Sibley, Iowa — If you’re a pork producer, you know that there are more and more hoops to jump through to get your product to market.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Extension wants to help pork producers create a good, wholesome product that is raised in a humane way, so they are offering a Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA) workshop in Sibley on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Osceola Community Hospital Wellness Center.
Iowa State University Extension Swine Specialist Dave Stender says the Common Swine Industry Audit is all about standards set up by the packers.
He says that’s the good news. But . . .
Stender says workshop attendees will have the opportunity to walk through the questions of the common audit, evaluate areas for improvement on their farm(s), and customize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to best prepare for the audit process.
The first two hours of the workshop will be a discussion of how to successfully answer the 92 questions on the packer welfare audit instrument. There will be an optional lunch at a cost of $5 per person, followed by an optional workshop where operational welfare policy statements and SOPs will be developed. If attendees cannot stay for the afternoon session, SOP templates will be available on data drives for pork producers to take with them and utilize at a later time.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptop computer to work on customizing their SOPs during the workshop. A limited number of computers will also be available for use. Attendees will be provided with a binder and flash drive, including customizable audit materials for their farms, compliments of ISU Extension and Outreach, U of MN Extension, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Minnesota Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff.
There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required to ensure an adequate supply of workshop materials. Attendees can register by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach – Cherokee office at 712-225-6196.
