A Buchanan County woman has been honored as one of the state’s top pork promoters.
Kathy Wulfekuhle was named the state winner of the Belle Ringer Award from the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
Wulfekuhle, of Quasqueton, has been involved with everything from promotions and educational programs to industry public relations. She and her husband, Al, have opened their farm for tours for grade school students and have hosted local officials and urban consumers who are interested in learning more about pork production. They also donate pigs for the interactive livestock farming exhibit at the Delaware County Fair. Wulfekuhle has also served on the Buchanan County Pork Producers Board and IPPA Youth Committee.
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Downtown Iowa City, including the University of Iowa Pentacrest and Iowa River, from a plane, June 2018. Emma McClatchey/Little Village
An effort by Republicans in the state legislature to eliminate tenure at Iowa’s three public universities advanced this week, as the House Education Committee passed a bill to end tenure at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, and a Senate subcommittee approved the Senate version of that bill.
Tenure prevents college professors from being fired except for good cause or in cases where the college is facing a financial crisis severe enough to endanger its survival. It is intended to shield professors from political pressure, and allow for wide-ranging inquiry and free expression of ideas.
Feb 12, 2021
Pork producers can learn more about building ventilation from the inside out through a series of workshops in mid-March. Iowa Pork Industry Center joins Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in offering Managing Your Unseen Employee: The Ventilation System at five different Iowa locations at no cost. The series is sponsored by Automated Production Systems (AP) and lunch is provided courtesy of Iowa Pork Producers Association.
Brett Ramirez of ISU agricultural and biosystems engineering said the daylong program provides a two-pronged approach to understanding issues and consequences of decisions by combining classroom instruction with hands-on trials and application of knowledge gained in a real-world setting.
February 11, 2021
Des Moines, Iowa Bills calling for a statewide moratorium on new factory farms are -not- expected to gain much traction in the Iowa legislature this session. Several groups are working to stop development of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs (KAY-foes), which they say pollute the air and water, impact the quality of life, and devalue nearby land.
Drew Mogler, a spokesman for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says if the legislation is approved, it would be a disaster for the state of Iowa and for the pork industry.
(As above) “Livestock production and agriculture is really the economic engine of rural Iowa and really a way for young people to get involved in agriculture,” Mogler says, “so it’s definitely something that would really hurt our industry. We certainly still see the pork industry as something that’s very important to rural Iowa.”
February 10, 2021
IARN The new president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association is a second-generation pig farmer from Essex.
Dennis Liljedahl succeeds Mike Paustian as president of IPPA, a change in leadership which came during the organization’s yearly annual meeting on January 26th. Paustian now holds the past president position on the IPPA Board of Directors. Both will serve one-year terms in their respective roles. In a Tuesday morning interview with the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Liljedahl said he’s excited to help lead the association in 2021.
“It’s an honor to represent IPPA this coming year,” Liljedahl said. “We’re really looking forward to getting back to somewhat of a normal schedule. Hopefully, we don’t have as many disruptions as we did this past year. Of course, our ultimate goal is always profitable producers.”