Published: November 02, 2007 10:35 am            

Pork Professor: Distance-learning programs offer options for pork producers

Originally published in the November 2, 2007, print edition.

The educational and informational needs of the pork industry are continuously changing.

Traditional, small-scale, diverse livestock and cropping systems are being replaced by larger-scale, specialized production systems, driven largely by economics.

Educational needs have changed also, in large part, from a broader level of understanding needed to much more specific and technical information.

According to a University of Minnesota Pork Industry Survey conducted in 2005, 75 percent of pork producers and 85 percent of allied industry are interested in obtaining more training and information regarding pork production. Program content and perceived value rank as the most important factors affecting whether or not individuals attend a program, but is closely followed by distance to travel and amount of time necessary to allocate to the program. This survey suggests that the desired format for program delivery has changed so educators must adapt to these changing desires.

Pork industry members are increasingly seeking learning alternatives that increase their knowledge base but are convenient and require minimal time commitments. In order to more effectively connect with our pork producers, the University of Minnesota Swine Extension program offers several distance education programs. These programs provide continual learning while minimizing the time and distance normally untaken to attend programs.

The PorkBridge distance learning program allows pork production owners, managers and employees to increase knowledge and skills in grow-finish production. Begun as a pilot in 2004 and now starting its third full year, the program combines electronic information viewed on computer with live oral presentations via phone by experts in topic areas.

The week before each session, subscribers receive a CD containing that session’s topic-specific presentation, along with information on accessing the live speaker presentation. Subscribers call a toll-free conference line to listen to speakers, and may ask questions anytime during or after the presentation.

The programs, conducted every other month at a noon and evening time, have been well received by participants, and information provided has been utilized throughout the pork industry. The PorkBridge program is a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, University of Nebraska, Iowa State University and Ohio State University.

The PorkBridge program has been successful, but only covers grow-finish topics, and misses covering a number of topics of interest to another significant portion of the pork industry — the breeding, gestation and farrowing industry.

Therefore, we have developed and just begun a new program called SowBridge to address learning needs for people working with sow herds. The program operates similar to the PorkBridge program, except that programs occur on a monthly basis during the noon period, allowing individuals to take in the program over their lunch break.

Both the PorkBridge and SowBridge programs have been developed to allow distance access to high-quality programming without the need for high-speed internet connections.

Another fairly new program provided by University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Pork Board is a webcast series, PorkCast. Webcast programs are presented free of charge on a quarterly basis, providing management level research-driven information to pork production managers, owners and employees. PorkCast programs can be viewed from one’s computer, and pre-registration is not required.

The next PorkCast program, “Winterizing Your Barn,” is 1-2 p.m. Nov. 7. Joseph Zulovich, Extension agricultural engineer with the University of Missouri, will be providing tips and information on conserving energy and maintaining animal comfort by adjusting ventilation systems and completing maintenance tasks in preparation for the winter season.

Finally, the University of Minnesota Swine Extension website, www.extension.umn.edu/swine, serves as a central location for learning more about good management techniques and new technologies in swine production. Information on programs, including those mentioned here, is available, along with access to the Pork Information Gateway. Developed through the U.S. Pork Centers of Excellence, PIG gives pork producers and those who help them an opportunity to find information and to ask questions of experts within 16 categories related to swine or pork.

The intuitive, easy-to-use system allows pork producers to find timely and practical information immediately. PIG has over 2,000 questions and answers in the database, almost 200 peer reviewed fact sheets, 250 reference documents, 550 definitions in the glossary, 100 pig pictures in the image library, along with upcoming producer events in the Extension calendar.

        

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