2015: Year in Review Taking Action | Promoting Pork | Building Relationships | Engaging Conversations
Making a difference.
That is what we strive for. In 2015, 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 2015. 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
President-CEO Tim Stroda Director of Consumer Outreach Jodi Oleen Director of Communications Kim Hanke
2015 Board of Directors
We’ll keep working hard for you.
Engaging Conversation
Chairman: Jim Crane - Guymon Mark Crane - Chapman Kevin Deniston - Scott City Jeff Dohrman - Bushton Daniel Gerety - Seneca Jason Hall - Elkhart Scott Pfortmiller - St. John Art Sauder - Great Bend Chuck Springer - Independence Jim Nelssen - Kansas State University
2015: Year in Review 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 worked on behalf of producers with the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. On the Federal level, the KPA worked with NPPC on issues including food safety, antibiotics, labeling, free trade agreements, trucking, animal welfare, nutrient management, water quality, price reporting and taxes.
National Pork Industry Forum Representatives from Kansas attended the National Pork Industry Forum held in San Antonio. Forum serves as the annual meetings of the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council. The delegates encouraged all producers to work with veterinary diagnostic labs to enhance traceability systems as new animal health issues arise. The delegates also recommended that the groups work cooperatively to address issues around transportation and biosecurity including scheduling and wait times as well as unloading/ animal handling. KPA Involvement: Delegates attended.
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Producer Website Gets Facelift In November, KPA launched a redesigned producer website in an effort to provide a more user-friendly experience, on both desktop and mobile devices. Key features of the site include a cleaner and more attractive design, ease of navigation and enhanced content. Other improvements include integrated social media content, archived news posts that can be searched by month or topic, links to current and past issues of Pig Tales, enhanced weather features and the addition of youth and consumer resources. The content enhancement will also improve the website search ratings in Google.
www.kspork.org
Kansas Pork Association 2601 Farm Bureau Road • Manhattan, KS 66502 • 785-776-0442 Daily Tools
Farmer Resources
Public Policy
Kansas GOLD
Pork Topics
Consumers
Youth
About Us
Pork Industry Committed to Responsible Antibiotic Use
See More Markets
News
Weather www.kspork.org
Kansas Pork Association
Kansas GOLD™ Provides a cost-effective manner to ensure your operation is in compliance.
Helpful Links #RealPigFarming Tour
Markets More See
News
Weather
Kansas GOLD
Partners
Resources
Membership
Provides a cost-effective manner to ensure your operation is in compliance.
See More Helpful Links
Pig Tales The official publication of the Kansas Pork Industry
Partners
KPA Involvement: Redesigned website.
#PorkTips Video Campaign
The Pork Loin vs. Pork Tenderloin video had the most views, while the Bacon & Peanut Butter Cookies video had the most shares.
KPA teamed up with 502 Media Group and Chef Alli to produce original videos to engage audiences on social media. The videos are heavily “how-to” focused and target the confident cook. Filming began in early 2015, and videos range from showing the differences in cuts of pork, to demonstrating quick and easy recipes. The seven 20-40 second videos were created with the mindset that shorter videos produce a more engaged audience. KPA Involvement: Collaborated with agency to plan and produce clips. Coordinated funding from Iowa Pork Producers Association.
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2015: Year in Review
“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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Ibotta Retail Campaign In October, the KPA launched a fall rebate campaign through Ibotta, a coupon app for smart phones. The app requires users to take an action, such as watch a video or read a recipe, to “earn” a coupon. Once users purchase the product and scan their receipt, they earn money on the purchase. The campaign’s goal is to increase awareness and understanding of modern pork production practices while encouraging pork purchases at the retail counter. The Ibotta offer ran statewide at participating stores, which include Walmart, Hyvee and Dillons, and had an above-average redemption rate. The campaign was made possible through a grant provided by Iowa Pork Producers Association. KPA Involvement: Organized funding, agency and program planning and tracking.
K-State Football Tailgate The Pork Checkoff “We Care” trailer grilled pork samples outside of Bill Snyder Family Stadium before the KSU vs. TCU matchup in October. 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. KPA Involvement: Volunteer ticket purchases, event management and coordination.
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2015: Year in Review KPA Talks Farming at KU
Pork Chop Open
In April, the KPA, KSU’s Food for Thought organization and Common Ground Kansas teamed up to get conversations started about food and farming at the University of Kansas. KU students, faculty and staff sampled free bacon and asked their questions on modern farming practices. Some visitors posed their questions publicly to receive a “baconologist” or “baconista” T-shirt.
KPA hosted another successful annual Pork Chop Open Tournament held in September at 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 17 sponsors and 60 participants.
KPA Involvement: Assisted in coordinating event.
KPA Involvement: Event management and coordination.
Chick Events In September, the KPA spiced things up a bit at Chick Events in Leawood. With the help of The Culinary Center of Kansas City, KPA featured a “Build Your Own Pork Rub” station in which visitors were able to make and take their own spice rub. A CCKC chef was also there to give cooking demonstrations throughout the event. Attendees also walked away with pork cooking tips and recipes. Over 7,500 people attended the two-day event. KPA Involvement: Coordinated and attended event.
Advertising Advertising offers your organization access to a large and diverse audience by using a variety of platforms. In 2015, KPA advertised in radio and online. Advertisements were run in conjunction with consumer events and promotions. KPA Involvement: Coordinated advertising and funding.
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Connecting Consumers, Food Influencers to Agriculture Farm Food Tour
#RealPigFarming Tour
Questions regarding food safety and concerns about farming practices continue to be on the forefront of the consumer mind. In an effort to answer some of these questions, The Kansas Soybean Commission, Kansas Farm Bureau and KPA hosted a Farm Food Tour that offered a unique experience to visit with producers and industry professionals. Influential consumers, those who have a role in educating and communicating about food and nutrition, including registered dietitians and lifestyle bloggers, were invited to attend. The group spent three days traveling to Merck Animal Health, Monsanto, The Maschhoffs and Central Missouri Meat and Sausage. The tour addressed concerns such as antibiotic use, hormones, GMOs, and how livestock are processed.
The KPA partnered with the Kansas Soybean Commission to host a #RealPigFarming tour, which provided an opportunity for attendees to see first-hand how their food is raised. The 10-person tour group, including registered dietitians, visited Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. Fair Oaks Farms is a fully-functioning farm that is specifically designed for visitors to get an up-close look at agriculture, and gives an inside look at pig farming and dairy farming. The tour also included a stop at Indiana soybean farmer Dave Rodibaugh’s farm, where the group learned about how Rodibaugh uses technology to make the best decisions in his farming practices, and how this plays a role in feeding his pigs.
KPA Involvement: Assisted in planning and
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KPA Involvement: Assisted in planning and recruiting attendees, and attended the tour.
2015: Year in Review Questions regarding food safety and concerns about farming practices continue to be on the forefront of the consumer mind. In 2015, KPA worked hard with other ag organizations to address these issues.
KS Dietetic Association Conference
KS Nutrition Council Annual Meeting
KPA teamed up with Kansas Farm Bureau to host a pre-conference event for the Kansas Dietetic Association’s Annual Conference in April. The event welcomed over 50 dietitians who were able to talk one-on-one with farmers from across the state. The group also went on a tour of the Cargill Innovations Center and had the option of attending a culinary demonstration and a wine pairing session. Continuing education credits were offered for participants.
The pre-conference event for the Kansas Nutrition Council’s annual meeting was attended by 50 dietitians, extension agents and other health professionals, and was sponsored by KPA and Kansas Farm Bureau. Five farmers were on hand to visit with attendees. KPA also supported the annual meeting the following day with a booth and light brunch for the 110 nutrionists and nutrition educators in attendance.
KPA Involvement: Event sponsor
KPA Involvement: Event sponsor
Meet the Makers
GMOs: Now We’re Talking
Members of the Kansas Farm Food Connection (KFFC), including the Kansas Pork Association, gathered with dietitians and food bloggers at the Culinary Center of Overland Park in March for “Meet the Makers,” an event to encourage an exchange of ideas between farmers and consumers. At the event, attendees worked together to prepare home-cooked meals for Ronald McDonald Charities of Kansas City, which serves 87 families a night. The group prepared and provided 300 meals to the charity.
Members of the Kansas Farm Food Connection (KFFC), including the Kansas Pork Association, hosted this event attended by over 75 people. The evening included a cooking demonstration by Chef Charles d’Ablaing; a presentation by Anastasia Bodnar, Biology Fortified board member;and a panel discussion including d’Ablaing, Bodnar, Kansas farmers Bob and Mary Mertz; and Handmade in the Heartland blogger Angela Muir. Discussion included safety of GMOs and the use in today’s food system.
KPA Involvement: Event Sponsor
KPA Involvement: Event Sponsor
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Blood Drives
Youth and KSU Sponsorship
In 2015, your association continued its partnership with the Central Plains American Red Cross to bring the Be Inspired to Make a Difference community program alive. People donated blood at five 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, the drives collected a total of 607 pints, having the potential to help up to 1,821 hospital patients.
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 2015 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 Production-Entrepreneurship and Swine Production-Placement Proficiency Awards for excellence in the supervised agricultural experience program.
KPA Involvement: Program organization, coordination and funding.
KPA Involvement: Financial support, programming and award sponsorship.
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2015: Year in Review National School Lunch Week Kansas pork farmers visited with students at Charles Stones Intermediate School in Garden City in October to celebrate National School Lunch Week, Farm to School Month and National Pork Month. The event, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Education and The Kansas Pork Association, centered around healthy school lunches and the farmers who raise their food. Roy Henry, owner/operator of Henrys Ltd., Longford, Kan., and Manuel Lujan, manager for Huff and Puff Pork, Deerfield, Kan., as well as Oleen, gave presentations to fifth and sixth grade classes, and then ate a pulled pork lunch with students at Charles Stones. KPA Involvement: Coollaborated with KSDE and provided classroom materials.
ProStart Invitational
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.
In March the KPA and others teamed up with the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association Educational Foundation (KRHAEF) for the fourteenth annual Kansas ProStart Invitational. The event is a highlight of the Restaurant KPA Involvement: Providing teaching Management Program (ProStart) curriculum sponsored by KRHAEF. Students to compete in materials, grants and sponsorship. two major categories - each of which requires intensive culinary and management skills. More than 100 students representing high schools from across the state demonstrated their mastery of restaurant leadership skills. This year’s theme was “Anything you can chop, I can chop better.” KPA Involvement: Sponsorship
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KMPA Support
Wendell Moyer Scholarship
The Kansas Meat Processors Association and your association worked together to provide a $250 award for the Most Innovative Pork Product. This year’s winner was Rick Weber, owner of Mound City Butcher Block, and employee Brandon Smith, for their Italian Pork Pinwheel.
Annie Clark, an undergraduate in animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University recieved the 2015 $1,000 enrichment grant. The grant is in named in remembrance of Wendell Moyer, a founding member of KPA in 1956. KPA Involvement: Funded the scholarship.
KPA Involvement: Financial support for award.
Operation Main Street OMS presentations facilitate conversations about pork production, health and nutrition information and current technologies in agriculture with consumers statewide. In 2015, Kansas OMS speakers gave 70 presentations to high school ag and culinary classes, post secondary ag classes, vet tech associations, dietetic associations, civic groups and more. KPA Involvement: Provided Kansas specific educational material and additional financial and presentation support to Kansas OMS speakers.
Other Sponsorships • County Ag Days • Taste of Elegance • Women Managing the Farm Conference • Food for Thought Event: “Size Matters: Why We Love to Hate ‘Big Food’” • Slice of Agriculture • Kansas Foundation for Ag in the Classroom
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New Director of Communications Kim Hanke was hired to fulfill the role of Director of Communications in June. Hanke’s primary responsibility is producing and coordinating the distribution of KPA publications and information including Pig Tales, InPursuitOfPork.com and the daily e-newsletter, as well as handling advertising, photography and developing new materials. She also assists with events and programming, social media and membership services.
2015: Year in Review
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Online and Social Media Connect with us at “KansasPork” Your association utilizes multiple social media platforms to increase its reach with consumers. Facebook allows 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 for production of videos to be used on Instagram.
At a glance 56,403 TOTAL SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS
730,700 AVERAGE MONTHLY REACH
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 an average of 680,000 consumers monthly. Have you “liked” us?
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2015: Year in Review
>>>>>>> KPA’s Pinterest page features recipes and information about Kansas pork farms. It is the number one driver of traffic to eatpork.org.
>>>>>>> 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 400 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.
P IG TALES
KPA Involvement: Publish the magazine.
E-Newsletter
This daily email features both state and national news, including consumer programs, legislative information, regulatory updates, producer education and export reports. Please contact the KPA office at 785-776-0442 or kpa@kspork.org if you would like to be added to the mailing list. KPA Involvement: Manage content and mailing list
Issue
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• Volu nteer at KPA • Mos events t Innov ative Pork Produ ct • Indu stry N ews
In Pursuit of Pork KPA continues to manage this restaurant guide blog. Chris Petty and Mike Epler, two Kansas City Barbecue Society judges, continue as the site’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. KPA Involvement: Manage content.
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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.