Small Producer Production Knowledge Support

1

Status

• Small producers are important members of the U.S. pork industry– Small % of the total pork produced– Large number of the producers

• Small Producers– Do not deliver to major packing plants– Market their pork directly to their customers

2

Status• In states outside major pork production regions

(Midwest, panhandle of OK and TX, and North Carolina) small producers are critical members in their state associations.

• Information and educational support systems for small producers is fragmented.

• Small producers can impact national efforts around pork safety, pork quality, herd health and monitoring and animal well-being.

3

Tactic

• Complete the population of the Niche Pork domain– Review existing and determine new fact sheets to

develop– Compile fact sheets into a small producers

handbook– Work to secure state association financial support

to collaborate on providing small producer support

4

Evaluations

• Short term– Number of fact sheets completed to fill the Niche

Pork domain – Number of small producer handbooks distributed

• Long Term– Number of state associations providing financial

support to deliver small producer information and education programs

5