Stop sitting on the sidelines, says Montserrat Torremorell, department chair and professor of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota. As the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, one of the industry’s largest swine health conferences, approaches on Sept. 20-23, she reminds attendees to make it their own.
“I remember being told as a student many years ago to ‘go spread out,’” Torremorell says. “I’m glad my advisor spoke that truth to me because that’s how you get to know people and develop your network. Forcing yourself to have some of those conversations or try to understand another person’s perspective is so important.”
Whether through chats in the hallway between sessions or during breakouts, she hopes people take advantage of the opportunities to grow from those conversations. Torremorell and her team are excited about the program, but she encourages each attendee to make it their own by choosing to attend sessions that interest them most and connecting with others in the industry.
“When I look at the industry right now, I see a lot of moving pieces in terms of data, technology, artificial intelligence, changes in regulations, the economic landscape, and technologies like gene editing,” she says. “Some of these things are big, and I don’t think we always appreciate that.”
The keynotes are always some of her favorite presentations and she hopes people attend all four. This year’s line-up of keynote speakers includes Bill Moore with Compeer Financial discussing “Risks and opportunities for pork production in the changing economic landscape” and Luke Minion with Wholestone Farms sharing “From supply focused to demand obsessed” on Monday.
“I think it’s important to get up to speed on the constantly changing economic environment and see whether anybody has that magic ball,” Torremorell says. “Bill will provide some clarification on the changes happening. I also am excited to listen to Luke because he understands pork production and swine health so well. His new role allows him to interface with consumers and retailers. I think his message is going to be clear that we must change a few things we do if we want to be on the consumer side.”
On Tuesday, Juergen Richt of Kansas State University will present on “Emerging viral threats and mitigation strategies in the swine industry” and Pedro Urriola of the University of Minnesota will speak on “Blind men and the pig: Challenging our understanding of sustainable pork systems.”
“We can’t forget about diseases and the threat of diseases,” she says. “We’ll keep this important topic front of mind for everybody, looking at mitigations for the swine industry. We’ll also hear a different perspective on sustainability. The talks will be very thought-provoking.”
Hot Topics in the Hallway
Torremorell says there is momentum in the industry to look at endemic diseases, both control and elimination under the umbrella of U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP).
“I think those conversations in the hallway on these topics can carry momentum for the industry to help move and make progress on health,” she says. “But we also need stronger biosecurity systems.”
Personally, Torremorell is anticipating the National Pork Producers Council sessions that will dig into the Make America Healthy Again movement and its impact on pork production as well as what’s happening in state legislatures.
“There is a lot going on in all the states. What are the implications for producers, good or bad?” she says. “I’m really looking forward to getting up to speed in those areas.”
Emerging technologies will also be a big topic of discussion.
“Data analysis and artificial intelligence technologies are changing very rapidly on how to apply it to swine,” Torremorell adds. “I think the program is very innovative and addresses some of these big areas, but at the same time, makes sure we keep day-to-day operations at the farm in mind.”
Step Outside Social Media
A big part of attending industry conferences are the side conversations and opportunities to hear a variety of perspectives you may not tune into otherwise. Torremorell appreciates the role of social media in sharing information and keeping people connected, but she reminds people that nothing beats a face-to-face conversation.
“To the new generation of producers and veterinarians, take advantage of these opportunities,” she encourages. “This is your conference, and this is your opportunity to custom-design it to suit you.”
