This week’s Open Mic guest is Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board. The nation’s swine producers are cautiously optimistic given consistent domestic demand for pork and increases in volume and value of U.S. pork export sales. On the home front, Even suggests the industry is focused on protecting the herd from African swine fever and is working at every level along with USDA and other government agencies to safeguard animals and the supply chain. Even says the pork checkoff continues to share the sustainability story of the nation’s hog farmers and is working to identify avenues to see pork production is carbon neutral in the very near future. In the meat case, Even says there’s tremendous consumer acceptance for ground pork and the industry is ramping up to satisfy the consumer appetite for the versatile protein source.