NJSA members receive Pork Checkoff Scholarships

The Pork Checkoff awarded scholarships to college students throughout the U.S. with an interest in the swine industry. Of the 22 students recognized for their scholastic merit, leadership activities, industry involvement and plans for a future career in the industry, seven were members of the National Junior Swine Association (NJSA).

NJSA Junior Board President and past National Swine Registry Fieldstaff Intern Corey Carpenter of Red Bluff, Calif., was the top candidate, and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Corey will start working toward a master's in swine nutrition at Oklahoma State University this summer.

Other NJSA recipients receiving $2,000 scholarships include:

•  NJSA Junior Board member David Ammann of Highland, Ill. David is studying swine nutrition at the University of Illinois.
• Past NJSA Intern Cassie Holloway of Darlington, Md. Cassie is studying swine nutrition at Texas A&M University
• Denise Beam of Elverson, Pa. Denise is studying ag business at the Pennsylvania State University.
• Vance Brown of Port Matilda, Pa. Vance is studying swine genetics at Pennsylvania State University.
• Bailey Farrer of Royal Center, Ind. Bailey is studying swine nutrition at Purdue University in Indiana.
  
• Emily Limes of Bowling Green, Ohio Emily is studying ag environment at Ohio State University. 

 Pork Checkoff awarded students that hailed from 13 states and 14 universities representing seven swine-related career paths to develop the industry's human capital for the future. 

"Helping to develop the next generation of pork professionals is one of the top issues the Pork Checkoff has identified as critical for the industry's future," said Conley Nelson, president of the National Pork Board and producer from Algona, Iowa. "Our ongoing service and obligation to producers includes ensuring that there is a sustainable source of young people ready to take on the industry's commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of pork production.  While our industry has made huge strides in recent years, these young people will ultimately help us take our game to the next level."

To see more information regarding the Pork Checkoff 2013 Pork Industry Scholarships visit pork.org.

March Madness and Pig Sales

 

Although it may not look or feel much like spring today, we are well into March and as always, the new season brings many exciting activities. The NCAA Tournament has yet again lived up to its “March Madness” status while people finally realize what the letters FGCU stand for on their busted brackets. But most importantly, spring means that the annual Midwest pig sale season is in full swing. As families begin shopping for junior gilt and barrow projects, there are several things to keep in mind.

 

The NSR Extravaganza will take

place at 6 p.m. on April 24th at the

Wayne County Fairgrounds.

NSR Weanling Pig Extravaganza

 

The National Swine Registry will be hosting the annual NSR Weanling Pig Extravaganza in Richmond, Ind. where breeders from across the country will be offering elite purebred and crossbred prospects for sale. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us at the Wayne County Fairgrounds on April 24th. This will be a great opportunity to purchase pigs for county, state and NJSA shows.

Keep in Mind Premiums for Purebreds

Many county and state fair shows offer specified premiums for Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire barrow and gilt champions. In many cases, these premiums are annually sponsored by the National Swine Registry or by state sponsored breed organizations. Be sure to read your fair's premium book for details on how you can take advantage of your champions this year.

Preparing for NJSA Summer Events

  

It seems that today's youth have more opportunties than ever before to participate in junior livestock shows and activities. The NJSA is proud to host two of the largest purebred youth swine shows annually, the World Pork Expo Junior National and the National Junior Summer Spectacular. Each year, NJSA members from across the country gather at these two events for a fun filled week of showing hogs, competing in leadership activities and making new friends.

 

Many of you are currently purchasing your prospects to be shown at our two national summer shows. But before assembling this year’s set of showpigs, a few questions that need to be addressed are:

1. What age do my pigs need to be to show at these events?
2. What are the ownership and entry deadlines for these events?
3. Can I show crossbred barrows or gilts at these NJSA shows?
4. If so, how many purebreds are required to be exhibited in order to show a crossbred barrow or gilt?

 

The World Pork Expo Jr. National
is one of the nation's elite junior
gilt and barrow shows.

World Pork Expo Junior National 

• June 4-7, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA
• Pigs eligible to show must be born November 1, 2012 and after
• The ownership and entry deadline for the WPX is April 26^th
• This show consists of NJSA & Team Purebred gilt and barrow shows along with crossbred gilt and barrow shows
• Exhibitors must show one purebred gilt for every one crossbred gilt and one purebred barrow for every one crossbred barrows
• For more details about this year's World Pork Expo Junior National, click here

 National Junior Summer Spectacular

• July 1-5, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, Louisville, KY
• Pigs eligible to show must be born December 1, 2012 and after
• The Ownership deadline for NJSS is May 3rd, while the entry deadline is May 16th
• This show consists of NJSA gilt and barrow shows (no crossbreds)
• For more details about this year's National Junior Summer Spectacular, click here

 

More than just a hog show!



Each NJSA show provides youth with great opportunities to compete in a variety of educational competitions. The WPX Junior National includes showmanship and swine judging competition. The NJSS is considered the "Super Bowl" of NJSA shows and includes a broad spectrum of contests including Skillathon, Quiz Bowl, Speech, Sales, Judging
and Poster competitions, plus more.

 

NJSA Boot Camp


Boot Camp attendees participated in
several training sessions including
 a swine nutrition workshop.

NJSA members attending Boot Camp
recieved hands-on experience
in Purdue's meats lab.

In order to prepare younger (8-12) members for these competitions, the NJSA hosts the annual NJSA Boot Camp. This year, more than 100 members and parents assembled at Purdue University to participate in a variety of educational workshops and seminars. A special thanks to Purdue University staff as well as our speakers that made this an outstanding event. Be sure to join us for next year's NJSA Boot Camp.

Stay Informed

To access a complete list of all NSR and NJSA shows & events, click on the shows & events link. Best of luck to all of our breeders and junior exhibitors and plan ahead to join us this summer in Des Moines and Louisville!

Pedigree Portal: Meeting the Deadline

Many shows have registration and ownership deadlines to be aware of. 

Some shows also have a deadline for when all pigs have to be recorded. The registration date that appears on the pedigree will be the date we received the work. For those mailing litter applications, be sure to allow time for delivery as the registration date is the date the information is processed in the office, not the date you postmarked the envelope. We do not back date registrations, so please check the rules of the show and record your litters ahead of time. 

Online litters are downloaded daily, so if you record your litters through the NSR website on a given evening, the date shown on your registration papers will be the next day when they were downloaded into our system. For example, if you have a December 1 registration deadline for a show, you will need to record the litter prior to December 1 if you are recording online. If you record the litter on the afternoon or evening of December 1, the date registered on the registration papers will be December 2. Online submissions are checked throughout the day, and we typically check for the last time at 3 PM Eastern Time each business day' however, to be certain your online litters will be recorded the same day, please submit them prior to 12 PM Eastern Time.

If you’re planning to exhibit at an NJSA event, pay attention to the ownership deadline for each show. You must have your pig purchased by that date. On your pedigree, the date of sale will show above the current owner’s name. If this date is after the NJSA ownership deadline, the exhibitor will not be eligible to show that pig. 

Also, please note that we no longer have a P.O. Box address. Any work that you attempt to send to the old address will eventually be returned to you in the mail. We will not be able to back date work which was originally mailed to our old address and returned to you. Our current mailing address is: 

2639 Yeager Road

West Lafayette, IN  47906

Please be mindful of the rules and regulations for each event so you don't have to worry about not being eligible to show. 

If there is anything I can help you with, let me know!

Whitney Hosier

Hampshire/Landrace/DNA Secretary