Michigan Pork Producers Association

What Michigan Pork Producers Association does

Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA) is a nonprofit trade association headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan that collectively represents pork producers operating in the state. The organization delivers legislative advocacy at the state level in Lansing and channels federal-level representation through the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), giving individual hog farmers a unified voice on regulatory and policy matters affecting on-farm profitability. MPPA is governed by an 18-person board of elected producer members led by President Tim Kruithoff, with day-to-day operations executed by a three-person staff: Chief Executive Officer Mary Kelpinski, Program Director Emily Schmitt, and Swine Health Coordinator Shelby Tackett. The association does not develop or sell proprietary technology; its infrastructure is limited to a WordPress website (mipork.org), Google Forms, Showman.App event management, and Google Calendar/iCalendar integrations.

The organization's core offerings span producer certification (PQA Plus and TQA delivered through Pork Checkoff), youth development (MI PIGS sanctioned shows, Green & White Show, Spartan Classic, YQCA certification, and a $3,000 annual scholarship), annual industry events (the Michigan Pork Symposium, scheduled for February 2025 at Lansing Center and February 2026 at Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel), a bimonthly Michigan Pork Magazine published since 2010, consumer-facing pork cooking resources, a show pig directory, and an annual awards program recognizing Distinguished Service, Master Pork Producer, Contract Grower, and Swine Herd Manager excellence. The Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund, supported in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has distributed more than $360,000 to over 360 youth exhibitors since 2000.

MPPA's business model is subscription-recurring membership dues paid by Michigan pork producers, supplemented by nominal event registration fees ($15-$60 per attendee for the Michigan Pork Symposium) and ancillary program revenue. Customer segments are three: pork producers (primary, dues-paying), youth exhibitors (non-paying pipeline segment served via scholarships and sanctioned shows), and consumers (non-paying audience reached through recipes and cooking resources). Strategic partnerships with NPPC, Pork Checkoff, the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture anchor both federal advocacy capability and certification delivery. The organization holds no patents, no AI/ML capabilities, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed funding rounds.

Name

Michigan Pork Producers Association

Legal name

Michigan Pork Producers Association

Website

https://mipork.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michigan Pork Producers Association is a nonprofit trade association based in East Lansing that advocates for Michigan pork producers through legislative representation, certification programs, youth development, and annual industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Pork producers pay membership dues to join MPPA, which represents their collective interests at state and national levels through the National Pork Producers Council.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Michigan Pork Producers Association is a nonprofit trade association that represents Michigan pork producers through collective advocacy at the state and national level. It delivers producer certification programs (PQA Plus, TQA), youth development programs (MI PIGS, YQCA, Green & White Show, Spartan Classic), annual industry events (Michigan Pork Symposium), scholarship programs, consumer education resources, and a bimonthly industry publication (Michigan Pork Magazine).

Product overview

Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA) is a membership-based agricultural association representing pork producers across Michigan. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including annual events (Michigan Pork Symposium, Green & White Show, Spartan Classic), publications (Michigan Pork Magazine), youth development programs (MI PIGS, YQCA certification), producer certification programs (PQA Plus, TQA), and consumer education resources (pork recipes and cooking guides). MPPA also maintains a scholarship program and provides a directory of show pig sellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Michigan Pork Symposium (Annual Conference) Annual industry conference bringing together pig farmers and industry representatives for education, breakout sessions, and a sponsor tradeshow, featuring speakers from academic, state-level, and business sectors.
• Michigan Pork Magazine Bimonthly publication covering pork industry news, producer stories, and industry updates, with archives available from 2010 to present.
• PQA Plus (Pork Quality Assurance Plus) Certification Food safety and animal well-being certification program for pork producers, providing a framework for significant, relevant food safety standards and improved animal well-being.
• TQA (Transport Quality Assurance) Certification Certification program for handlers and transporters of pigs, covering animal well-being and pork quality during handling and transport.
• MI PIGS Youth Program Youth program recognizing Michigan youth exhibitors through sanctioned pig shows, showmanship contests, and educational activities, with point tracking across sanctioned shows.
• Green & White Show Annual hog show and youth education fair featuring skillathon, social media contests, and scenario contests, held at MSU Farm Bureau Pavilion.
• Spartan Classic Junior Hog Show Junior hog show and jackpot show at MSU Livestock Pavilion featuring showmanship, gilt classes, and market classes.
• Michigan Pork Industry Scholarship Annual $3,000 scholarship awarded to high school seniors and college students pursuing careers in agricultural fields.
• YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) Certification Education and certification program for youth livestock producers ages 8 to 21, setting standards for swine exhibitors and all livestock exhibitors.
• Show Pig Directory Directory listing private treaty sellers of show pigs across Michigan, with contact information for dozens of breeders.
• Showman.App Event Registration Platform Online registration platform used for Green & White Show and MI PIGS sanctioned show event entries and show management.
• Michigan Pork Producer Awards Annual awards program including the Distinguished Service Award, Master Pork Producer Award, Contract Grower of the Year Award, and Swine Herd Manager Award, recognizing leadership and excellence among Michigan pork producers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Michigan Pork Producers Association awards $3000 annually in scholarships
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPPA represents all of Michigan's pork producers collectively with one strong voice nationally through the National Pork Producers Council. This partnership provides state producers with advocacy and representation at the federal level.
• Pork CheckoffcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPPA supports Pork Checkoff programs including PQA Plus and TQA certification. The Pork Checkoff provides resources, certification programs, and educational materials for swine producers.
• U.S. Pork Center of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides the Pork Information Gateway (PIG) resource for swine-related questions, factsheets, and pork production information.
• Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund and statewide livestock exhibition programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Pork Producers Association: State-level pork producers association serving Illinois producers with identical advocacy, education, youth, and certification programming. Directly comparable in scale, structure, and value proposition to Michigan producers.
• Iowa Pork Producers Association: State-level pork producers association in Iowa, the largest U.S. pork-producing state. Operates the same business model as MPPA: membership dues, state advocacy, producer education, youth programs, and Pork Checkoff program delivery. Most directly comparable peer by structure and mission.
• Minnesota Pork Board: State-level pork producer organization in Minnesota, another top-tier hog-producing state. Runs similar producer education, advocacy, youth development, and Pork Checkoff-aligned programs as MPPA.
• Indiana Pork Producers Association: State-level pork producers association in Indiana. Directly comparable to MPPA in scope (single state), model (membership + advocacy + programs), and target audience (hog farmers in a Midwest state).
• Ohio Pork Council: State-level pork producers association serving Ohio. Same membership/advocacy/certification/youth program model as MPPA, with a neighboring-state Midwest footprint.
• Wisconsin Pork Association: State-level pork producers association in Wisconsin. Operates identical advocacy, certification (PQA/TQA), youth program, and producer service model as MPPA; comparable scale and Midwest geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Pork Producers Council: The national-level trade association for U.S. pork producers and MPPA's direct federal advocacy partner. Highly comparable in mission (collective pork producer representation, policy advocacy, industry promotion) but operates at national scope rather than a single state.

Others

• National Cattlemen's Beef Association: The national trade association for U.S. cattle/beef producers. Structurally identical model (producer advocacy, checkoff alignment, certification, youth programs) but for the beef sector rather than pork; useful as a peer trade association template.
• Pork Checkoff (National Pork Board): The national checkoff-funded research, promotion, and education entity. MPPA is a downstream delivery channel for its PQA Plus, TQA, and YQCA programs, making it a critical ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Michigan Farm Bureau: The general-purpose statewide agricultural advocacy organization in Michigan, sharing Michigan geography and overlapping producer membership with MPPA. Broader commodity scope (all Michigan agriculture) rather than pork-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MIporkProducers
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-pork-producers-assn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan Pork Producers Association