The World Pork Expo opens today (Thursday) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Jill Appell, a pork producer and grain farmer from Altona, Illinois — president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, says new features will include an “I-D Alley” where farmers can get “premise registration” that’s being touted as important to the future of the industry.
Another new program this year will be the pork-farmer job fair to help both job seekers and farmers looking for some workers.
The expo’s not just for farmers, either, as the food’s a favorite with Iowa visitors. Appell says a favorite feature is always the “Bar-B-Q-Lossal” competition. The nation’s best barbecuers will vie for $20,000 in cash prizes and national competition points.
500 exhibitors are signed up for the trade show. The Swine Show is another tradition, as is the “Pig-Casso” Art Show, and the farm-toy show and sale. She says they hope for nice weather though she jokes that it’s “usually very hot or very wet.”
The World Pork Expo is June 8 through the tenth at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
Related web sites:
World Pork Expo