Extension

Dr. Johnson has a 25% extension appointment. She has developed a pro-active extension program to provide sound science for clientele to utilize when formulating programs, educational tools and assessment / audit criteria to ensure farm animal well-being throughout the entire marketing process (from conception to consumption). These programs provide production expertise, timely information, and applicable educational materials. The goals of these programs are to enhance modern livestock well-being knowledge base and comfort level of county / agricultural educators, field staff, and producers. The expanded knowledge is designed to keep Iowa and the U.S. livestock operations profitable and enhance their competitiveness. The candidate actively participates with industry, government agencies, and commodity groups to be an important voice for Iowa livestock producers.

National Committees

Animal Welfare Committee: National Pork Board. 2005 to present.

Bob Evans Welfare Panel. 2008 to present.

International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE). 2009 to present.

State Committees

• Iowa Farm Animal Care. 2009 to present

• Swine Health / Animal Well Being Committee. Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). 2008 to present.

Multi-State Committees

• NCR-1029: Animal Behavior and Welfare. 2005 to present.

• NCCC-209: Agricultural bioethics multi-state research committee. 2009 to present.

PQA Plus

Dr. Johnson has trained to become a member of the Iowa Instructor Training Team (ITT). The PQA Plus program was developed by the National Pork Board in an effort to insure the highest level of food safety and high quality animal care in the pork industry. This voluntary program includes educational programs for producers and on-farm assessments. These steps will ensure that the US swine industry continues to address swine well-being and it will help assure customer confidence in pork products. Dr. Johnson looks forward to helping Iowa pork producers become comfortable with this program. More information about the PQA Plus program can be found at the Iowa Pork Producers website and the National Pork Board.