2013 KPA Year in Review

2013: Year in Review Taking Action | Promoting Pork | Building Relationships | Engaging Conversations

Making a difference.That is what we strive for. In 2013, your

association continued to work for you, to make a difference. From taking action and being a part of the decisions that affect your industry, to promoting the pork that you raise with hard work and care, we strive to work with your best interest in mind. And we’re making connections — building relationships and engaging in conversation with people who are interested in knowing more about pork and the farmers who raised it. This review provides a summary of what your association has done for you in 2013.

Thank you to our many volunteers, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, and of course, our farmers for continuing to be behind our success.

Taking Action

Promoting Pork

Building Relationships

We’ll keep working hard for you.

Engaging Conversation

2013 KPA Board of Directors President-CEO Tim Stroda Director of Consumer Relations Jodi Oleen Director of Communications Amanda Spoo

Chairman: Michael Springer - Neodesha Jim Crane - Liberal Kevin Deniston - Scott City Daniel Gerety - Seneca Jerry Morris - Sedgwick Scott Pfortmiller - Stafford Jim Nelssen - Kansas State University

2013: Year in Review

Taking Action The issues, challenges and opportunities that have an impact on you are important to us. That is why we are a part of the decisions that affect the industry.

Legislative and Regulatory Issues

In the state legislature, your association worked to ease the path for new or expanding swine operations in the state. The KPA was a member of a business coalition which provided input on immigration legislation. The KPA also worked to ensure the funding for the Feral Swine Eradication Program was renewed. On regulatory issues, the KPA has worked on behalf of producers with the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Kansas Department of Commerce. On the Federal level, the KPA has worked with NPPC on many issues including food safety, antibiotics, climate change, free trade agreements, trucking, nutrient management, air monitoring, livestock competition, and taxes.

National Pork Industry Forum

Representatives from Kansas attended the National Pork Industry Forum held in Orlando, FL. Forum serves as the annual meetings of the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council.

The pork producers reaffirmed the industry’s position that producers should be able to select a sow housing system, including gestation stalls or individual maternity pens, which best promotes employee safety and animal care while ensuring a reliable supply of pork for consumers.

KPA Involvement: Delegates attended.

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Taking Action

Kansas Feral Swine Control

Kansas continues to be the model program for feral swine control and eradication in the nation. Now in its seventh year, over 3,600 feral pigs have been removed from the state and bordering states since the program’s inception. Many of these were in isolated herds that have been eradicated. The program does not conduct control work on property without landowner permission and cooperation. To date, the program has over 600 cooperating private landowners consisting of well over 1,000,000 acres of private, federal and state land. Also cooperating in the program is the Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, United States Forest Service and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

KPA Involvement: Worked with the Kansas Legislature, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the USDA’s Wildlife Services division to fund and manage the program.

New Director of Communications Hired

In 2013, your association created a new position and hired Amanda Spoo, as Director of Communications. Spoo, originally from northeast Oregon, graduated in May 2013 from Kansas State University with a bachelor of science in agricultural communications and journalism. Her primary responsibility is producing and coordinating the distribution of KPA publications and information including Pig Tales, InPursuitOfPork.com and the daily e-newsletter updates, as well as handling advertising, photography and developing new materials. She also assists with events and programming, social media and membership services.

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2013: Year in Review

Promoting Pork 2013 was said by many to be the ‘Year of the Farmer.’ At KPA we took it a step further. We wanted the year to be all about our bacon farmers and everyone’s favorite savory pork product. We made bacon look cool.

Your Bacon Starts Here

To celebrate National Pork Month in October, Your Bacon Starts Here was a retail program brought to life by your association through partnerships with Hy-vee, Farmland Foods and a grant from the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

The program’s goal was to start conversations about food and farming in Kansas while encouraging grocery shoppers to purchase pork through print, in-store and online outreach.

The core of the program was an online Facebook contest that prompted participants to share a picture portraying “where their bacon started,” for the chance to win a year’s supply of bacon. Visually, the program was highlighted by the faces of three Kansas pork farm families. The Bellar, Springer and Wondra families, and their farms were each featured in their own short video, which were shared on social media and paired with bacon recipes.

In-store promotions were placed in 21 Hy-Vee stores in the Kansas City area and additional advertising was featured in the Kansas City Star and on Facebook and Pandora.

KPA Involvement: Organized funding, agency and program planning. Work with bloggers to promote the contest and implemented Facebook and Pandora advertising.

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Promoting Pork

By The Numbers: Your Bacon Starts Here Over 10 Million Total Impressions Kansas Population: 2 Million

Accomplished through: Twitter Pandora YouTube Facebook Pinterest

30,000 Likes on the Kansas Pork Association’s Facebook page Bringing our audience reach up to more than 60,000 people per week

- 7 blog features - 3 Kansas City Star advertisements - 1,017 visitors to yourbaconstartshere.org - 1,1476 views on YouTube What is an impression? Impressions measure the number of times a website or a specific element on a website is viewed, whether it is clicked on or not. Each view is counted as one impression.

Bacon Fest KC

Your association spent the day with hundreds of Kansas City’s bacon lovers and enthusiasts as a sponsor at the 5th annual Bacon-Fest: The Other Fundraiser. The event, held August 24, is a fundraiser for the Rehabilitation Institute of KC, an organization that provides physical rehabilitation services to youth and adults in the Kansas City area. Every year Bacon Fest features dozens of bacon-inspired dishes from around Kansas City, as well as cold beer, live music and multiple contests, including a KPA sponsored bacon recipe contest judged by our very own In Pursuit of Pork blogger, Chris Petty. This year, KPA debuted its new “Bacon Booth” photo screen and gave participants a chance to win $250 worth of bacon by uploading their pictures to social media using the hash tag #baconfarmers.

KPA Involvement: Coordinated and funded sponsorship.

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Promoting Pork Retail and Food Service Promotion

KPA has participated in multiple retail programs initiated by National Pork Board, including both online and offline coupon redemption and point of sale material to support retailers. KPA also partnered with The HoneyBaked Ham Company for a giveaway that was promoted on Facebook.

KPA Involvement: Coordination of special offers and promotions.

Pork Chop Open

KPA hosted another successful annual Pork Chop Open Tournament held on September 20 at the Cedar Hill Golf Course in Washington, Kan. This year’s participants enjoyed a day of golfing, good weather, great pork and competed for a chance to win the $10,000 hole-in-one on Hole 7. Serving as a fundraiser for your association, the tournament had 13 hole sponsors and eight event sponsors.

KPA Involvement: Coordinated event.

Advertising

K-State Football Tailgate

KPA Involvement: Coordinated advertising and funding.

KPA Involvement: Volunteer ticket purchases, event management and coordination.

Advertising offers your organization access to a large and diverse audience by using a variety of platforms. In 2013, KPA advertised in radio, print magazines, newspapers, TV and online on Facebook and Pandora. Advertisements were ran in conjunction with National Pork Month, consumer events and promotions

The Pork Checkoff “We Care” trailer grilled pork samples outside of Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the KSU game versus the University of Massachusetts on September 14. Kansas pork producers and friends prepared over 300 pounds of pork loin, and provided recipes and cooking tips to fans.

Seaboard Foods sponsored the pork loins, and radio advertising supported the event.

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Promoting Pork

“Great job to all bacon farmers. There is something to be said about farm families and their work habits.� - Steve L., Facebook comment

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2013: Year in Review

Building Relationships From experts in nutrition and cooking, to celebrating the next generation and listening to grocery shoppers, it is our goal to add value to the lives of others and build lasting relationships.

Kansas State Fair

KPA was involved in two displays at the Kansas State Fair’s centennial celebration held September 6-15. For a second year, your association’s model hog barn display was incorporated in to the Kansas Farm Bureau “Ag Central” tent that provides fair spectators the opportunity to tour through a variety of interactive agricultural displays. The Kansas Veterinary Medical Association/KSU Veterinary Medical and Birthing Center was host to two sows that farrowed during their time at the fair. KPA worked with Osborne Industries and a Kansas pork producer to design and provide the display. The Birthing Center is operated by staff and students from the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as KVMA volunteers.

KPA Involvement: Organized barn usage. Coordinated and sponsored pig farrowing display.

Wichita Women’s Fair and Just For Her

In 2013, your association attended two women’s expos. The Wichita Women’s Fair, held February 15-17 at Century II drew in 16,000 people. Just For Her, held June 7-9 at the Overland Park Convention Center, had over 12,000 attendants. These events target women, hosting exhibitors from food and fashion, to health and home décor.

KPA’s focus was to provide coupons, recipes and cooking tips, while giving pork a face. During these events, KPA featured Chefs Alli Winter, Joe Parten and Renee Kelly at its booths and in on-stage cooking demonstrations. At Just For Her, KPA was a Food Sponsor, which included logo placement and a premier booth. At both events attendants had opportunities to win gift baskets and grocery gift cards, and to talk to Kansas pork producers.

KPA Involvement: Coordinated and funded sponsorship, booths and demonstrations

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Building Relationships

Central Plains Red Cross Partnership

Youth and KSU Sponsorship

KPA Involvement: Program organization, coordination and funding.

KPA Involvement: Financial support, programming and award sponsorship.

In 2013, your association continued its partnership with the American Red Cross in the Central Plains region to bring the Be Inspired to Make a Difference community program alive. People donated blood at eight drives across the state. Donors were greeted and served food by local pork producers at each drive and had the opportunity to win prizes.

Through this partnership, your organization received over 750,000 media impressions statewide with local and regional news, and local radio stations.

It is important for your association to work closely with university researchers and educators, and is always looking for opportunities to support youth in agriculture. Events supported by KPA in 2013 include Swine Profitability Conference, junior swine programs, graduate student trip, Bob Hines Swine Classic, Swine Day and the PQA Plus Advisor Training Program. KPA also provided recognition and award sponsorship through the Kansas 4-H Patron Sponsor Program and the Kansas FFA Swine ProductionEntrepreneurship and Swine ProductionPlacement Proficiency Awards for excellence in the supervised agricultural experience program.

Celebrate Kansas Agriculture Your association joined in celebrating Kansas agriculture throughout March. As a part of the Neighbor to Neighbor statewide food drive, KPA worked with Dillon’s Food Stores to organize and host a food drive on March 16 at Dillon’s Westloop location in Manhattan. At the drive KSU Food for Thought students helped hand out coupons to food item donors. On Kansas Ag Day, March 19, KPA joined other leaders in the Kansas agriculture community to pack backpacks to conclude the food drive. Your association was also a sponsor of the Dialogue on Kansas Agriculture forum that took place that afternoon at the state capitol.

KPA Involvement: Organized and sponsored local food drive and sponsored Ag Day events.

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Building Relationships

MINK Conference

Members of the Missouri Dietetic Association, the Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Nebraska Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Kansas Dietetic Association attended the 2013 MINK Conference in Overland Park on April 4-6.

Your association was a booth exhibitor and an event sponsor at this event. Participants enjoyed the model barn, prizes, hors d’oeuvres and games, and received new National Pork Board materials.

KPA Involvement: Event sponsor and exhibitor.

Kansas FACS Teacher Support

KPA continued it support of family and consumer science teachers through a classroom grant program, FCS Culinary Academy Workshop sponsorship and collaborating with the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association. This year KPA was given an Award of Merit from both the Kansas Association of Teacher of Family and Consumers Science and theAssociation for Career and Technical Education.

KPA Involvement: Providing teaching materials, grants and sponsorship.

Model Modern Hog Barn The model modern hog barns that were purchased in 2012 have become essential teaching tools. Many organizations requesting sponsorships have also given KPA staff time on their schedule to share the barn and its message in 2013. These organizations include Kansas Ag in the Classroom, the Association of Wholesale Grocers, Tractor Days at the National Ag Hall of Fame and the Southwest Kansas Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.

KPA Involvement: Sponsorships and barn management.

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Building Relationships KAMP Support

The Kansas Association of Meat Processors and your association worked together to provide a $250 award for the Innovative Pork Sweepstakes Product. This year’s winner was Belly Wrapped Boneless Pork Loin from Alan Waggoner at Yoder Meats.

Wendell Moyer Scholarship

Kiah Gourley, an undergraduate in animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University recieved the 2013 $1,000 enrichment grant. The grant is in named in remembrance of Wendell Moyer, a founding member of KPA in 1956.

KPA Involvement: Financial support for award. KPA Involvement: Funded the scholarship.

Operation Main Street

OMS presentations facilitate conversations about pork production, health and nutrition information and current technologies in agriculture with food purchasers statewide.

In 2013, six Kansas OMS speakers gave 49 presentations.

KPA Involvement: Provided Kansas specific educational material and additional financial and presentation support to Kansas OMS speakers.

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2013: Year in Review

Engaging Conversation People are talking. They are asking questions, sharing information, giving their opinions and searching for resources. KPA is not only a part of that conversation, but we are leading it. Are you ready to join in?

Eatpork.org On July 23, your association officially launched eatpork.org, a new website brought to you by Kansas pork farmers and powered by porkbeinspired.com. The site allows KPA to grow its relationship with consumers while providing them a central location for pork resources.

A recipe database and list of featured articles on kitchen tips are available to help consumers experience and comfort with pork in the kitchen. Want to meet a farmer? The site’s “Our Story” page, invites consumers to meet a featured farm family and get answers to their frequently asked questions. And for those who are in need of resources to teach others about pork, the site offers teaching tools and materials, that are either available for download or request by mail. Designed with the busy consumer in mind, the site features an attractive, easy-to-use layout that allows for quick navigation and accessibility. Since its launch, we have seen over 4.5 times the traffic to eatpork.org than we saw to our old consumer site. That number continues to grow monthly.

KPA Involvement: Directed website layout and design. Implemented promotion and visitor growth strategy.

Have you visited

eatpork.org

on your smart phone lately?

If so, you will notice a much cleaner look and feel for mobile users.

Over 70% of visitors to the new site are from mobile devices.

The new responsive layout will make navigation and information easier for users.

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Engaging Conversation Online and Social Media Connect with us at “KansasPork” Your association utilizes multiple social media platforms to increase its reach with consumers.

Facebook allow us to host giveaways, share recipes and pork information and invest in paid advertising. Pinterest expands on that content, allowing viewers to organize it for their needs and interests. Video content is hosted on KPA’s YouTube account where users can view original videos and subscribe to video feeds. Twitter allows KPA to get more value from the content that we are sharing, by being able to repackage and share with another audiences.

KPA is receiving financial support from the Kansas Soybean Commission to strategically promote our online content.

KPA Involvement: Manage content and funding.

<<<<<<<<< This is an example of a post that you would see on KPA’s Facebook a few times a week.

The page reaches anywhere from 60,000- 600,000 general consumers weekly. Have you “liked” us?

<<<<<<<<< Page 13

Engaging Conversation

>>>>>>>

KPA has created a virtual pin board on the popular site Pinterest, where our goal is to drive traffic to eatpork.org. Over 650 people follow KPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pinterest that features recipes and information about Kansas pork farms.

>>>>>>> Pig Tales

Pig Tales is the official publication of the Kansas pork industry.

The four color, bi-monthly magazine focuses on industry news on both the state and national level. Pig Tales is mailed to over 500 Kansas pork producers, 150 allied industry supporters and nearly 150 complimentary persons, including extension and university personnel. Advertising allows industry partners to reach decision makers who are buying equipment, feed additives, breeding stock and looking for new genetic and product information. In 2013, Pig Tales saw changes to its layout and groudwork for improved communications in 2014.

KPA Involvement: Publish the magazine.

P IG TALES The O fficia l Pub licati on of the K ansas Pork

5 2013

Indus try

Baco n Far mers Shine KPA Spon in Re sors 2 tail P 013 K rogra -State m Swin e Day

Daily E-Newsletter

In Pursuit of Pork

KPA Involvement: Manage content and mailing list

KPA Involvement: Manage content.

In 2013, your association expanded its news feature on www. kspork.org to a daily e-newsletter updates sent every weekday.

Content features both state and national news, including consumer programs, legislative information, regulatory updates, producer education and export reports. Please contact the KPA office if you would like to be added to the mailing list.

Issue

KPA continues to manage its restaurant guide blog, In Pursuit of Pork, that was launched in 2012. Chris Petty and Mike Epler, two Kansas City Barbecue Society judges, continued as the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main contributors and continue to see growth in its monthly visitors. Content includes reviews of pork dishes from Kansas restaurants, cooking tips and reader contests.

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Questions, comments or concerns?

Contact us at: Kansas Pork Association 2601 Farm Bureau Road Manhattan, KS 66502 785-776-0442 www.kspork.org

Working for You.