Pork Congress Over For Another Year

Pork Congress 2016 wrapped up this afternoon at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It was a great show, but I must say I have had enough of the big city and traffic! On the other hand maybe the big city has had enough of me too! The crowd of pork producers at the show was lighter today but it seems like that is the case every year. It is fun every year to see some of the new technology that has been developed for the swine industry.

The trade show is held in the newer wing of the convention center, which is a couple of levels below street level. I remember the first year it was held there. We did not have any cell phone service and everyone was going up the escalators to check messages and return calls. The staff at the Minnesota Pork Producers talked with the Minneapolis Convention Center and requested that for next year they fix the problem. The next year we had a signal. However so many cell phones were being used all you got was a busy signal. The cell phones still did not work.

Again the Minnesota Pork Producers staff talked with the Minneapolis Convention Center about getting better service for the next year. The Minneapolis Convention Center asked why a bunch of pig farmers needed cell phones anyway? They should maybe spend some time at the trade show and see all the technology in the swine industry. The temperature in the barn gets too warm or cold, the farmer gets a notification on his cell phone, malfunction with a feeder, another call or text on the cell phone. Anything that goes wrong a farmer can find out with his cell phone! You can even have cameras in your barn and view it on your cell phone. I guess a bunch of pig farmers do need a cell phone signal.