Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

2012 Iowa Pork Congress Re-Cap
IPPA announces 2011 Master Pork Producers
Iowa’s best pork producers
have been named Master Pork
Producers by the Iowa Pork
Producers Association and Iowa
State University since 1942. The
producers selected for the 2011
award have joined an impressive
list of the best and brightest pork
producers of the past seven
decades.
While production methods have evolved over the years,
so have the selection criteria. Today’s Master Pork
Producer candidates must take daily responsibility for
the health and well-being of the swine in their care to
be considered. Production efficiency with supporting
records, expertise in one or more segments of the
production cycle, and an
understanding of industry issues
such as quality assurance, animal
identification and animal welfare
are other keys to receiving the
award.
There is considerable diversity
and specialization in pork
production in Iowa today and
the 2011 class of Master Pork
Producers is representative of the diversification. The
majority of hog farming is still done primarily by farm
families and the production diversity helps maintain the
strength of the Iowa pork industry and enables Iowa
producers to compete successfully in the domestic and
international commodity and specialty markets.
Congratulations to the 70 th class of Master Pork Producers!
Bernard and David Arnts
Alta, Buena Vista County
Bernard and David have raised pigs for 24 years and run a
coordinated 250-sow farrow-to-finish system on two locations.
In 2010, they marketed nearly 4,000 hogs to Hormel and
Producers Livestock. They apply manure from their operation
to 1,000 corn and soybean acres, which are part of their family business.
Identification System.
The Arnts brothers are both PQA Plus ® - and TQA ® -certified. Their pork site has been
PQA Plus-assessed and they have registered their premises with the National Animal
Bernard and David are active in the Buena Vista County Pork Producers Association. Bernard also is a member of the
Alta Community Education Foundation and David is a township trustee.
Bernard and his wife, Peg, and David and his wife, Cheryl, are active in church, school and community activities. Peg
and Cheryl both work off the farm as preschool teachers. Bernard and Peg have four children. David and Cheryl have
five children.
26 March 2012