Two Iowans who have made strong contributions to the success of the state’s pork industry have been honored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA).
Deborah Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and professor Dr. Steven Hoff of the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering have been named Honorary Master Pork Producers for 2015. The pair was honored last night at the Iowa Pork Congress Banquet in Des Moines.
The Honorary Master Pork Producer Award is given to two people each year for their outstanding and distinguished service to the betterment and success of Iowa’s pork industry. Recipients are selected by the IPPA Board of Directors and the program is funded by the Pork Checkoff.
Dr. Steven Hoff
Hoff is a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He has received the Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teacher Award and works in the Air Dispersion Lab at Iowa State University.
Putting “science into practice” has been a guiding motto for Dr. Hoff’s research in evaluation of and design conditions for efficient and sustainable animal production systems, sensor and controller development and air emission measurement and mitigation technologies for animal production systems.
Dr. Hoff has been an instrumental leader of IPPA-supported manure foam research in conjunction with the University of Minnesota and the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and USDA. This collaborative effort aims to determine causes and solutions to manure foam, which has proven to be a significant storage and safety challenge for Midwest pork producers.
Steven continues to develop and refine the Community Assessment Model for Odor Dispersion (CAM), which has been used for siting evaluation of Iowa pig farms since 2005. This model was partially funded by IPPA and has been an important tool used in siting consideration discussions and enhanced neighbor relations though the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.
Evaluation of emissions from animal housing systems and cost effective gas and odor emission mitigation technologies continue to be of particular focus for Dr. Hoff. Additionally, he is working on methods to automatically and continuously control both space and radiant heating systems for efficient swine production systems.
Hoff holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering tech from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Steven and his wife, Beth, reside in Jewell. They have two adult children and one grandchild.
For the original press release, click here.