MSU Extension honors Michigan Pork Producers for long-time partnership
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EmailThe Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA) received the MSU Extension Key Partner award on October 16 during the organization’s Fall Conference in Grand Rapids.
The Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA) received the MSU Extension Key Partner award on October 16 during the organization’s Fall Conference in Grand Rapids. The award is given annually to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to creating, improving or promoting Extension programs.
Beth Ferry, MSU Extension swine educator, nominated the organization. She said MPPA has worked directly with MSU Extension to determine needs of pork producers since they were founded in 1969.
“We have a long-track record of working together toward the common good,” Ferry said. “By helping us identify emerging issues, they allow us to create awareness, build resources and develop educational opportunities around important issues like preparing for potential disease outbreaks, biosecurity and promoting financially and environmentally responsible management practices.”
Of recent note is MPPA’s support of ERAIL—Emergency Response to Accident Involving Livestock. The five-year-old program trains first responders how to safely work around scared and injured animals. In addition, thanks to funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, communities have access to cargo trailers carrying specialized portable gates, straps, binders and other animal-handling gear not typically found on firetrucks, ambulances or law enforcement vehicles.
Mary Kelpinski, MPPA’s chief executive officer, says there are over 1 million pigs being transported on the nation’s roadways daily. Keeping them safe, as well as the people who are on those roads, is a priority.
“We were eager to work with MSU Extension to make sure that first responders from firefighters to police officers and animal control had the knowledge and resources they needed to get situations cleaned up as quickly and humanely as possible,” she said.
Quentin Tyler, director of MSU Extension, says partnership with organizations like MPPA are important to ensuring that his colleagues are doing their best to support farmers.
“We have an open line of communication with MPPA and other agriculture commodity organizations, so we can keep a finger on the pulse of the needs of the industry,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure our research and educational efforts match with their needs. I’m pleased that we could honor MPPA for their continued partnership.”
