In an industry facing pressure from volatile markets and disease challenges, the most valuable asset on a modern hog farm isn’t the genetics or the facility—it’s the people. From the ‘second set of eyes’ provided by a dedicated staff to the mental discipline required to stay positive during a PRRS outbreak, four producers representing different sectors of the pork industry share how they are navigating a year where resilience is key.
In this Q&A with Kyle Baade, owner of Baade Genetics in Plymouth, Neb.; Matthew Brandt, nursery and finisher supervisor for Country View Family Farms in Middletown, Penn.; Nick Seger, co-owner of Seger Farms Inc., in Sidney, Ohio; and Denise Wiley, co-owner/office manager for Interstate Swine LLC in Walker, Iowa, we dive into the challenges they’re facing, the tools they can’t live without, and why a positive attitude is a muscle you have to train.
What’s the greatest challenge you are facing on the farm right now?
Baade: In one word – marketing. Our business succeeds when presentation, placement and perception all work together. The hogs matter, but so does the story we tell about them and the digital world where that story lives. The first step in that process is getting each hog into the right home, a decision that’s just as important as the genetics behind them. High‑quality photos, videos and consistent digital presence allow us to showcase our animals with the accuracy and respect they deserve. In a world where media platforms never stop moving, our imagery becomes more than documentation. It becomes part of the entertainment, the story and the connection we build with future owners. Our goal is simple: present our animals well, place them responsibly and ensure every buyer receives the right pig for their needs. When we do that, everyone wins – the animal, the owner and the legacy of our program.
Brandt: Energy cost is the biggest concern for me right now. I think here in Pennsylvania and in the northern region of the country, we are going to be affected by rising energy costs even more. This impacts processing, sow farms and commercial growers. We need to continue to look at ways we can reduce electric use and our ventilation methods more efficiently.
Seger: The greatest challenge we face on the farm today is managing the rising cost of operation. Fuel, labor and all the little things around the farm take a big bite out of the budget.
Wiley: Our greatest challenge right now on our farm is endemic diseases that are wreaking havoc on our pigs as they move from our sow farm to our finishers. Some of these are worsened because of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). As a result of the constant battle with recurrent disease stressors, we made the decision earlier this year to sell our sows and buy weaned pigs from a healthier herd.
What is something you can’t live without on the farm?
Baade: A positive attitude. A positive attitude isn’t something you “have” – it’s something you practice, like a muscle you train. Bad days aren’t an absolute on your life or your strength. They are data meant to learn and evolve from to further better your position both in and out of the industry.
Brandt: People – both family and workers. You need a support system in the swine industry. For years, I watch my father and other adults work 24/7. As we continue to grow our farms, the people are the biggest resource we have. They are your second eyes as you can only be in one place at one time. Your team is the biggest tool on your farm and should be treated like that.
Seger: Our people. Our growers and employees make it happen every day. We are lucky to work with a group that truly wants to do what is right for the pig, even though it may not be the easiest solution.
Wiley: I would say that one of the things we can’t live without on our farm is our people. We have an incredible staff who understand what it takes to keep things moving on our farm. They put in the extra time and effort to make sure the work gets done and the pigs are taken care of. We could not do that without them. They don’t work 9-5 and often have chores on the weekends, which also impacts their families. Still, they continue to help us run our business in so many ways.
What is your pulse on swine health in the U.S. right now?
Baade: We try to maintain a positive outlook on herd health and it’s not always easy. Herd health is as much a mindset as it is a management plan. You can do everything right—biosecurity, nutrition, vaccination protocols—and still face the reality that livestock live in a biological world where risk never drops to zero. If you only look at the negative, you lose sight of the fact that most days, most animals are healthy because of the work you put in. We as producers often underestimate the psychological load of constant vigilance. The emotional fatigue of “what if” can be just as draining as the physical work. Maintaining a positive outlook isn’t naïve, it’s a strategic mental discipline that keeps us effective. Issue-wise, we point to PRRS as the leading cause for disruption. It’s ever changing and yet, remains simple in its only demand: to find a porcine host.
Brandt: Concerning. It has been a tough year in all sections of the pork industry – from my showpig friends all the way to large companies. I think this will go down as one of the toughest years for PEDV and PRRS. I hope in the next few years that we will continue to look at PEDV eradication. PED is not only hard on the pigs its hard on the people. I would like to see what we can do to build pockets that are PRRS free. As the swine industry moves forward herd healthy should always be our biggest concern.
Seger: I don’t know that my pulse has changed a lot with overall health, but I do feel like everyone has had to reevaluate protocols over the last month. Things seem to be going in the right direction. For as long as we’ve dealt with PRRS, I still feel like we are always learning something new about it. To be honest, it’s frustrating.
Wiley: There are a lot of farms struggling with herd health currently and we need to continue to be vigilant about the biosecurity on our farms. It’s not just at the farm level, but it’s huge for trucking companies and packing plants as well. We all need to do our part to keep disease pushed down. I would say currently the disease we struggle with the most is PRRS. There are so many strains and they seem to mutate so quickly it’s hard to develop a health strategy on our farm that keeps us moving down the road. And then after that are endemic diseases that attack the pigs who have survived PRRS but have compromised immune systems. It’s just a vicious cycle that we can’t seem to get ahead of.
What’s the best “pork production” advice you’ve ever received?
Baade: It’s great that you’re happy where you are, but your hunger feeds the future. You can’t be at the level you aspire to obtain if you don’t have the passion.
Brandt: The only plans you make are to change your plans. Go with the flow. Things break, animals get sick and markets change. In the swine industry you need to be flexible and able to pivot. Today I see a lot of young people not able to adjust on the fly. This is a great asset to have to see through the tough times and look past the roadblocks.
Seger: Do whatever you can to keep the pigs healthy. Everything else will fall into place.
Wiley: This was a tough one... As Todd and I discussed the best advice we received, one thing we came up with was presented to us by one of our advisory board members. He told us we need to do a “Best Source and Use of Funds” exercise. The exercise made us look at where our income came from, where our expenses were, and what would help us receive the best return on our investments. It basically helped our family closely evaluate our operation and make decisions about the direction we needed to head. As a result, it confirmed our belief that we needed to shut down our sow farm and focus on finishing pigs.
