USDA announces American Egg Board appointments

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 11 members and 10 alternates to serve on the American Egg Board. Nine member appointees and nine alternates will serve two-year terms. Three appointees will serve the remaining one-year portion of vacant positions.

The appointed members and alternates in the Farm World region are: Thomas Stoller, Ohio City, Ohio; Steven L. George, Grinnell, Iowa; Tim Vande Bunte, Holland, Mich., alternate; Robert Gornichec, Centerburg, Ohio, alternate (one-year term); and Blair Van Zetten, Oskaloosa, Iowa, alternate.

The American Egg Board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates representing six areas. The board is authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974.

Indiana farmer reelected to National Pork committee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. pork industry held its annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum, Feb. 28-March 2 in Kansas City. At the meeting, Indiana pork producer Joe Baldwin was reelected for a two-year term to the National Pork Producer Council's Nominating Committee, which evaluates candidates for the organization's board of directors.

"I'm happy to have the opportunity to continue serving pork producers," said Baldwin. "Serving on NPPC's Nominating Committee allows me to work with the leadership on issues facing our industry. I'm grateful my fellow pork producers put their trust in me to work with the leaders of this organization."

Baldwin is a pork producer in Union City, Ind., and is currently serving as president of Indiana Pork, a not-for-profit representing the state’s 3,000 family pork farmers through the pork checkoff program.

Appell inducted into National Pork Hall of Fame

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jill Appell, a pork producer from Altona, Ill., was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Pork Producers Council for her leadership of and dedication to the U.S. pork industry, at NPPC's annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum.

Appell, who grew up near Chicago, early on developed an interest in agriculture. Her career in the pork industry began when she joined the Knox County Pork Producers Assoc., which eventually led to her role as president of the Illinois Pork Producers Assoc.

Shortly after NPPC was formally separated from the National Pork Board, she joined the NPPC board and was appointed vice president of the organization in 2005. She served as president from March 2007-March 2008. Prior to becoming president of NPPC, Appell was appointed as director of Rural Development for Illinois.

She has continued her service to the pork industry through her role as vice chair on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation for the U.S. Trade Representative, and has served on the Illinois Attorney General's Advisory Committee and the Illinois Governor's Advisory Committee. Appell and her husband Paul originally had a farrow-to-finish operation, then transitioned to a weaner operation. While they no longer have pigs, they still raise 1,100 acres of corn and soybeans.

3 seats available on Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. — Every year several seats on the seven-member Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee (MSPC) board are open for appointment or reappointment by the governor. Three of these positions will be filled this summer.

The districts seeking two people to apply for each position include:

•District 2: Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham and Jackson counties

•District 4: Huron, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac and St. Clair counties

•District 5: Arenac, Bay, Lapeer, Saginaw and Tuscola counties

Interested soybean farmers residing in these districts should contact MSPC Executive Director Gail Frahm at 877-769-6424 or gfrahm@michigansoybean.org and the link will be provided to you for the online application process. All applications need to be completed by July 31.

The term starts at the end of September. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend a regular MSPC board meeting to check it out; the next meeting will be at the DoubleTree in Port Huron on June 25 (from 4-6:30 p.m.) and June 26 (from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.). Call to RSVP if interested in attending.