2020 Rewind: Farm Journal's PORK Cover Stories
We're recapping this year's most important issues though a look back at the covers of Farm Journal's PORK magazine.
January/February
5 Ways PRRS Made Us Better
Questions remain. When should I vaccinate? What is the proper protocol? When do I sit back and do nothing? “I’m not sure there is a one-size-fits-all answer to these questions,” says Daniel Linhares, DVM and assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. "In the long term, how do I maximize my return on investment and make the right decisions most of the time?" Read more.
March/April
Farm to Fork: Newman Farms
The idea of owning a farm-to-fork operation is one many pork producers might have thought about but quickly discarded as being too financially risky and tough to navigate, especially with regard to finding buyers, creating a dependable distribution channel and navigating government regulations. Read more.
May
COVID-19: Farmers Face Market Disruptions
As the pork industry faces another devastating setback due to temporary packing plant closures, South Dakota pork producer Steve Rommereim describes the situation with just one word: heartbreaking. Read more.
June
Tech Savvy: When Technology Changes the Game
From the outside, Pig Hill West looks like most large sow operations in western Iowa. But, when you walk inside the break room, you'll notice something a little out of the ordinary: three big screens filled with brightly colored numbers, dials and figures. Read more.
July/August
Overcomer: From the Streets to the Sow Barn
The first thing Gracee Workman will tell you about her story is that she is not a victim. But her story is not easy to take in and most people, try as they might, will never be able to understand what she’s been through. Read more.
September
Untold Stories: The Call That Saved One Hog Producer's Farm
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” South Dakota pig farmer Steve Rommereim confided to his friend Scott Phillips, a pig farmer in Missouri. “It’s bad. Real bad.” The line went quiet.
Although Phillips had heard rumors that some producers were going to have to euthanize pigs, things weren’t that devastating in his area. The next morning Philips called his friend back and left Rommereim speechless. Read more.
October
The Day Derecho Hit
Terrifying. Ugly. Stunning. A storm so unexpected and unusual that three Iowa pig farmers couldn’t find words to adequately describe the day derecho winds struck their pig farms and homes. Read more.
November/December
All Eyes on 2021: Economists Weigh In on What's Ahead
Many people would like to push fast forward to 2021 and forget 2020 ever happened. Will 2021 be a better year for the U.S. pork industry? Most economists think so, but they’ll be the first to admit that’s what they thought last year. The industry appears to be set for another year of large hog supplies that will stretch processing capacity and pork demand, says University of Missouri economist Scott Brown. Demand growth will need to continue in 2021 and any slowdown could make 2021 a tough year, he cautions. Read more.
