The Minnesota Pork Board annually
recognizes individuals and families who have made significant
contributions to the state’s pork industry. The winners
will be recognized at a special award reception at the Minneapolis
Hilton on Jan. 19.
Also being recognized at the reception will be outgoing
Minnesota Pork Board and Minnesota Pork Producers Association
leadership and Operation Main Street speakers. The recognition
program begins at 5 p.m. and runs in conjunction with Minnesota
Pork Congress.
The 2010 Minnesota Pork Industry Award winners
are: Distinguished Service – Marlys Miller,
Minnesota native and Pork magazine editor Environmental Steward of the Year - Duncanson
Growers of Mapleton, comprised of the Pat and Kristin Duncanson
family and the Karl and Jackie Duncanson family. Family of the Year - Gary and Jane Thome
family of Adams Pork Promoter of the Year - Vicky Singlestad
of Waseca Swine Manager of the Year – Brian
Oeltjenbruns of Mountain Lake, farrowing site manager for
Schwartz Farms, Inc. of Sleepy Eye
Distinguished Service
Minnesota native and Pork magazine editor, Marlys Miller,
merges her pork production knowledge with communication
skillfulness to provide U.S. pork producers the information
and commentary necessary for the 21st century.
Miller’s dedication to accurately report and analyze
pork production trends and issues are among the reasons
for her selection as the Minnesota Pork Industry’s
2010 Distinguished Service award recipient.
Miller grew up on a Morristown, Minn., crop and livestock
farm and graduated from the University of Minnesota (U of
M) with degrees in agricultural journalism and animal science.
She and husband, Tony Smick, live in Madison, Wis., although
her ties to Minnesota remain strong through family and career.
She served as the very first Rice County Pork Queen, worked
two summers as the Rock County 4-H extension agent and nearly
four years at the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)
as editor of producer communications. Miller has been at
Pork magazine as associate editor and editor for 22 years.
Her parents raised purebred Chester Whites, and Miller,
a sister and two brothers all took part in showing pigs
through 4-H and open class. She combined her interest in
pork production and writing by pursuing a journalism career.
Among her career mentors are older brother and National
Hog Farmer magazine editor, Dale Miller, plus several encouraging
U of M professors who both challenged and advocated for
their students.
After college graduation, Miller wrote hog marketing analysis
and hedging advice for the weekly newsletter, PorkPro, a
former Oster Communications publication. She built on her
experience as a pork producer at the NPPC by discovering
how legislation, regulation and pork promotion influenced
a pork producer’s success just as much as rate of
gain and litter weights. As editorial leader for a national
pork publication, Miller strives to balance industry support
and advocacy while confronting readers with legislative
and consumer realities. Her editorial decisions for Pork
magazine, and its affiliated e-newsletter, Web site, social
network and Internet presence, challenge pork producers
to broaden their understanding of what drives the swine
industry by listening to consumers and becoming activists
for their farm businesses. Pork’s online communication
delivery tools, such as Twitter and www.porkmag.com, have
resulted in more public educational outreach.
To help write their own futures,
Miller’s advice to pork producers is to speak up for
their industry and its role in food production, be active
in trade associations, listen to consumers, be open to change,
and to view their own animal care practices with fresh eyes.
Her experience reporting on public policy demonstrates the
importance of speaking with a common voice to achieve results.
Resources in the legislative arena, she says, should focus
on a message that all pork producers can support –
feeding people – rather than trying to impose a production
method or type of product on all pork producers. “That
is how you make progress and keep from getting beat up,”
she said. “There are not enough people (in agriculture)
to remain dissected. Agriculture needs to join together
more and speak in support of what we do – feed Americans
and the world efficiently.”
Environmental Steward of the Year
The farming partnership of Pat and Kristin Duncanson and
Karl and Jackie Duncanson derives its environmental, livestock
and cropping choices through research, study and analysis.
It’s these traits that have earned Duncanson Growers
of Mapleton the Minnesota Pork Industry’s 2010 Environmental
Steward of the Year award.
The Duncansons’ swine enterprise includes finishing
hogs on contract and receiving feeder pigs for finishing
from a sow unit in which they are shareholders. In addition
to crop production, they have finished beef cattle as well
as contract finished Holstein steers.
To achieve a viable farming operation, Duncanson Growers
believes that profitability and sustainability go hand and
hand. Their management practices include detailed manure
nutrient plans for their crops, soil fertility improvement
through soil conservation, and outside consultants to assure
they meet environmental and financial goals.
“To succeed in agriculture requires economically
and environmentally sustainable practices while coexisting
with Minnesota’s valued natural resources,”
Pat said.
Duncanson Growers utilize a manure management consultant
to assist with application planning. They annually sample
manure storage pits prior to fall field application. The
application equipment is calibrated to assure rates match
the soil’s phosphorus and potash needs, and if necessary,
they will apply commercial nitrogen to meet crop production
goals.
To improve farmland productivity and reduce soil erosion,
Duncanson Growers invested in tile drainage to solve several
conservation issues. The environmental benefits from tiling
resulted in faster warming soils in spring so they could
maintain higher residue levels throughout fall and winter,
adoption of low-tillage cropping systems and soil stabilization
to prevent gully washing.
Duncanson Growers use a financial consultant to analyze
all farm accounts, production records and marketing outcomes.
The analysis includes manure nutrient contribution to crop
yields, as well as demonstrating crop production benefits
from improved drainage.
Spouses Kristin and Jackie are full-fledged farming partners
whose jobs include field work, business administration and
agricultural advocacy at local, state and national levels.
The importance of farmer input and their understanding of
the legislative process have led both to actively use their
communication and leadership skills on regulatory boards
and agencies.
Both Duncanson families are active in farm and commodity
organizations, farmer-learning groups and other educational
programs to further their agricultural knowledge and improve
their farm management practices. They also volunteer their
time for several community organizations including the local
curling club, churches, school board, and an annual town
festival.
Family of the Year
Gary and Jane Thome’s ability to have family members
return to their Mower County swine and crop farm is a result
of planning, analyzing and allowing their children to make
the final decision on whether they wanted to pursue agricultural
careers.
The Thome’s sons and daughters-in-law, Matt and Amy
and Pat and Gretchen, all of Adams, Minn., are partners
in the farming enterprise. The Thome’s daughter Sarah,
an elementary teacher, and their youngest son, Peter, an
agricultural education major in college, both maintain a
keen interest in farm activities.
The family’s enthusiastic involvement in pork promotions,
industry leadership and swine production are reasons for
their selection as the Minnesota Pork Industry’s 2010
Family of the Year.
The Thome’s swine enterprise includes co-ownership
with another family in a sow unit that supplies nursery
pigs. The pigs are raised to feeder weight in the Thomes’
nursery barns and are than moved to their finishing barns
or to custom growers’ barns. They also raise corn,
soybean and custom farm additional acres.
All four Thome children were Mower County Pork Ambassadors
and Peter served as the Minnesota State Pork Ambassador
and the Thome families volunteer their time to promote pork
and take part in civic and community organizations. Also,
Pat is on the Minnesota Pork Board executive board, Matt
has taken part in the National Hog Farmer World Pork Expo
New Product Review Panel, and Gary has a long history volunteering
at the National Barrow Show in Austin.
To successfully maintain relationships in the partnership,
the Thomes hire a firm to conduct company meetings at least
yearly. All family members review the previous year’s
results and discuss future plans. Less formal family meetings
take place throughout the year. The Thomes delegate specific
duties to each active farming partner. Matt is in charge
of nursery management, pig flow, marketing and grower relations.
Pat focuses on crop production, equipment and facility maintenance,
and manure management. The brothers share employee management
and training. Gary’s role is accounting, cash flows,
marketing and business analysis. Gary’s experience
as a farm business management instructor and swine specialist
at Riverland Community College, Austin, helped form a cooperative
partnership among the families. “Our farm business
relationship stems back to things I have seen work and not
work with the other families over the past 30 years,”
he said.
Jane works part time on the surgical and medical floors
at Austin Medical Center. Matt and Amy have three children,
Ella, Katie and Will, and Pat and Gretchen have a son, Brandon.
Amy works at the Mayo Clinic and Gretchen works at Hormel’s
corporate office. Matt has bachelor degrees in animal science
and agribusiness, and Pat has degrees in agriculture and
agricultural engineering.
Pork Promoter of the Year
What began as a third-grade classroom visit to talk about
raising pigs has turned into an 18-year-old tradition for
Vicky Singlestad. Singlestad and husband Scott brought a
young piglet and shared interesting information about their
Waseca County farrow-to-finish swine operation with their
daughter Michelle’s classmates in 1991. Singlestad
grew the agricultural education program into an annual event
that also includes dairy, sheep and crop producers and has
reached an estimated 2,800 school children.
Singlestad’s willingness to talk about the family’s
swine and crop farm and to encourage cooperation between
commodity groups are reasons she is the Minnesota Pork Industry’s
2010 Pork Promoter of the Year.
At the classroom presentations, Singlestad talks about
what they do on their farm, plus how the commodities farmers
raise eventually become consumer goods on grocery store
shelves. To better illustrate and reinforce their talk,
the Singlestads take the students on a virtual tour of their
swine barns via seven-minute video. The youngsters can see
and hear the sows, piglets and fi nishing hogs, and they
can learn about practices such as ear tags, swine diets
and feeding procedures.
Singlestad is on the board of directors for the Minnesota
Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, a private organization
whose mission is to secure funding for statewide agricultural
literacy programs and material. In the summer, she volunteers
at the Minnesota State Fair Oink Booth and Little Farmhand
interactive exhibit, and works at the FFA Barnyard swine
display during the Waseca County Fair.
In cooperation with other county commodity groups and the
Waseca County Farm Bureau, Singlestad helped facilitate
distribution of agricultural-related books to area schools.
She is a member of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Promotion and
Education committee, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion
Council’s Education and Leadership committee and represents
agricultural interests at Waseca Agribusiness Chamber meetings.
She also provides regular farming and livestock production
updates to an Anchorage, Alaska first grade class through
the Ag Pen Pal program.
Swine Manager of the Year
Schwartz Farms, Inc. is a family-owned business with founding
principles of integrity, respect, excellence, innovation
and adaptability, and it remains dedicated to advocating
a family-oriented atmosphere. The business philosophy of
Schwartz Farms is simple – it understands it operates
in a commodity environment and, as such, focuses on optimization
of animal health and cost of production. Critical to obtaining
this objective is continuous improvement.
Schwartz Farms’ site manager Brian Oeltjenbrun and
his 20-person staff are key to implementing this philosophy
at two southwest Minnesota farrowing facilities.
Oeltjenbruns’ ability to implement swine health and
production management strategies, as well as motivate staff,
is why he is named the 2010 Minnesota Pork Industry Swine
Manager of the Year.
Schwartz Farms, Inc., headquartered in Brown County, nominated
Oeltjenbruns for the award. Brian Hopwood, supervisor of
farrowing operations, and Mark Schwartz, manager of production
systems, both of Schwartz Farms, recognized Oeltjenbruns
for the nomination as a result of his ability to organize,
coordinate and delegate duties at the two sites he currently
manages, which are comprised of 5,100 sows and two dozen
employees.
Among his regular duties are personnel supervision and
training, addressing safety and biosecurity, monitoring
and implementing tasks to meet production goals, pig scheduling,
recordkeeping and mechanical maintenance, as well as meeting
budget and cost of production goals.
Oeltjenbruns developed his swine production knowledge over
many years. While growing up on an 80-head sow farm, Oeltjenbruns
found he enjoyed raising pigs and had a knack for pork production.
His formal education includes an associate degree in accounting
from Iowa Lakes Community College, an associate degree in
swine production from the University of Minnesota, Waseca
and bachelor degrees in animal science and plant science
from the University of Minnesota.
Oeltjenbruns, his wife, Lynette,
and their children, Dylan, Daniel and Caitlin, live in Mountain
Lake.
David Vlach, sous
chef at Heidi’s Minneapolis, received first place,
chef par excellence, at the 2010 Minnesota Pork Board’s
Taste of Elegance competition.
Judges awarded Vlach first place for his recipe, Spiced
Slow-Cooked Pork Shank with Gremolata and Black Beluga Lentil
Tomato Stew.
The 22nd annual Minnesota Taste of Elegance competition
took place Jan. 19 at the Minneapolis Hilton. The pork competition
is hosted by the Minnesota Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff
on behalf of Minnesota’s pork producers. The event
showcases the versatility of pork, the creativity of chefs
and promotes the inclusion of pork on restaurant menus.
Vlach’s pork entrée highlighted slowly braised
pork shank seasoned with gingerroot, lemon zest, cinnamon,
cumin, cayenne and fennel seed. Vlach plated the pork shank
with complimentary-seasoned black beluga lentils, which
are small beans that resembles beluga caviar,
and a showy original gremolata recipe flavored with chopped
raisins, capers, shallots, parsley and mint.
Vlach received $1,500 in prize money and will represent
the Minnesota Pork Board at the National Taste of Elegance
this spring in Baltimore, Md.
Pork lovers can order a free booklet featuring the 16 competing
chefs’ 2010 Taste of Elegance pork recipes by e-mailing
their name and address to mnpork@mnpork.com or calling (507)
345-8814. The recipes are also posted at www.mnpork.com/consumers/taste.php
Tom Kavanaugh, co-owner and chef of Kavanaugh’s Sylvan
Lake Resort, East Gull Lake, earned second place, superior
chef, and $1,000 in prize money, for his original pork recipe,
Uova Con Pancetta E Salsiccia Di Fegato Di Maiale (Bacon
and Eggs with Pork Liver). This entrée utilized pork
belly, pork shoulder pork liver.
Serge Devesa, executive chef for Hotel Sofitel, Bloomington,
placed third, premium chef, to earn $750 in prize money.
Devesa prepared Duo of Maple-Glazed Pork Belly and Sweetbread
Roulade Calvados Reduction and Crackling. The plated dish
showcased pan-seared pork belly cut into squares and roulade
prepared with pork loin and prosciutto.
The People Choice Award went to Derek Black, an executive
chef for Sodexo at the St. Paul-based company Ecolab. After
sampling all the pork entrées, the 500 guests at
the evening award’s program selected Black’s
deliciously fun recipe, Carnitas with Cones and Lemongrass-Scented
Rice and Kimchee, for the People’s Choice Award. Black
received $750 for his recipe featuring15 seasonings and
pulled pork prepared from pork butt.
Receiving the $250 best table display award went to Tim
Cockram, executive chef and director of food and beverage
operations at the Owatonna Country Club in Owatonna.
This year’s judges were Dr. Brian Bergquist, a professor
in the hotel, restaurant and tourism management program
at the University of Wisconsin-Stout; Stephan Hesse, last
year’s Minnesota and National Taste of Elegance winner
and a chef at Kona Grill, Eden Prairie, and Charlie Torgerson,
a National Pork Board Celebrated Chef, restaurant consultant
and restaurant owner. The judges based their decisions on
taste, appearance and originality of the pork dish.
Additional participating chefs were:
Chef Tony Beran, The Strip Club, St. Paul
Chef Daniel Cleary , Park Tavern, St. Louis Park
Chef Tim Kovacs, Minneapolis Hilton, Minneapolis
Chef Benjamin McCallum, Three Sons Signature Cuisine, Minneapolis
Chef Tuan Nguyen , Minnesota Valley Country Club, Bloomington
Chef Scott Nielsen, Grand Casino Hinckley, Hinckley
Chef Rafael Perez , Northfield Golf Club, Northfield
Chef Brian Rubenzer , Lettuce Cater, Columbia Heights
Chef George P Snyder , McCormick and Schmick’s, Minneapolis
Chef John Van House, Murray’s Restaurant, Minneapolis
Chef Clinton Yocom, Marriott Hotel, Rochester
Determining
and maximizing manure value will be workshop focus
A Manure Value Workshop is planned for Feb. 12 at the Minnesota
Pork Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Mankato. The workshop
begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes at 12:30 p.m. with lunch.
The workshop is limited to 15 people and preregistration
by Feb. 10 required. There is no cost to attend this workshop.
The Manure Value Workshop is designed to help livestock
and crop producers’ and manure management consultants’
better estimate and maximize the value of their manure as
a fertilizer resource. Workshop leader will be University
of Minnesota Extension Educator Jose Hernandez, a water
resource and nutrient management specialist.
This interactive, hands-on workshop will give participants
an opportunity to work with data from their own operations
and will introduce additional data analysis tools. Participants
are encouraged to bring their own laptop computers to utilize
the “What is Manure Worth?” spreadsheet, which
operates on Microsoft Excel. If a laptop is unavailable,
participants will be provided paper worksheets.
The workshop will begin with an explanation of factors
that determine manure value and a discussion on how to maximize
manure value. This will be followed by a spreadsheet demonstration
and hands-on use of the computer spreadsheet or paper worksheet
to analyze situations relevant to participants’ own
operations. Each participant will receive the spreadsheet
and other manure management decision-making resources.
To register, contact Colleen Carey at the Minnesota Pork
Office, (800) 537-7675 or colleen@mnpork.com. When registering
by e-mail, include your name, address, day time phone and
cell phone numbers, and availability of a laptop with Excel.
The Nursery Management Workshop is an intensive course designed
to give participants an increased understanding of the factors
involved in successfully managing pigs immediately after
weaning and during the nursery phase.
The workshop is one of several educational programs offered
through the Minnesota Pork Board Swine Training Program,
Pork Checkoff and University of Minnesota Extension Service.
The course is appropriate for people with a limited knowledge
of pork production as well as experienced pork producers
wishing to review the basics and stay abreast on recent
developments.
WHEN & WHERE
The Nursery Management Workshop will be Feb. 11-12 at the
West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Minn.
Classroom instruction will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Thursday, Feb. 11 and hands-on instruction in the swine
research facilities will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday,
Feb. 12. To maximize student learning and understanding,
the hands-on session incorporate activities relating to
material from the prior day’s classroom sessions.
REGISTER ONLINE OR BY MAIL
To register online go to www.mnpork.com/producers/index.php
and select Swine Training Program from the left-hand menu
or complete and return the registration form below. Registration
is due Feb. 5.
WORKSHOP TOPICS Early Wean Technology: Principles behind successful
implementation of the technology, diseases controlled, proper
biosecurity procedures Health Management: Biosecurity protocols, common
diseases, procedures to reduce health related problems in
the nursery Facilities: Nursery facility options; space requirements;
ventilation; other environmental needs Nutritional Programs: Feeding strategies and management;
nutrient requirements, feed budgeting, antimicrobial and
antimicrobial alternative usage, diet complexity Antimicrobial Usage: Background on antibiotic issue,
identification and evaluation of antimicrobial alternatives,
strategic use of antibiotics
INSTRUCTORS & COST
Course instructors are U of M faculty and swine industry
experts. Cost of the program is $100 per person. Additional
participants from the same production system or farm may
register for $50 each. The enrollment fee includes learning
materials, meals, breaks, instructor fees, and biosecurity
clothing for the hands-on training session. Overnight lodging
is the participant’s responsibility.
MORE INFORMATION
Contact U of M Swine Extension Educator, Dr. Mark Whitney
at (507) 389-5541 or Minnesota Pork Board Assistant Executive
Director, Trudy Wastweet at 1-800-537-7675.
