Consumers need to receive a safe, wholesome pork product every time they shop at the meat case. We live in a society that turns on the latest media commentaries on food safety. As producers and consumers of pork and pork products, U.S. pork producers have dedicated thousands of checkoff dollars to the Pork Quality Assurance Program. The National Pork Producers Council introduced the 3-level management education program for PQA in 1989. It emphasizes good management practices in handling and using animal health products and encourages producers to review how they approach herd health.

Currently, more than 75,000 producers have PQA Level III certification. The number of certified producers has increased dramatically as more packers and processors require PQA Level III status. Most recent growth is in youth producers. FFA and 4-H members with swine projects were receiving PQA training as adults until the youth PQA curriculum was developed in late 1999.

The PQA Youth Program was developed through checkoff funds for educators to use when instructing youth audiences. The PQA Youth Program better accommodates their learning styles and education level.

The program manual and CD-ROM contain PowerPoint slides and an accompanying script, worksheets, reference charts and activity overviews. In its original form, the slide presentation is broken into two 50-minute presentations. However, adding activities and discussion can lengthen the training session to the educator’s preference. Any or all of these materials can be used in an ag classroom as a separate unit or to supplement presentation of existing curricula, such as animal health and pork production. The activities are an excellent form of teaching young students about withdrawal times, drug residues, HACCP and injection techniques.

In addition to the new youth program, the NPPC has videotapes, reference charts, posters and fact sheets pertaining to Pork Quality Assurance. Request PQA educational materials from NPPC by calling (800) 456-7675.

American agricultural educators have shown remarkable interest in PQA. NPPC commends your support and anticipates future projects with The National Association of Agricultural Educators as we work together to educate youth.

Dectomax Next Generation Program Discontinued

The Dectomax Next Generation Program, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, was discontinued at the end of 2000. Over the last three years, Pfizer Animal Health has contributed almost $500,000 to local FFA chapters across the country through this unique partnership. The deadline for turning in any remaining bottle caps or box tops from Dectomax products for the $3 rebate was January 31, 2001. For more information about the discontinuation of this program, please contact Pfizer Animal Health by calling toll-free (888) 698-4367.

Thank you, Pfizer Animal Health, for supporting agricultural education and the FFA!

Al Krysan, President of Finney Company–Hobar Publications, spoke at the awards luncheon during the 2000 NAAE Convention in San Diego. Hobar Publications sponsored the Professional State Associations Awards program. Krysan also helped arrange for the sale of the Gothic Arch Greenhouse, which brought the total auction proceeds to almost $12,000, a new record high!

These are the reasons that the continued erosion of the percent of students enrolled in agricultural education who also have an SAE and are FFA members is alarming. It foreshadows a lessening of the importance of agricultural education in the long run in schools across America. The future of local agricultural education programs can only be preserved through an integrated program in agricultural education, and, only you can make that happen in your local community.