Strengthening the pork industry through volunteers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Volunteer involvement will strengthen any organization. Bob Ruth, the newly elected National Pork Board (NPB) vice president, was ecstatic to share why producers should get involved at the local, state, or national levels. He says the passion one has for the industry magnifies the story.
Board Member/National Pork Board Vice President – 2022-2023
Courtesy of the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa
“I would encourage every producer that may be listening to this message to get out, get involved, and work for the industry. I’ve always said pigs have been very good to me, and they’ve been good to this entire industry. Payback, pay forward to help the industry continue to move forward,” he said.
The return on investment for the industry is driving demand for pork.
“How we build back the trust that we have with society as far as our right to raise pigs, people’s attitudes towards consuming our products, and so, we’ve got a lot going on from the WeCare® aspect that is so very important to me to help us gain back the trust of our consumers,” he said.
Ruth says there are priority issues for the board of directors as new officers are appointed.
“African swine fever and making sure that we keep it out of the United States, making sure that we sell our products, so what we do domestically and what we do on the international export market is always key,” he said. “And, in my mind, probably the most important thing that we do as the board is how we drive the demand of all our products.”
The board of directors has the ultimate responsibility and accountability for collecting the national Pork Checkoff funds. The board is responsible for disbursement to state organizations and the investments in industry promotion, research, and consumer information programs to enhance the marketing of U.S. pork and pork products.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.