By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) is seeking a few young leaders with an interest in the pork industry for their 2010 Illinois Pork Leadership Institute (IPLI), to be held June 15-17. The program, which focuses on leadership, citizenship and communications skills through hands-on learning, has allowed youth to participate in a bus tour spotlighting various aspects of the agriculture industry since 1994.

Pork promotion, research, consumer information and issues that affect the pork industry are all addressed during the three-day IPLI, according to Mike Borgic, IPPA director of membership and outreach.

Points of interests participants in the class will visit in June include destinations in the Quad Cities and Des Moines, Iowa, areas such as the Farmland plant in Monmouth and both the National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council. The checkoff-funded youth activity is viewed as just one way to help develop future pork industry leaders.

“This program expands their knowledge of the pork industry and helps open their eyes to the many career possibilities in the pork industry and agriculture,” Borgic said of the youth who enroll in the IPLI. “I am a former participant in the program. Also, we currently have a board member, who is a former participant. Several others are either back at the farm or working in the agricultural industry in various capacities.

“I learned about other aspects of the pork industry that I was not aware of working on the farm” by enrolling in the IPLI, Borgic continued. “Also, I made friendships with people I still keep in contact with today. Overall, I would say the (IPLI) was enjoyable and made me interested in being involved with the pork industry in other ways besides working on the farm.”

Those interested in enrolling in the $100 IPLI must have finished their junior year in high school by June 15 and be no older than 23 by March 31, 2010. The only other requirement for enrollment is that the attendee must exhibit a sincere interest in the pork industry and agriculture.

Applications must be submitted by Saturday, May 15. Attendees are encouraged to seek sponsorship from their county pork producers’ groups for registration and other expenses, though the IPPA covers the cost for lodging, meals and some other expenditures.

Contact the IPPA office at 217-529-3100 for more information or to register.