PorkBridge and SowBridge have provided relevant and timely distance education to swine producers and industry professionals across the U.S. and around the world. The 2021 program year series will begin in February.
The programs provide an interactive teleconference with electronic materials and live presentations. About a week before each session, subscribers will receive a web link to download the session’s presentation and any additional information provided by the presenter. Participants call in for the audio portion of each session and follow along with their own copy of the presentation on their computer or other device.
PorkBridge
“Producers and others in the industry can get the information they need without the hassle of traveling or giving up an entire day to attend a meeting,” Stalder said in a release. “PorkBridge participants can take part at home, in an office or in the swine unit, wherever it works best for them. And all participants can listen later to the audio we record of each live session.”
The price remains at $100 for the entire series, and as in the past, each subsequent registration from the same entity is half that amount. Each registration provides access to one phone line per session and all program materials for each registration, including audio recordings of the live session, Stalder said. Program costs are slightly different for those with non-U.S. mailing addresses.
Session dates, topics, speakers and their industry affiliations are as follows.
- Feb. 4 – Jen Sorenson, Iowa Select Farms; “How to Handle Activists on Farms”
- April 1 – Monica McConkey, MN Department of Ag; “Mental Health for Pig Barn Workers”
- June 3 – Matt Ritter, Provimi US; “In-barn Impacts on Meat Quality”
- Aug. 5 – Nat Stas, PIC; “Water Management to Maximize Performance”
- Oct. 7 – Jeff Blythe, Pipestone; “Biosecurity for Grow-Finish Production”
- Dec. 3 – Chris Rademacher, Iowa State University; “Interventions to Reduce Mortality: Postweaning”
SowBridge
“Each year we ask participants for suggestions on topics and speakers, and this year once again have a high impact speaker line-up of industry experts from production systems, allied industry and university experts,” Joel DeRouchey, Kansas State University professor and extension swine specialist, said in a release.
Registration cost remains at $200 for the first registration from an entity, and each subsequent registration from the same entity is half that amount, for subscribers from the U.S. or Canada.
“We recognize the current economic condition of the pork industry, and want to encourage participation by all producers,” DeRouchey said in a release. “By maintaining the registration fee, we hope more people will be able to take part.”
Session dates, topics, speakers and their industry affiliations are as follows.
• Feb. 3 – Day One Sow Care, Ashley Johnson, Zoetis
• March 3 – Preventing COVID-19 on Swine Farms, Erin Ehinger, Provimi North America
• April 7 – Mental Health of Barn Workers, Robin Tutor Marcom, North Carolina Agromedicine Institute
• May 5 – Gilt Development, Steve Brier, Smithfield
• June 2 – How to Handle Activists on Farms, Jen Sorenson, Iowa Select Farms
• July 7 – Litter Size Adjustment Strategies, Steve Horton, Thomas Livestock
• Aug. 4 – Sow Lifetime Productivity Findings, Jennifer Patterson, University of Alberta
• Sept. 1 – Pig Farm Safety Practices, Melissa Millerick-May/Beth Ferry, Michigan State University
• Oct. 6 – Gilt Synchronization - Tools & Techniques, Tim Safranski, University of Missouri
• Nov. 3 – Economics of Mortalities on Sow Farms, Caleb Shull, The Maschhoffs
• Dec. 1 – Interventions to Reduce Mortalities: Pre-Weaning, Kara Stewart, Purdue University
• Jan. 5, 2022 – Sow Lameness, Benny Mote, University of Nebraska
These programs are provided through a cooperative effort of 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine producing states.
For more information, contact Sherry Hoyer at 515-294-4496 or shoyer@iastate.edu or DeRouchey at jderouch@ksu.edu or 785-532-2280. A registration form is available here. Registration is due Jan. 20 to ensure participants receive materials in time for the first session but registrations can be received anytime to receive the full program.
