Make a Difference!

April 23, 2014 — 

AASV members like Drs. Rick Tubbs, Craig Rowles, Amy Woods, Jeff Harker, Peggy Anne Hawkins, and Gene Nemechek - to name just a few of the 75 veterinarians participating in Operation Main Street - are making a difference by sharing the facts about pig care and pork production with veterinary students, dieticians, and civic groups across the U.S. You can join your colleagues in the effort to counter misunderstanding and misinformation about the swine industry by becoming a trained Operation Main Street speaker. Two OMS speaker training classes will be held during World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa:

• June 3-4: Training will begin at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, June 3, and conclude at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, June 4.

• June 5-6: Training will begin at 11:30 AM on Thursday, June 5, and conclude at 3:00 PM on Friday, June 6.

In 2011, AASV and the National Pork Board partnered to train veterinarians as OMS speakers with a goal to schedule a speaker in all 28 schools of veterinary medicine. To date, trained veterinarians have presented at 24 of 28 schools, reaching 5000 students through this program.

The training updates participants on what activists are saying about agriculture today, and provides attendees with the needed tools and presentations to address those concerns in a science-based, proactive manner. The objective is to equip veterinarians to speak to veterinary students and professional groups, including dieticians. Any AASV member interested in becoming a trained OMS speaker and helping in this endeavor is invited to participate.

To register for this OMS training or for more information, contact Mary Wonders at the National Pork Board (515) 223-3535 or Mwonders@pork.org. Deadline for registration is May 15, 2014.