Pork BarbeQlossal™ contest an pig producers also are invited to visit the Pork Checkoff hospitality to learn more about how they can play an important role in building consumer trust and a more positive image of the pork industry.