Industry

Las Vegas Buffet Decline Forces Pig Farm to Source Different Food Scraps

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:52:48 GMT

The famous buffet lines of the Las Vegas Strip aren’t the only things that changed after 2020. For Las Vegas Livestock , the pandemic forced a total reinvention of how they feed 5,000 head of hogs — a move that ultimately led to a major increase in their processing capacity.

MGM recently announced that its buffet at the Grand Hotel is set to close permanently on May 31. This follows a trend of major resorts replacing traditional buffets with food halls and specialty restaurants.

Historically, Las Vegas Livestock relied on the massive volume of food waste generated by casino buffets. Now the operation is shifting its focus toward grocery stores and warehouses, reports Fox 5 Las Vegas .

The transition required a technological overhaul. Sourcing from grocery stores meant dealing with a higher volume of inorganic materials and packaging.

An Innovative Shift
To handle the shift, Las Vegas Livestock upgraded its equipment to mechanically process items like ketchup packets and hot sauce containers that were previously sorted by hand. This automation has made a big impact.

Pre-pandemic, the farm processed 30 tons of waste per day. Today, that number has surged to 55 tons.

Las Vegas Livestock holds a food scrap processing license that allows them to feed food scraps containing meat to pigs. Under the supervision of the Nevada Department of Agriculture, all food scraps are cleaned and pasteurized to ensure safety for the pigs and consumers.

Sister company Combs Brothers LLC is responsible for sourcing and recovering the food scraps. They build customized programs to maximize trash diversion and profits for Las Vegas resorts.

According to the Las Vegas Livestock website, this family farm has been raising pigs for generations with a mission to be humane and sustainable.

“The LVL team provides excellent care to the animals, and the barns have been designed to keep the animals quality of life in mind,” the website says. “Sustainability is always a priority of the farm. The family has close ties to the desert and understand the importance in conserving resources as well as keeping food out of the landfill.”

Farmers Don’t Use AI for Answers — They Use It to Think Better

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:10:25 GMT

What you should know:

To use artificial intelligence in your business for a competitive advantage — not just a gimmick:

Ask better questions than most people
Combine AI with real-world experience
Execute on the answers

For Rachael Sharp, dry weather hasn’t made planting go any easier in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. And when a planter went down, the first thing she did was pull up Chat GPT.

“I pulled up the part number, and I saw that I’d actually entered in there last year. So it told me the date I changed it, and that was helpful, because I was trying to figure out why is this wearing out so quickly?” she says. “We’re in desperate need of rain, and we’re pulling in some pretty hard non-irrigated land right now. I logged that we changed the bearing again, and so next time, knock on wood, it hopefully doesn’t go out again, but if it does I can look and see I changed it twice in the last year.”

That’s just one of many examples of how Sharp is using ChatGPT to manage equipment, her time, and the farm business. She and her father, Don, are featured in an OpenAI commercial, which premiered during the Super Bowl.

And she’s in good company with other farmers in how to use the artificial intelligence platforms.

Marc Arnusch, the 2025 Top Producer of the Year, says ChatGPT is the most used app on his phone.

Jeremy Jack, leader of Silent Shade Planting Company the 2023 Top Producer of the Year, uses AI as his daily management teammate from agronomy and business decisions.

Here are the four ways these farmers use AI every day on the farm.

(Photo: Yvonne Min)

1. Make better decisions faster

Colorado farmer Arnusch uses ChatGPT and Grok to narrow down his consideration set when making decisions.

“It helps on the strategic side of things, and when making a decision, I’ll let it give the top four or five things to choose from, which helps when there’s a million choices,” he says. “It really is like my funnel. I’ll set up my phone on my dashboard and just dictate to it. Then when I’m back at the farm office, my wife Jill is relieved because I’ve already processed out loud with the AI tool.”

While most farms collect data, Jack uses AI to make decisions, particularly agronomic.

“I uploaded multiple years of soil data across our farms,” he says. “And we’ve found ways to manage fertilizer better, for example with sulfur.”

The data interpretation has shifted his thinking by connecting the yield zones with as-applied fertility and return on investment.

Jack is also using the technology to double check every spray application — from rates, to tank mix, to nozzle selection, to pressure optimization.

Sharp has also found AI helpful in managing chemical applications. She can remember chemical boxes marked up with her father’s calculations by hand.

“I tell the prompt what I’m spraying, where I’m spraying, how many acres, tank size, and then I let it tell me what to order,” she says. “Over time, it’s learned which products are liquid and which are dry flowables. And it’s helped me keep track of the inventory we have so we don’t end up with pallets of odds and ends.”

(Photo: OpenAI)

2. Be more efficient

When it comes to where to start with AI, Sharp has one piece of advice.

“Think of the task that you don’t like to do at the end of the day. For me, I didn’t want to do paperwork at the end of the day,” she says. “So I threw it over to ChatGPT, and I said, hey, this is what I planted today, this is the date, and I left it at that. I started really, really simple.”

Now, she’ll record things directly in the field or in the truck. She says it has helped with FSA 578 forms. And in day-to-day operations, she’s found benefits for time management and accuracy in all record keeping.

“We have seed samples that require a handwritten seed form that I turn in along with the sample, but I spoke into my phone and said, hey, Chat GPT, I need you to log that I sent this variety, this lot number, on this date, to the lab. And so, that’s probably one of 15 entries that I’ve made over the course of a month. And at the end when we finally turn in our last sample to the lab, I’ll ask it for a spreadsheet with all that listed,” she says.

(Photo: Sarah Green Photography)

3. Think more clearly about complex problems

Jeremy Jack often asks ChatGPT “What does this mean for my farm?” with current events.

“With the war in Iran, global fertilizer supply chain concerns, and even things like USDA reports, it’s given helpful perspective in how to think about what’s happening off the farm but impacts the farm.”

And he’s found success in using the platform to specifically think about the business strategy for his farm with vendors, including lenders, landowners and more.

4. Manage more professionally

Jack has been active with an advisory board for their farm, but AI has become like a boardroom in his pocket.

“I bounce ideas—pressure test if you will—before it costs me real money,” he says. “This includes input purchases, land agreements, and equipment purchases.”

He’s also come to use it in his external communications about the farm including his regular social media posts on LinkedIn.

When it comes to team management, Arnusch has input culture index results for vendors and employees, then the AI compares their individual characteristics with the job they are being asked to do.

“This has been a breakthrough,” he says. “It’s shown me that at no fault of their own, why some people fail at what they are being asked to do. It wasn’t because they weren’t working hard or doing the job. It was stretching them beyond what they can do.”

He gives the example of a farm foreman position on the farm, and how he used this process to match the candidate with the role.

(Sarah Green Photography)

Prop 12 Impact: Pork Prices Surge 20% as Producers Push for Farm Bill Solution

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:15:02 GMT

Two years after full implementation, California’s Proposition 12 continues to drive pork prices higher, according to new research from the North Dakota State University Agricultural Risk Policy Center .

The study reveals that prices for covered pork products have increased by an average of 20% compared to the rest of the country. As food affordability concerns grow, agricultural leaders are calling on Congress to address the “patchwork” of state regulations through federal legislation.

Data Shows Significant Price Hikes for Pork Cuts

The NDSU data highlights how Prop 12 has specifically impacted various pork products:

Pork Loins: Up 32%
Ribs: Up 22%
Shoulders: Up 16%
Bacon: Up 16%

In total, California consumers have paid an additional $350 million for pork products, leading to a significant decline in consumption across the state.

Relative to the pre-policy baseline, the retail price gap widened by 72.7 cents per pound in California and 62.8 cents per pound in Massachusetts, with a pooled increase of 71.2 cents per pound. These effects extend across major covered cuts, and California’s share of national pork purchases remains below its pre-policy level, declining from 8.5% to 7.1%, a relative reduction of approximately 16%.

“Overall, the evidence shows that Proposition 12 created a segmented market for compliant pork, sustained higher retail prices in compliant states, reduced relative purchases, and generated consumer costs that substantially exceeded the corresponding wholesale premium. The central implication is that the burden of compliance was shaped by supply chain transmission as much as by upstream production costs, with the largest effects emerging at the consumer end of the market,” the researchers summarize in the report.

NPPC Advocates for Legislative Relief on Capitol Hill

This week, 105 pork producers from 23 states met with federal lawmakers to advocate for their livelihoods. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is pushing for the inclusion of language in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (often referred to as Farm Bill 2.0) to prevent individual states from dictating farming practices beyond their borders.

“We need relief from a patchwork of state animal housing laws, which will surely be the nail in the coffin for a number of farms across the country,” says NPPC President Rob Brenneman , a producer from Washington, Iowa. “The mission is clear: We need Congress to exercise their authority and fix Prop 12.”

Veterinary Concerns and Economic Uncertainty

The impact of Prop 12 extends beyond the grocery aisle. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has expressed frustration, stating that these regulations “do not objectively improve animal welfare and may unintentionally cause harm.”

As the industry faces ongoing uncertainty, the NPPC remains committed to ensuring producers can operate without the burden of conflicting out-of-state regulations.

How One Mississippi Farmer Turned Data Into $330K in Fertilizer Savings

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:38:40 GMT

As the planter rolls across a Mississippi Delta field, row by row, it’s making split-second decisions on how much fertilizer to apply, where to apply it and where to apply nothing at all — a task that’s doesn’t require any second-guessing.

The decisions aren’t happening by instinct nor by habit. The planting and fertilizer decisions on this farm are all driven by data.

For Adron Belk, who farms in the Delta’s rich soils of Sunflower County, that shift — from gut feel to data-driven execution — isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about survival in a tight-margin environment, and ultimately, about profitability.

“This whole field, see how it’s calling for 8 gallons right there? It tells it the target. We’re looking for 8 gallons of fertilizer, and it’s putting out real close to 8 gallons,” Belk says as he’s making a planting pass through the field. “There’s areas in the field where it calls for none. So where it calls for none, it actually cuts it off on its own.”

On this farm, data doesn’t sit in a spreadsheet. It moves. It acts. It makes decisions in real time as equipment moves across the field.
That level of precision means decisions aren’t just guided by data, but automated with every pass.

“Where our phosphorus and zinc levels are low, the starter system turns on and it applies it. And where the phosphorus and zinc levels are adequate, it cuts it all and don’t put anything,” he says.

A Farm That Functions Like a Test Plot

Every acre Belk farms doubles as a testing ground. Every pass is an experiment. Every season is another opportunity to learn something new.

That mindset even extends to what he plants.

“I have never planted cotton on my own. My dad was a cotton farmer until 2007, when he quit growing cotton. We’re going to plant just a little bit this year though, about 130 acres. We’re going to get it custom picked. We’re just really planting the cotton to get a little bit of experience with it on a very, very small amount of acres. I believe it’s the tool I need to have in my toolbox for the future. And right now, I don’t have that tool,” he says.

At a time when many farmers are moving away from cotton, Belk is moving toward it.

“Some would say I’m just a glutton for punishment, I guess,” Belk says as he laughs.

A First Generation Farmer

Belk’s approach to farming didn’t come from following a playbook. In fact, it started with the opposite.

“I’m a first generation/second generation farmer,” he says. “My dad does farm, but we do not farm together.”

That decision for Belk to farm on his own was intentional from the start.

“My dad came through the 1980s. He just had a passion for it — worked really hard, started off with with almost nothing,” Belk explains. “And he did really well, and he knew all the lessons that he had to learn from being on his own, and mainly from messing stuff up on his own and learning. He knew how valuable that was. And he just really wanted us to always enjoy each other’s company and never have work come in between us or our family.”

So when Belk wanted to farm, his father gave him guidance — but not a safety net.

“He said, ‘I’ll give you all the advice you want,’ but he said it’s going to be beneficial if you do it on your own,” Belk remembers.

Belk took that to heart, starting his own farming operation by renting a few hundred acres while still in college. And like many young farmers, he learned by trial and error.

“I have made a lot of mistakes, and if I would have been farming with my dad, I probably wouldn’t have learned from those mistakes. I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make them to learn on my own,” Belk says. “The mistakes I’ve made have taught me more than the things that I’ve done right, for sure.”

No Silver Bullet — Just Small Gains

While Belk admits he’s learned the hard way and made plenty of mistakes, in an industry often searching for big breakthroughs, Belk focuses on incremental wins.

“I think in farming, we’re all looking for that silver bullet that is going to get you 15, 20 bushels more per acre. But most of those big yield gains like that have already been discovered or have already been done, and so it’s very hard to find those silver bullets,” Belk says. “So, we are really tailoring our farm to finding the 2-, the 3-, the 5-bushel [per acre] differences,” he says.

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That mindset is what led him deeper into data.

“We started really trying to look at data. And when we first started, I thought we were doing it right. I thought were interpreting things the right way. And then realized that we really needed to be going a little deeper,” he says.

Data Into Decisions

That realization led Belk to work with Chad Swindoll, founder of J19 Agriculture, to bring a more advanced level of analysis to the farm.

“He is very honed in on how to analyze data. And working with him has really brought a whole new perspective to ‘Not only now that we have this data, how do we analyze it? And then once we analyze, what do we do with it?’” he says.

For Swindoll, that last question — What do you do with it? — is where many farms fall short.

“There’s lack of implementation on the farm,” Swindoll explains. “There’s a lot of technology that’s available. I mean, we’re with the United States. We’re a very sophisticated production agriculture, but the execution and implementation piece on taking the information that the technology will provide — and then using it to really make a decision beyond just something that looks cool or sounds cool — but really driving change on the farm, that’s very lacking,” he says.

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When Swindoll started working with Belk, he quickly realized Belk is different in not only the way he farms, but how he thinks about farming. What sets Belk apart, Swindoll says, is his willingness to act.

“He does a very good job of collecting the things that we need to make those decisions, and then if if the information is telling us we need this or that, he does,” Swindoll says.

Swindoll says Belk is a good executive, and that ability to not only know what needs to be done, but then implement it, is something that’s fueling Belk’s success.

“That’s something that I try to emphasize and talk about a lot in our industry and with my customers and non-customers. The farmer is the CEO, and an executive’s job is to make decisions,” Swindoll says. “And so we can get hung on a fence and make no progress. At some point, you have to move. And to be a good executive, it goes back to having the right pieces of information and the willingness to act.”

Swindoll says it also takes courage to do something different than what everybody else is doing.

“It’s not easy, because some of the things that we’ve found over the years are contrary to what we have been taught or told,” he says.

A $330,000 Turning Point

That willingness to trust the data — and act on it — led to one of the biggest financial shifts on the farm.

“About three or four years ago, we started really letting the data, we started analyzing the data and looking at it. And what we started seeing is, we were spending a lot of this money on fertilizer, and we didn’t really know if we’re getting a return out of it,” Belk says.

The result was a major change in how fertilizer was applied and how much was used.

“Three years ago, we cut about $330,000 out of our fertilizer budget that I would not have done without good sound data that we trusted,” Belk says. “Now, it took me a little while to get to that, to understand it. Then having J19 really run statistical data and showing us what was real and what was not. When you realize you cut $330,000 out of a fertilizer budget, and you still made the equivalent yields, that’s pretty eye-opening,” he says.

Finding Yield in the Details

While something like fertilizer savings have added major cost-savings to their farm, sometimes, the biggest gains come from the smallest adjustments. That includes what the data told them about tire pressure.

“Because we grow everything in the Delta on a raised bed, in between the tires it really pinches that row. We started noticing where we would run 20 lb. of air where the tire would kind of squat, it was pinching the row more, and we were getting more compaction under the tractor,” Belk says. “In some cases, it was costing anywhere from 10 to 17 bushels of yield on the rows just up under the tractor,” he says.

That prompted Belk to boost tire pressure to 30 lb. or air.

Rethinking the Playbook

On Belk’s farm, the field itself has become the ultimate teacher.

“That field is our textbook,” Swindoll says. “That’s kind of how we do this. If you read something in a book and it doesn’t line up, I think it was William Albrecht who said, ‘If you observe nature, and the textbook doesn’t agree, then you throw the textbook away.’ And we’ve had to do that in some cases.”

That philosophy carries through every decision Belk makes.

“Actually, my dad always told me, ‘Never tell somebody who asks you why you’re doing something, to tell them because your daddy did it.’ You know times change. I mean, we’re in a whole different world right now than we were even 5 years ago, especially 10 years ago. And so I feel like agriculture is changing very fast. I feel like we’ve got to learn to adapt and adopt really fast. Doing all this stuff has allowed us to stay kind of current with the changes in agriculture. It’s allowed us stay current with new products, with new things,” he says.

The New Equation for Farming

Farming has always involved risk. Whether it’s weather, markets or input costs, none of it is guaranteed.

But on this Mississippi Delta farm, the approach to risk is changing. It’s no longer just about taking chances. It’s about measuring them. Testing them. Understanding them. And ultimately, deciding which ones are worth it.

Because in today’s agriculture, that difference between guessing and knowing, may be what separates farmers who keep up from those who get ahead.

Costco Fans Scramble for Rare "Hot Dog" Bourbon Release

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:39:06 GMT

A Costco store near Washington, D.C., sold out of its new single-barrel bourbon “I Got That Dog in Me” in under a day. Based on Costco’s famous $1.50 hot dog combo, this bottle of Rare Character bourbon was priced at $85.99 and limited to one per membership.

Costco’s food court hot dog and soda combo drew attention from both bourbon enthusiasts and Costco fans, reports Fox News . The bourbon was listed at 126.1 proof and aged 11 years and four months.

In 2021, Pablo Moix and Pete Nevenglosky joined forces to create Rare Character Whiskey Co . Rare Character is known for developing high-proof, limited-release bourbons and ryes that have gained a strong following among collectors.

Running to Stores
Costco customers are eager to get their hands on a bottle. According to a Reddit user tracking the release, bottles were restocked overnight and completely sold out by 9:45 am the next morning.

“Let’s be honest, we were all buying it for the label,” they wrote. Another added, “I’d buy it in a heartbeat.”

Other Reddit users said they would be “running” to buy the bourbon for their husband, while others said, “I don’t even drink alcohol and I want it!”

The bottle’s scarcity has added to the craze, with some people offering to buy the hot dog bourbon for prices way above retail, ranging from $500 to $1,000, Fox News reports.

“Got that dog in me” is slang often used to describe someone with grit and heart. Fox News says the product’s meme-driven branding helped fuel the frenzy, tapping into online culture and the company’s loyal fan base.

An iconic deal
Although Costco may be out of the hot dog bourbon for now, they aren’t out of hot dogs.

Costco’s CEO Ron Vachris recently reiterated that the hot dog combo will stay $1.50 as long as he’s around. The company’s food court staple (a hot dog and soda) has become a symbol for the brand. It has not changed in price since 1985.

Beyond the Blame Game: Navigate the Mental Toll of Modern Ag

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:55:09 GMT

When market pressures mount, it is easy to succumb to the “blame game.” Yet, the most resilient operations are those that anchor themselves in a mission larger than the current balance sheet. For leaders like James Burgum and Lamar Steiger, coping with stress isn’t just about managing the books, it’s about managing the mindset.

The Many Hats of the Modern Producer

James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes the first step in managing stress is acknowledging the sheer weight of the roles farmers play.

“One of the things I did when I stepped into my role is an exercise where I said to our team, ‘Help me understand all the hats on the farm – farmworker, agronomist, grain merchandiser, mechanic, truck driver, snow removal lead, banker, economist,’” Burgum said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “You start to go down the list, and its dozens and dozens of roles that an individual farmer plays.”

By recognizing the complexity of these roles, Burgum argues that producers can move toward servant leadership—prioritizing the team’s needs.

“There are things that are much more important and much bigger than the challenges we’re wrestling with on the job every day,” Burgum says. “It’s hard to juggle all the balls, but at the end of the day, we want everyone on our team to make sure they get home at night and be there for their families.”

Choosing Abundance Over Scarcity

Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, learned about stress through the lens of his father, a man who seemed to face every possible setback: health crises, financial downturns and missed market peaks.

The farm struggled during times of high interest rates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and his father was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre, that left him paralyzed for six months.

Still, his dad always had an attitude of abundance, not scarcity, Steiger says.

“With my brothers holding other obligations, I was left to milk the cows,” Steiger says. “We were so far behind, and all my dad would say is, ‘It could be worse.’”

Breaking the Silence

Eventually, his family lost the dairy. After hitting rock bottom and battling depression , Steiger realized that the “tough it out” mentality was a liability, not an asset.

“When the stresses pile up, you’ve got to find help,” Steiger says. “I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to step up and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong here.’ I should have said, ‘Time out—this is not working.’”

Steiger’s advice for those feeling the weight of the current market is simple: Find your “who.” Whether it is a spouse, a neighbor or a professional, talking through the stress is the only way to separate your self-worth from the volatility of the markets.

“In agriculture, we’re so reliant on outside forces,” Steiger says. “You’ve got to have an attitude that it’s going to work out. As my Dad would say, ‘Well, we never missed a meal.’ That was his bottom line for ‘It’s okay.’”

From Constraints to Catalysts: How Ag Leaders Turn Hardships into Strategy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:19:01 GMT

In an industry defined by “one-year-at-a-time” cycles, the greatest threat to a growing operation isn’t just a market downturn—it’s the inertia that comes with size. Farm Journal CEO Prescott Shibles argues that long-term survival requires a rare blend of faith and agility. To maintain an entrepreneurial mindset, leaders must lean into “conviction” as the core of a strategy that survives the lows.

Here is how four industry leaders are turning today’s constraints into tomorrow’s differentiators.

1. Build when times are hard.

When Brent Smith, president and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, joined the company in 2023, the grain market was entering a significant down cycle. While some saw a risky time to lead a startup, he saw an opportunity.

“I learned in my first startup that the best time to build a business is in hard times,” Smith said said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “Because if you can’t withstand tough times, you’re not going to survive long term.”

For Smith, survival meant doubling down on the company’s core: science. Despite the pressure to cut costs, NewLeaf continues to spend half of its operating expenses on science.

“It would be very easy to peel that back,” he admits. “But we focused on projects that make the most impact the quickest, while keeping an eye on the long-term innovation in our pipeline.”

2. Control what you can control.

Farmers face the ultimate constraint every year: the weather. Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, recalls the planting crisis of 2019 when constant rains kept tractors out of the fields well into May.

“I was concerned for our customers not being able to plant, but also for us not being able to plant our seed for the next year,” Beck says. “There was nothing that we could do to control the weather, but we could control how we interacted with our customers.”

Rather than retreating, the Beck’s team focused on transparency and empathy, using video series to connect with farmers and even forming small groups for prayer and support. Ultimately, they wanted farmers to know they cared and were there to support them however they could.

Despite the financial reality of what could happen if farmers didn’t plant and returned seed, Beck’s decided their course of action would not include employee layoffs. Instead, they prepared to sell land to protect their people.

“Fortunately, the weather broke and everybody was able to get planted,” he says. “Then the second miracle happened. We had the second warmest September on record, and that’s what brought the crop through to enable 2019 to not turn out as bad as it started.”

3. Turn disadvantages into advantages.

In 2014, Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, was tasked with a monumental challenge: helping Walmart reinvent its beef supply chain. At the time, the retail giant was at a disadvantage, forced to accept whatever the major meatpackers provided.

Steiger’s strategy was to turn that lack of control into a new kind of independence.

“I convinced the Walmart team to go around the traditional supply chain,” Steiger says. Today, Walmart sources 28% of its beef from its own “farm-to-table” supply chain.

There’s no question that decision was really good for Walmart. But Steiger says it was also really good for him personally.

“It reminded me that no matter how big you are, there are always challenges,” he says.

4. Create “white space” for the future.

When the day-to-day tasks of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes leaders must intentionally carve out “white space” for their teams.

“It’s important to find ways where people can actually spend their time working on the business, not just in the business,” he says.

By protecting time for team members to execute ideas that are three to five years out, Burgum manages the tension between short-term urgency and long-term viability.

“It’s hard to step away from the daily fires you’ll face in your operation, but it’s important,” he adds. “How we manage that tension of short term and long term is creating that white space and making sure that we consciously work on the business.

The Long Game

Ultimately, resilience in agriculture is about knowing when to push and when to pivot.

“You have to know when to put the gas down, and you need to know when to tap the brake,” Smith says. “And regardless of what you are doing, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Whether it is investing in science during a downturn or choosing customer empathy over the bottom line, these leaders say constraints don’t have to be roadblocks; they can be the very catalysts that drive an operation forward.

A $10.4 Trillion Engine: Agriculture Drives One-Fifth of the U.S. Economy

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:43:30 GMT

Did you know that close to one in every three jobs nationwide is tied to food and agriculture? The latest Feeding the Economy Report says food and agriculture support about 49 million jobs, which is about 30% of total U.S. employment. Although less than 2% are on the farm, when you add food manufacturing, wholesale and retail, that adds another 24 million jobs, or about 15% of the workforce.

Each year, the Feeding the Economy Report measures the downstream, off-the-farm economic impact of U.S. agriculture. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the report tracks three layers of impact.

“When you combine those layers, ag supports about $10.4 trillion in economic output, or about one-fifth of the entire U.S. economy,” Munch said on the Newsline podcast .

2025: $900-Billion Growth in U.S. Agricultural Industry

The U.S. agricultural industry grew by nearly $900 billion over the past year, according to this study led each year by the Corn Refiners Association and sponsored by three dozen agriculture and food organizations, including the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

The first layer is direct activity, which includes the base level of food and ag production that is traditionally measured. It also measures supply industries like transportation, finance, equipment manufacturing and inputs in the second layer. The third includes the ripple effects of those two stages on how wages are earned and spent throughout the rest of the system.

“So, all the benefits we were talking about – jobs, wages, tax revenue – they’re tied to where that production happens,” Munch says. “If production shifts overseas due to cost pressures, regulatory burdens or competitive challenges, that economic activity moves with it. So, it’s not just about the food supply, it’s about all these other jobs, tax revenue and economic commerce that supports industries across every corner of every state.”

The report includes a state-by-state breakdown of agriculture’s economic impact, showing total jobs, wages, output, taxes and exports. Key findings include:

Food and agriculture generated more than $3 trillion in wages for U.S. workers, with wages rising 4% year-over-year and 13% over the past decade.
Food manufacturing remains the largest manufacturing sector in the U.S., employing almost 2.3 million workers.
U.S. food and agriculture exports were more than $177 billion, though exports declined by $5.4 billion year-over-year, underscoring the need for maintaining strong trade agreements and expanding market access for American products.
The food and agriculture sector produced $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments, a 7% increase year-over-year.

“The report confirms the incredible, positive impacts of agriculture on our country,” says NPPC CEO Bryan Humphreys. “America’s 60,000-plus pork producers are proud to help drive this force that provides our food and other agriculture products—and the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves by carrying on a tradition of taking care of their families, neighbors, animals and land, and at heart, a way of living that often has been passed down for generations.”

U.S. pork producers annually generate more than $37 billion in personal income, contribute more than $62 billion in GDP, and support more than 573,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, NPPC adds.

What’s Driving Grow-Finish Profitability in 2026?

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:35:51 GMT

Times change quickly. Fifteen years ago, a standard 2,400-head barn that cost $600,000 now requires aninvestment of nearly $1 million, points out Brad Eckberg, account executive at MTech Systems. With much of the U.S. finishing capacity built in the late 1990s and early 2000s reaching the end of its lifespan, the need is growing for expensive mechanical and structural overhauls.

“If you have an aging facility and want to do some remodels, I think there’s definitely a need for good space out there,” Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity, explained during the recent State of the Pork Industry Report. “Where your challenge is going to be is if your facility is in an area where it’s surrounded by other pigs and has a lot of disease pressure, the value you’re going to get from integrators or even independent producers that want to use your facility is not going to be very high.”

With what he’s “hearing in the countryside,” porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) have been major issues brought up by people looking for spaces. Too much disease in an area is just too hard to manage.

“Health is king,” Eckberg agrees. “But ultimately, success in the wean-to-finish barn comes down to feed conversion and feed cost per pound of gain. Feed represents about 55% to 65% of the total cost of the pig, so keeping inputs low matters.”

However, he’s quick to point out that people in the barns at the slat level are key to making sure inputs stay low. For example, making sure no out-of-feed occurrences happen, keeping pens appropriately stocked and reducing stress on pigs that are being marketed can make a big difference.

Eckberg and Kuker joined Adam Annegers, JBS sow farm manager, and Cara Haden, DVM, director of animal welfare and biosecurity with Pipestone, on the April 2026 State of the Pork Industry Report. They share tips for contract hog growers to consider this spring.

1. Focus on the first 48 hours.

The transition from the sow farm to the wean-to-finish barn is the most vulnerable time. Success depends on preventing dehydration and ensuring pigs find water and feed immediately.

For Annegers, spending time in the wean-to-finish barns recently has helped him gain a better perspective of the downstream cycle. He believes communication is key.

“Each group of pigs is going to be a little bit different from the last group whether that’s due to health status, diet change or a treatment plan,” he says. “Review the health document with that grower on the group of pigs that’s coming prior to their arrival.”

Make sure the barn is ready to receive pigs from the temperature to ventilation to having the right diet ready to go, he adds.

“The most important thing to do when the pigs arrive is to make sure the pigs don’t get dehydrated,” Annegers says. “They’re used to having mom’s milk right there available to them, so making sure they find water and get started. Have the mats ready for mat feeding multiple times a day. And don’t just throw feed on the mat; get the pigs up and moving.”

2. Better biosecurity equals better production.

Disease management remains one of the most significant operational risks for all pig farmers, contract growers alike. Kuker says he has heard of three sow farms in the past few weeks that have experienced outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

“From what I’m being told, it’s a pretty bad one,” Kuker says. “High mortality, high abortion rate and then those pigs end up in the finishers. It’s very frustrating for those growers because it doesn’t seem like any antibiotic strategy is doing the pigs much good. It’s rather disheartening.”

He says it’s resulting in the producers and pig owners adding a lot of cost to manage with very few results.

“There’s not much the growers can do,” Kuker says. “The ones who end up getting those pigs just have to deal with it. The veterinarians have a good plan to transition those sows back to healthy pigs, but it’s hard when you know that group of pigs you’re getting is going to be a challenge, take a lot of work and not get anywhere close to the results you want.”

The Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia (APP) break from a couple years ago really opened producers’ eyes to ‘Oh, wow. We’re actually moving stuff around in grow-finish on people and equipment,’ Haden says. She believes as the industry moves toward disease elimination with the National Swine Health Strategy, the pressure will increase on grow-finish sites to do the same.

The better biosecurity is in your barn, the better your production will be, Haden adds. In a recent cost of disease project funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Swine Health Information Center, they’ve been doing some testing and biosecurity scoring to help determine production impact.

“We’re starting to see some very clear ties between better biosecurity and better production,” she says.

Eckberg says that it’s not hard to see how better biosecurity will also improve key performance indicators.

“Think about it – I’ve got healthy pigs so from a cost standpoint, I’ve got fewer medication costs,” Eckberg says. “I’ve got lower mortality so my labor retainment is higher. I’ve got improved average daily gain because they’re not sick. You name the metric – across the board – production will be better because of better biosecurity and better health.”

3. Look into manure as a strategic asset.

Manure is no longer just a byproduct; it is a significant revenue stream, Kuker says.

“We’re seeing a shift, especially with guys that were looking at expanding their operations or adding another facility, to look into ways to create more revenue from manure,” Kuker says. “Depending on your situation, if you’ve got a neighbor or somebody who wants that manure, we’ve got some people benefiting in the $3 to $5 range per pig space from it. On a 4,000-head site, that could generate $20,000 a year in income for that barn owner.”

Kuker says he is also hearing more and more talk about manure technologies. At a recent grower meeting, he learned about a manure separation process where solids are separated from the liquid. Then, the liquid can be set up to go into a planter for more precise and concentrated manure treatment.

“They are looking at 30 gallons per acre on that application and sometimes seeing an 18-bushel increase in yield by using that specific treatment,” he says. “We also heard about a farmer over in Indiana who was willing to pay $1 a gallon and wanted a million gallons of this stuff. There are definitely opportunities out there on the organic side for this fertilizer. And with the current prices where they are, I think you’re going to see more of this by people looking to branch out in their operations.”

4. Boost truck biosecurity.

“It feels like we control everything at the sow farm, we’re talking about improvements in biosecurity at grow-finish sites, but then we’ve got this black box of transport that’s often not something that we manage,” Haden points out. “A lot of times, it’s a third-party vendor and it’s out of our control.”

Washing and properly drying trucks is not an easy job, she says. In fact, it’s a big ask to get a truck and trailer perfectly clean every time.

“There are a lot of things that have to go right to get that done perfectly,” Haden says. “How do we verify that on a regular basis? How can we make sure every single trailer comes out clean?”

She believes truck audits and verification are a gap in the pork industry that needs to be focused on moving forward to be successful.

Watch the full report here.

The Next Guatemala? USMEF Sees Massive Upside for U.S. Beef and Pork in Ecuador

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:22:32 GMT

Ecuador recently became the ninth country to sign an agreement on reciprocal trade with the U.S. And while it will take some time to implement, once in place, the deal will greatly expand opportunities for U.S. beef and pork in Ecuador, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President for Economic Analysis Erin Borror.

Tariffs of 20% on beef and 45% on pork are mostly phased out, although there are exceptions on pork.
A 30% tariff on processed pork products which will remain in place.
The agreement recognizes all USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspected facilities as eligible for export to Ecuador, removing the need for individual facility approvals.

“The tariff on beef is basically 20% and that’s phased to zero in the agreement over three years,” Borror explains. “For pork, tariffs of 45% are mostly phased out. There are some exceptions on further processed products and sausages that will see tariffs remain at 30%.”

Borror says one of the key wins in these reciprocal trade agreements is getting countries to recognize FSIS, the U.S. food safety authority, as the competent authority.

“They will recognize all FSIS-inspected facilities as eligible to export, rather than going through onerous questionnaires, plant-by-plant audits and maintaining plant lists which have gotten to be unmanageable,” she says.

Borror expects export growth to be similar to what was seen in Guatemala after passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement.

“Both of those countries have a population of close to 18 million people,” she says. “Their GDP per capita is somewhere close to $7,000, so very similar. And if we take Guatemala, U.S. beef export growth from 2006 to 2025, saw growth from $3 million to $105 million. For pork, the market went from $10 million to $148 million.”

In 2025, the U.S. exported virtually no pork to Ecuador and only $3 million in beef. She says there is great potential in Ecuador.

World Pork Expo 2026: Registration Now Open

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:24:56 GMT

Registration is officially open for the 2026 World Pork Expo, the world’s largest pork-specific trade show. Hosted by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the event returns to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 3-4.

Event Overview: What to Expect at #WPX26

“World Pork Expo is where our industry comes together to reconnect, share ideas and look ahead,” says NPPC President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Iowa. “It’s an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day, see new innovations, have meaningful conversations and be reminded of the strength of the pork industry. Events like this remind us what’s possible when pork professionals come together.”

The World Pork Expo is the central hub for global pork producers and industry professionals to discover cutting-edge technology, participate in educational sessions, and network with the industry’s leading experts.

World’s Largest Pork Trade Show: Explore over 700 booths across 300,000 square feet featuring the latest in swine equipment, nutrition, and health services.
Young Pork Advocates Issues Meet: A dedicated forum for emerging leaders to discuss the future of pork production.
Industry Education: Expert-led seminars focusing on the most pressing issues and innovations impacting the 2026 pork market.
Networking & Hospitality: Connect with peers at hospitality tents and enjoy legendary complimentary pork lunches at The Big Grill.

Registration Costs & Early-Bird Savings

Attendees who register online by May 28 can take advantage of significant early-bird discounts.

Category	Early-Bird (by May 28)	On-Site Price
Adults (12+)	$10	$20
Children (6-11)	$1	$3
Children (Under 5)	Free	Free

Plan Your Visit

Don’t miss the opportunity to see the latest innovations in swine production. Secure your spot today to save on admission and join thousands of professionals in Des Moines this June.

Register Now at WorldPork.org >

The Miracle Behind “Eddie”: Pig Breaks World Record Sale Price at $505,000

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:09:36 GMT

The barn was quiet at 4:30 a.m. when Brad Mabry walked in to give “Eddie” one last chance. It was the morning of the crossbred barrow show at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR). For his 15-year-old son Landry Mabry, a lot of hard work and heart was sitting on the edge of a scale.

The family had tried everything to help their constipated barrow who was eating and drinking, but not giving any weight back. They had walked him for miles and cycled him through the wash rack a dozen times for cool rinses. Desperate, Brad did the only thing he hadn’t tried: he took off his hat, placed a trembling hand on the barrow’s back, and prayed.

“I didn’t pray for a win,” Brad recalls. “I prayed that Landry would get to finish this experience on good terms—not losing him on the scales for being overweight. I just wanted to see Landry and his brother Kenton’s hard work out on the green shavings.”

When he opened his eyes, the “miracle” happened. The barrow finally relieved itself.

“I cried like a baby,” Brad says. “All that worry and anxiousness was immediately gone.”

Hours later, when the judge’s hand slapped Eddie’s back, the roar of the crowd was a blur. For the Mabry family, the grand champion title wasn’t just a win; it was the fulfillment of a prayer. One day later, that moment turned into history when Eddie sold for a world-record price of $505,000.

An Unconventional Champion

Every family who enters a major show in Texas dreams of a moment like that, says his mother, Chyla.

“It’s not something you actually think can happen because it’s so hard,” she adds. “At Houston, 2,200 pigs showed up, and about 40,000 other entries were tagged that didn’t make it there.”

Eddie’s path to the champion drive was anything but traditional. Born July 12, Brad says Eddie “swam upstream” on everything.

“He was too young, too white, and too cheap to ever win a show like Houston, according to the world,” Brad says.

But when Eddie walked into the ring, Judge Andy Rash didn’t hide his emotions well.

“This one gives me goosebumps,” Rash told the crowd. “When he came through the sift pen and I saw his head and his chest and his forearm, I said, ‘Please God, let him have some center body and let his hind leg work – and work in a good way.’ And he just kept getting better.”

Rash went on to say Eddie was a special animal for a lot of reasons.

“If you like skeleton and if you like structure, and you don’t like this one, I’d find something else to do,” he said. “If you like them stout and bold coming and going, here’s one you can sit and talk about. If you want them to look good up front and still have a stout skull, still be fresh in their back and have range of motion, use all the -ests you want, that’s one you can talk about.”

The Scent of Victory

When the grand champion drive rolled around three days later, Landry remembers everything getting strangely quiet as Judges Andy Rash, Alltech U.S. monogastric director, and Brian Arnold, United Animal Health senior product manager-direct fed microbials, looked through the pigs one more time.

“I felt like time stopped when Andy Rash came to shake my hand,” Landry recalls. “I remember the scent of his cologne when he hugged me. My plan was not to cry and be a macho man, but that didn’t happen. Right after I was selected, it was like the sound went back on and it got really loud again. I don’t remember anything I said except thank you.”

After hugging both judges, Landry went over to hug Eddie. Brad says it brought back memories of one of the first county stock shows the boys attended. When Landry was named champion, he hugged the judge, then he hugged his brother who was also showing in the grand drive, and then both boys went to hug their pigs.

“From the time they were little bitty until now as teenagers, our boys have had such a deep respect for their livestock,” Brad says. “They understand the pig’s purpose, but they also want to give dignity to their animals throughout the entire process.”

Learning Who Your Friends Are

As Chyla, an ag teacher, watched her son achieve this dream, she says she was overwhelmed with emotion. While she followed the rules and went the long way around the ring to hug her son, she jokes that Brad jumped the fence and got in trouble trying to get to Landry. The emotions were running high for everyone.

“I can’t even tell you what it was like to be there surrounded by our friends in that moment,” Chyla says. “They were holding our hands, hugging us and truly celebrating the win with us. Multiple show dads were crying with us. One of my best friends was holding my hand so tight – we were wiping our hands because our hands were so sweaty.”

As she thinks back to that moment, the win will always be awesome, but the people by her side will never be forgotten.

“I think it’s a testament to the good part of this business,” Chyla says. “Yes, the trophy is wonderful. But I found out who my friends were this week because they were the ones helping us when we were stressed, holding my hand when I was freaking out, and crying with me when he won.”

Brad grew up showing livestock, but it didn’t prepare him for this moment as a parent.

“I was not prepared for what it felt like to not want anything else,” Brad says. “I know what it feels like to lose, to just want to make the sale, to want to make my ag teacher happy. I used to want so many things. I learned how to handle losing because I did it so much, and I had come to grips that was our norm at the big shows. I was just thankful for the experience my dad created to show at a show like Houston when I was a kid.”

The swine auction committee at Houston is incredible and does an incredible job of gathering support, Landry says. The sale runs so smoothly and everybody wears pink.

It Takes a Little Luck

Hard work alone doesn’t win a show, Chyla says. Everyone who goes to Houston must work very hard to get their pig to that stage.

“You definitely don’t get that bowlegged H trophy in the grand drive at Houston without working your booty off,” Chyla says. “But it takes a lot of luck, and things just have to fall into place.”

The Mabry family believes holding post-game, family “press conferences” where everyone weighs in on what they can do better next time has helped them improve.

For example, this show season, the family agreed to feed fewer barrows so they could give more attention to every barrow. The boys have also continued to take on bigger leadership roles in the barn.

“They execute the job,” Brad says. “They mix our feed and pour the feed. We’ve had errors doing that because they’re kids, and that’s going to happen. We want our kids to be responsible and accountable, and this is a great way to build those skills.”

Judge Arnold says one of the best parts of the livestock experience is seeing how families work together to maximize the potential of their animal for their targeted shows.

“Along the way, these young people will experience many unexpected challenges that they will have to take head on such as health events with their pig,” Arnold says. “All these hours of work lead up to literally seconds in the showring where you are at the mercy of a judge’s opinion. This whole process provides young people with experiences that transcend the showring and can be applied in all areas of life.”

Beyond the Buckle

It’s the people who make the stock show industry great, not the awards, Landry adds.

“Having bigger backdrops is way cooler than bigger buckles,” he points out. “When you graduate, you can’t go win shows anymore. It’s about the people you meet along the way.”

When Landry reflects on his experience at Houston, his mind goes to the people who stepped up to help when Eddie was struggling and the friends who celebrated the win. He thinks about the loyal friendship with breeder Roger Lacy who gave him the opportunity to show Eddie. And most of all, he appreciates how showing livestock brings his family together.

“In life, you will meet role models and examples,” Brad says. “Role models are people to listen to and follow. An example is when someone shows what not to do. I might be a role model in one situation and an example in another one. I tell the boys to be selfish and choose which parts of people they want to learn from. You can’t throw people away because they make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you have to fan their flame either.”

The Legacy of the Sale

Growing up a low-income student who benefited from scholarships and community support, Brad is incredibly grateful for the HLSR scholarship program. He earned a Houston scholarship that allowed him to attend college.

“When my dad passed away when I was a junior in high school, he made $250 a week,” Brad says. “I had humble parents who loved and supported their kids. I never felt poor, but I knew that I was. Their priorities were always correct, but money wasn’t one of those priorities.”

Brad and Chyla believe strongly in raising their kids to understand that there is a cost to showing livestock and that requires fiscal responsibility and humility.

“I’m not going to lie, my commitment to that was tested as the pig was going from $300,000 to $400,000 to $500,000,” Brad says. “But that’s what I love about Houston – they are 100% transparent on what buyers are getting. There is no illusion that a kid will win $500,000. It’s clearly stated that the kid will win $45,000. I think that’s more than enough.”

The brothers will split the money equally because all their pigs are shared efforts. The money will be invested into college accounts, and they will continue to work to earn scholarship money to help pay for the rest of their college education.

The remaining $460,000 raised from the sale of Eddie will go directly into the HLSR scholarship fund to support inner-city students, 4-H members and FFA members.

Answered Prayers

It’s been less than a week since they left Houston to return home to Crawford, Texas. Brad says it’s still a “windfall of emotion” that he can’t process yet.

“Getting to show was an answer to prayer,” he says. “It wasn’t the banner. It wasn’t the buckle. Getting to walk into that class was so profound. Only a livestock person would think an animal going to the bathroom was a miracle, but it truly was a miracle.”

And Brad made sure to tell everyone he could about it at the show.

“I can surely, with a non-Christian mind, tell you that there was a cool breeze that morning, that the water hit him just right, and those extra five steps got his body back in rhythm,” Brad says. “But the Christian in me doesn’t go down that road at all. It was an amazing answer to prayer that rattled my bones. The banner is going to get all the attention, but my family knows where that attention should go.”

Florida Successfully Defends Lab-Grown Meat Ban in Court

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:24:11 GMT

A federal appeals court ruled that Florida, the first state to ban lab-grown meat, can continue to enforce state law SB 1084, keeping the state’s restrictions fully in place.

The March 23 ruling from a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban does not conflict with federal regulations.

Upside Foods, a California company that was approved to make cultivated chicken for U.S. sale in 2022, brought the case forward. The company argued that federal oversight should override Florida’s restrictions, but the court disagreed.

“Because Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat does not regulate Upside’s ingredients, premises, facilities, or operations, federal law does not preempt SB 1084,” wrote Circuit Judge Andrew Brasher, as reported by the Florida Phoenix .

SB 1084, which took effect in July 2024, bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of cultivated meat. Six other states — Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska and Texas — have enacted similar bans since Florida took action.

Florida leaders who backed the ban celebrated the ruling. CBS 12 reports that Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said it protects traditional farmers and argued that lab-grown meat isn’t proven safe. Gov. Ron DeSantis also praised the decision, saying lab-grown meat won’t be allowed in Florida.

Cultivated meat supporters say these bans block a growing industry, eliminate future jobs, and shut down marketplace competition before the products can gain a foothold, CBS 12 reports.

Signed by DeSantis in 2024 to support traditional agriculture, the state law makes violations punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

“Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere,” DeSantis said in Food Safety News in 2024. “We are not doing that in the State of Florida.”

Why It's Time to Boost Mexico's In-Home Consumption of U.S. Pork

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:43:59 GMT

U.S. pork exports to Mexico reached an all-time high in 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking volume. According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), exports totaled 1.24 million metric tons, with a market value of $2.85 billion.

The Challenge: Increasing At-Home Pork Consumption

While Mexican demand for pork is surging in the restaurant sector, at-home consumption remains a significant growth opportunity.

Current Statistic: Only 12% of total pork consumed in Mexico is cooked at home.
The Barrier: Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF Regional Director for Mexico and Central America, notes that price and availability are not the issues. Instead, the primary barrier is consumer education on how to prepare pork correctly.

USMEF Strategy: Education Through Mobile Innovation

With support from the USDA and the National Pork Board, USMEF is launching a targeted campaign to move the needle on home cooking.

Key Tactics to Drive Demand:

Educational Food Trucks: Utilizing mobile units for sampling and live cooking demonstrations.
Modern Appliance Integration: Teaching consumers how to prepare U.S. pork cuts using convenient tools like air fryers.
Simplified Preparation: Showing at-home chefs that U.S. pork is an easy, versatile protein for family meals.

“If we grow that percentage of pork being cooked at home, I think that it’s going to move the needle in a tremendous way,” Rodriguez says.

The Tenderloin King: How Jeff Buckler Achieved the American Dream

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:59:58 GMT

Hard work never bothered Jeff Buckler. But after selling commercial tires for 28 years in central Illinois, his body began to wear down. After several rotator cuff surgeries and a hernia surgery, he knew he couldn’t take it much longer. The tire business was shifting, and he found himself getting more buried in paperwork than working with customers.

“I thought I’d die selling tires,” he says. “But it just wasn’t fun anymore. One of my friends owned a chain of local bars and grills. He told me, ‘If you work half as hard for yourself as you do for other people, you’ll be successful.’”

Buckler decided to take his friend’s advice. In 2017, he purchased one of his friend’s bars. Despite never having cooked professionally, he learned the basics and eventually started experimenting with his own recipes.

Not long after, his motorcycle club was looking for a clubhouse. They found a building in Sadorus and the owner told them if they fixed it up, he’d cut them the first six months of rent cheap. The plan for every member of the club to come in and help run it. Buckler says that lasted about three months before they had to hire people to help run it.

“I was doing all the work scheduling people and ordering food,” he says. “Finally, the club president said it was only fair to sell it to me if I wanted it.”

He opened Buford’s Pub on Dec. 16, 2018.

Precision Engineering: The Two-Pound Tenderloin

During a trip to the grocery store one day, Buckler ran across some fresh breaded tenderloins. He decided to take one home and try it out.

“It was good,” he says. “I went back and asked the managers for 10 more of them. Then, I went back in for 10 more, then 20, 30 and when I asked for 40, the butcher told me he didn’t have the manpower to make that many. So, he took me back into his kitchen and showed me how to cut them and tenderize them.”

The butcher also shared his special seasoning recipe that Buckler has modified over time.

“People started going crazy over them,” Buckler says. “The next thing I knew, we were posted on the Pursuing Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches page on Facebook, it has nearly 175,000 members who talk about tenderloins and where to find the best ones.”

One of the things he learned from the page was that the bigger the tenderloin, the better the lure to customers. He started making the tenderloins a little bigger each time until he landed on a 2-lb. tenderloin. But he says there are some 3-lb. tenderloins in the mix, too. They weigh each tenderloin and serve it with a trademark flag that notes the tenderloin’s weight.

Sales continued to grow until the pandemic struck in 2020. Buckler pivoted to serve the massive tenderloins in tin pans because none of their Styrofoam containers were big enough for these to-go orders. This became the brand’s signature.

“If you see a tenderloin in a tin pan on social media, there’s a 9 out of 10 chance it’s ours,” Buckler says.

Outperforming the Competition

The Pursuing Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches page has helped turn Buford’s into a destination. People drive from across the state and even from other states like Florida and Minnesota or just to try one. That’s how the Illinois Pork Producers Association discovered this tasty tenderloin in a town of 400 people.

“When Mikayla Schaefer called to tell me we won the 2026 Best Pork Tenderloin Sandwich in Illinois, it was mind-boggling,” Buckler says. “I still tear up. It’s hard to talk about because I never consider my stuff to be the best. That’s not who I am. I dream to be the best, but I also know everyone has different taste buds, so I don’t put too much weight in trying to chase favor. ”

Wible says this first-ever Breaded Pork Tenderloin Draft competition was designed to spotlight hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches served at restaurants across Illinois. After multiple rounds of voting and a final panel sorting out the top five tenderloins, Buford’s Pub was named the champion .

That came as no surprise to Buford’s customers. Laura Smith, a long-time fan of Buford’s Pub, says she loves how Buford’s brings in people from all over to the small town of Sadorus.

“The tenderloin at Buford’s is delicious and the size is amazing,” Smith says. “I love that they use fresh ingredients and it is always coked just right. Also, everyone is always so friendly and helpful when you go in there to eat.”

How Do You Make the “Perfect” Tenderloin?

In the past year alone, Buford’s has sold nearly 10,000 pork tenderloins. He says they’ve sold up to 96 tenderloins in one day. Because of this demand, he went from buying pork by the case to buying it by the pallet. He also needed more space to make the tenderloins and built a USDA-certified kitchen in nearby Arthur.

Buckler’s process has been perfected over time and starts with a loin that’s approximately 7 to 8 lb. He says the smaller ones are also fine. The challenge is when the loins get too big.

“I prefer the medium size ones, where they’re short and fat, so I can cut a nice, 6”x8” piece of meat,” he says. “We use all of it. We are going to make a smaller pub cut now for bars looking to cook one in a pizza oven. We also offer a mini tenderloin at Buford’s in addition to our traditional big tenderloin.”

Once he trims the fat off the loin, he tenderizes it using a Hobart 403 machine and seasons it. He says the “secret” to his tenderloin is that he marinades them in a buttermilk-egg mixture for 24 hours. Then, he breads them with a seasoned cracker meal so it gets double-seasoned.

Juan Molina has worked at Buford’s Pub for two years. He points out that most restaurants just cut the tenderloins, pound them out by hand, bread them and throw them in a deep fryer.

“The way Jeff tenderizes them allows that marinade to really soak into the meat, so you’re not losing moisture when you pound them out,” Molina says.

He also says the thickness of Buford’s tenderloins also makes them better because they have more meat. Getting the tenderloin cooked just right is also key. Every tenderloin is timed and temperature-checked on three different sides before it leaves the kitchen, Buckler says.

Hitting the Road in the Name of Pork

One of the reasons Buckler chose to make his kitchen USDA-certified is because he plans to sell his popular breaded tenderloins to other bars and possibly even larger companies like Sysco.

“There’s nothing like our 2-lb. tenderloins on the market,” he says. “I think this would be a great product for someone looking for something different to feature. Some people have even expressed interest in using them as a pizza crust.”

Molina will be hitting the road soon promoting these tenderloins. He is optimistic about this opportunity to grow the business.

“I’ll come to Buford’s and help whenever they need help,” says Molina who has also served as one of the cooks. “But my focus is getting this tenderloin pushed out. As long as Jeff wants to go after the big fish, I’m ready to go fishing.”

An American Dream Fulfilled

Early mornings, late nights and continually striving for excellence have been key to the growing success of Buford’s Pub. And, of course, a good menu with delicious offerings is important, too. Although his tenderloins get a lot of attention, Buckler’s pulled pork nachos are very popular.

He serves a lot of pork on the menu because it’s tasty and versatile. By using one pork product for multiple things, it also takes up less space in the freezer and allows them to use it all up.

“Pork is so good,” Buckler says. “I feel like it’s underrated for how good it is, but that may be because people don’t know how to cook it very well.”

Buckler sees the tenderloin distribution business as his “retirement.” He’s excited to focus on innovating and supplying high-quality, USDA-approved tenderloins to other establishments.

“Being successful is about doing stuff other people don’t do,” he says. “I never dreamt years ago when I was just starting to make them that we’d be here today selling hundreds a week. I can’t try again for the Illinois tenderloin title for another five years, but goals for the future, right?”

Buckler may have thought he’d die selling tires, but in the quiet town of Sadorus, he’s proving the American Dream is still possible.

Editor’s Note: As a Sadorus resident, Farm Journal’s PORK brand leader Jennifer Shike can testify to the incredible pork tenderloins and pulled pork nachos at Buford’s Pub. Try it out for yourself 109 E. Market Street in Sadorus.

Can’t make the drive but want to try a tenderloin? Visit https://bufordstenderloin.com/ .

Feed Cost Surge from Iran War Deepens Pain for China's Pig Farmers

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:34:17 GMT

Rising grain prices fueled by the Iran war are lifting animal feed costs in China, the world’s biggest pig market, piling pressure on producers already hit by weak demand and hog prices at 16-year lows.

Since the start of the war on February 28, futures for soymeal and corn - two key feed ingredients - have climbed to multi-month highs on the Dalian exchange, driven in part by the oil price rally, higher freight rates and rising fertilizer costs, two analysts said.

In March, spot prices for soymeal and corn in China have risen by over 200 yuan per ton and around 100 yuan per ton - 7% and 4% respectively - increasing real-time feed costs.

Prices for other inputs, including lysine and methionine - essential amino acids - as well as fishmeal and vitamins A and E have risen between 6% and 77% this month due to the war, according to Rosa Wang, an analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence Co.

“Prices for most raw materials used in animal feed have experienced a significant increase in March, partly driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” said Lin Guofa, senior analyst at consultancy Bric Agriculture Group.

Overcapacity and Weak Demand

Chinese hog producers, who account for half of the world’s pigs, are grappling with higher costs even as they contend with falling pork prices due to overcapacity and weak demand.

China’s most-active hog futures contract DLHcv1 fell to a contract low of 9,980 yuan ($1,448.16) per ton on Monday. Cash prices tumbled to 9.69 yuan per kg - the lowest in 16 years, according to JCI.

“Raising a hog that weighs about 60-62.5 kg currently costs 12.2-12.5 yuan per kg. This means farmers lose 280-350 yuan for each pig they sell,” said Lin.

Plunging Hog Prices, Negative Margins

Smaller farmers, who account for less than 30% of China’s pig production, risk being pushed out of business as they are especially vulnerable to price swings, analysts said.

“For small farmers now, either you sell your pigs cheap or you grit your teeth and bear it, get through this price drop, and then wait for the pig price to rebound,” said Fu Zhenzhen, feed analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultants.

Li, a 600-head pig farmer in northern Hebei province, said he has been losing money since last year.

“We are being roasted by fire now. Pork prices are so low, but feed costs have jumped sharply in March,” Li said.

Since last year, Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to rein in overcapacity, urging breeders to cut sow numbers and manage slaughter rates, while recently buying frozen pork for state reserves to stabilize prices.

China’s sow herd totaled 39.61 million head at the end of December, remaining above the normal holding level of 39 million.

“Going forward, pork prices will mainly depend on how aggressively companies trim their herds,” said Pan Chenjun, senior animal protein analyst at Rabobank in Hong Kong.

($1 = 6.8915 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Ella Cao, Daphne Zhang and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Tony Munroe and Shri Navaratnam)

Who Brought Home the Top NPPC Scholarships?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:22:44 GMT

The National Pork Producers Council announced 10 recipients of the 2026 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship as well as one Neil Dierks Scholarship winner, and four inaugural U.S. Pork Center of Excellence (USPCE) Swine Legacy Scholarship winners during the National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City, Mo.

“These young leaders represent the very best of our industry’s future,” says Duane Stateler, outgoing NPPC president and Ohio pork producer. “At Forum each year, we are reminded the strength of U.S. pork is not only in our farms and businesses but in the people who are stepping up to serve it. Their work ethic, integrity, and commitment to agriculture give me great confidence in where we are headed. NPPC is proud to support them as they carry this industry forward.”

Sponsored in partnership with CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation (NPIF), the scholarships recognize exceptional students preparing for careers in the U.S. pork industry.

“We have proudly supported NPPC and its commitment to the pork industry and its next generation of leaders through the Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship since 1990,” says John Ricci, managing director and global head of agricultural products at CME Group.

(NPPC
)

Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship

The 2026 winners of the $2,500 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship are:
Trell Amoss — Oklahoma State University
Elizabeth Anderson — Iowa State University
Avah Burke — Pennsylvania State University
Jenna DeRouchey — Iowa State University
Halle Evans — Iowa State University
Georgia Horosky — Wilmington College
Drew Mickey — Kansas State University
Abigail Morse — South Dakota State University
Kylee Reed — Iowa State University
Joshua Wiley — Iowa State University

Sponsored by CME Group and NPIF, the Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship is awarded to undergraduates in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture program.

(NPPC)

Neil Dierks Scholarship

The 2026 recipient of the $5,000 Neil Dierks Scholarship is Emma Zwart of Iowa State University.

Founded in 2021 and administered by NPIF, the Neil Dierks Scholarship is awarded to current or incoming graduate students in a swine-related program.

(NPPC)

USPCE Swine Legacy Scholarship

New this year, the 2026 recipients of the inaugural $5,000 USPCE Swine Legacy Scholarship are:

Rebecca Brown — The Ohio State University
Jenna DeRouchey — Iowa State University
Kory Storm — South Dakota State University
Trell Amoss — Oklahoma State University

Administered by NPIF, the USPCE Swine Legacy Scholarship was established in 2026 following the decision to sunset the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence after 20 years of service as a public-private partnership supporting the pork industry. Through a competitive proposal process, the organization’s remaining financial assets were granted to NPIF to create an endowed scholarship program. The scholarship supports students pursuing careers in research, education, or veterinary science with a focus on the swine industry, awarding one graduate or professional track student and three undergraduate students each year.

Cuisine Over Cuts: Gen Z is Redefining the Future of Pork Demand

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:04:46 GMT

Forget the “meat and potatoes” model. For Gen Z and Millennial consumers, the question isn’t “What meat are we eating for dinner?” It’s “What cuisine are we having tonight?”

Whether it’s Mexican, Asian or Italian, this shift from “center-of-the-plate” to “pork-as-an-ingredient” is at the heart of National Pork Board’s (NPB) latest business intelligence.

“Consumers are multi-dimensional,” says Sarah Showalter, director of consumer and business insights at NPB. “Our goal is to provide a 360-degree view—not just understanding what they bought in the past but anticipating what they’ll crave in the future.”

The Protein Obsession

The demand for protein is growing and the way it’s consumed is evolving. According to the Numerator Protein Trends Report, 74% of millennials pay close attention to their protein intake, yet many feel they aren’t meeting their goals.

Crucially, 55% of these protein-aware consumers prefer sourcing that protein from “whole foods” like meat and dairy rather than powders or supplements, Showalter adds.

“We have a massive opportunity to show how heart-healthy cuts like pork loin and chops deliver 22 to 26 grams of protein,” Showalter says. “We’re meeting them where they are—on their phones and through social media—to make sure pork is the solution they reach for.”

The “Cuisine-First” Generation

Morgan Wonderly, an NPB member and lecturer at California Polytechnic State University–San Luis Obispo, sees this cultural shift every day on campus.

“Our students come from everywhere. Pork is central to their cultures—Filipino, Korean, Latino, Hawaiian,” Wonderly says. “Pork isn’t defined by one culture; it’s the versatile protein that fits them all.”

Flavor and nostalgia drive the love for many of these dishes, she adds.

“So how do we replicate those feelings in a college student’s world or in an on-the-go world?” Wonderly asks. “There are so many ways: carnitas or al pastor from a taco truck on campus, pork dumplings and rice takeout, or even making spaghetti with Italian sausage at home.”

Solving the “Hangry” Crisis

Convenience for these younger generations is defined by speed and “odd hours.” They are 49% more likely to use delivery apps, and they view the kitchen differently than their parents. In fact, there are now more air fryers in U.S. households than coffee makers—a major opportunity for quick-prep pork.

But convenience also extends outside the home. Wonderly, who coaches the livestock judging team at Cal Poly, often finds herself traveling with eight “starving” college students.

“If we’re in a hurry and I don’t want anyone getting ‘hangry,’ we skip the drive-thru and hit the gas station,” Wonderly says. “My go-to is a pork snack stick, cheese pack and a diet soda. My students do the same. Pork has a major opportunity to dominate the snack category with quick, high-protein options that require zero guesswork.”

The Bottom Line for Producers

The industry’s “Taste What Pork Can Do” campaign is built on this real-time data. Wonderly says investment in business intelligence is critical.

“We can be the most efficient pig farmers in the world,” Wonderly says. “We can have perfect health. We can have 12 piglets born alive on every sow and have a beautiful barn plow and produce tons of pigs. But if we don’t resonate with these younger consumers, we lose.”

Pork needs to be relatable, simple and affordable to ensure long-term demand, she adds. As the pork industry leans into these trends, Showalter believes there’s a great opportunity to innovate.

“We know that these younger consumers are not going to grow up to be their parents,” Showalter says. “They’re not going to grow up to look like Boomers and Gen X. We need to meet them where they are and show up differently to be relevant to them.”

How Blondies Butcher Shop Is Building Trust in Pork One Conversation at a Time

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:50:34 GMT

For Lindsey Loken, pork promotion is rooted in everyday connection. It happens across the butcher counter, through hands-on education, on social media and through conversations with customers who are curious, cautious or looking for guidance.

Through her work as founder and owner of Blondies Butcher Shop, Loken has become a trusted and relatable voice for pork, one that meets consumers where they are and invites them to learn without judgment. Loken is the 2026 Minnesota Pork Promoter of the Year , recognized for her ability to connect consumers to pork in a way that is approachable, educational and grounded in trust.

A Background Rooted in Passion and Curiosity

Loken’s passion for animals began at a young age. Growing up on her parents’ hobby farm near Wanamingo, she spent time caring for animals, and rode along with her mother, a veterinary technician, developing an early appreciation for animal health and hands-on care. After high school, she studied animal science and veterinary technology, eventually working as a veterinary technician. She spent time working on a ranch in Montana, further shaping her understanding of agriculture and helping clarify the path she wanted to pursue.

(Minnesota Pork Board)

In addition to her work as a veterinary technician, Loken also served as an emergency medical technician (EMT), a role that further reinforced her commitment to service and her ability to remain steady in high-pressure situations. While the work was rewarding, the demands of emergency response and emergency veterinary care eventually led her to reflect on what she wanted her long-term career to look like.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I still wanted to work with animals and food in a meaningful way,” she says.

Around that time, her parents mentioned that a local butcher shop back home in Minnesota was for sale. Loken decided to move home and take the leap. She spent time learning butchery skills, asking questions and immersing herself in the craft. In 2014, she officially took over Wanamingo Meats as the fourth owner, a business that would later evolve into Blondies Butcher Shop, a woman-owned, consumer-facing butcher shop in Wanamingo known for its bright pink exterior and welcoming approach.

Today, Loken owns and operates Blondies with a focus on education, transparency and connection. She has created an environment designed to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, where questions are encouraged and learning happens at the counter. Through in-shop conversations, classes and digital content, Loken works to make butchery approachable, understandable and fun, whether she’s helping customers choose a cut, sharing practical cooking tips, or highlighting the farm-to-table journey behind the meat.

Building Blondies: Education at the Core

Blondies Butcher Shop officially rebranded in 2020, a year that would change the trajectory of the business in unexpected ways. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Loken found herself at the center of a renewed consumer interest in local food, meat sourcing and freezer stocking. What began as a small, value-driven business quickly became a trusted resource for customers seeking reassurance and knowledge during an uncertain time.

“When our family was facing depopulation in 2020, Lindsey stepped up and custom processed hundreds of hogs to help farms like ours provide protein to hungry customers,” says Mike Patterson, a local Kenyon pig farmer. “I will be forever grateful to Lindsey and her team for stepping up when it truly mattered.”

Loken leaned into education, explaining cuts, cooking methods, sourcing practices and how modern meat production works. Rather than overwhelming customers with technical language, she focused on clarity and comfort.

“A lot of people just don’t know,” she says. “And if you remove the intimidation, they’re actually excited to learn.”

Blondies became known not only for high-quality meat, but for its welcoming atmosphere. Customers were encouraged to ask questions, try new cuts, and better understand where their food comes from, including pork.

Promoting Pork Through Everyday Conversations

As a pork promoter, Loken’s strength lies in her ability to translate complex topics into everyday language. Roughly 90 percent of her customers come from urban or suburban backgrounds, many with little direct connection to farming. For Loken, that represents an opportunity.

Through in-store conversations, classes, demonstrations and social media, she helps customers understand pork production, animal care, and the role farmers play in producing safe, wholesome food. She emphasizes that pork doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating, and that enjoying it doesn’t require expert-level knowledge.

Her approach is intentionally judgment-free.

(Minnesota Pork Board
)

“This is a no-judgment zone,” Loken says. “People just don’t know, and that’s okay.”

By creating a space where curiosity is welcomed, she bridges the gap between farmers and consumers in a way that feels authentic and lasting.

Expanding Pork’s Reach Beyond the Counter

Loken’s influence extends well beyond the walls of Blondies Butcher Shop. Through social media and television appearances, as well as educational content and collaborations with farmers and food professionals, she continues to reach consumers who may never step foot into a butcher shop but are still forming opinions about pork.

Her platforms are intentionally approachable, blending humor, practicality and clear information to demystify meat. Rather than focusing solely on product, Loken emphasizes understanding of how pork fits into everyday meals, how animals are raised, and why production practices matter. That approach has helped make pork feel accessible to a generation of consumers seeking transparency and confidence in their food choices.

“Lindsey has grown her presence on social media by sharing all things meat and consistently promoting pork, while also becoming a trusted voice on local television through cutting and cooking demonstrations,” Patterson says.

Loken also recognizes that promotion is most effective when it reflects real life. She speaks openly about convenience, budgeting and cooking realities, acknowledging that today’s consumers balance busy schedules with a desire to eat well. By meeting those needs honestly, she helps keep pork relevant and relatable.

“Lindsey has an incredible ability to connect with customers and viewers through her online videos,” says Pam Voelkel, director of events and promotions for Minnesota Pork. “She is authentic and genuine, what you see on screen is exactly who she is in person. Unafraid to tackle tough questions, Lindsey approaches conversations about how food is raised with clarity and relatability.”

Through thoughtful engagement and a consistent presence, Loken continues to strengthen trust in pork and reinforce its place at the center of the table.

A Modern Voice for a Changing Audience

Loken is helping redefine what pork promotion looks like for a new generation of consumers. As a woman in the meat industry, she brings both visibility and credibility to a space that has historically been male-dominated, while remaining deeply committed to education and connection.

In addition to her work at Blondies, Loken has also shared her expertise as a guest lecturer with the University of Minnesota, offering students a real-world perspective on meat science, retail education and consumer engagement. Together, these efforts reflect a broader shift within agriculture, where more women are leading, educating and shaping how food is discussed and where expertise, personality and leadership work hand in hand.

Overcoming Challenges with Purpose

Like many small business owners, Loken has navigated significant challenges, from COVID disruptions to the financial realities of being self-employed. She is transparent about the difficulty of building a business where “the heart goes into the work, not the margins.”

Yet she remains motivated by the impact.

“There’s a gut feeling that keeps you going,” she says. “You wake up, your stomach hurts, but you still show up because it matters.”

For Loken, success is measured not only in sales, but in moments of understanding: a customer trying pork they’d previously avoided, a family learning how to cook a new cut, or a conversation that shifts perception.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

Lindsey Loken’s impact as a pork promoter is rooted in trust. She doesn’t rely on slogans or shortcuts. Instead, she builds understanding one conversation at a time through education, transparency and respect.

In an era where consumers are asking more questions than ever, Loken provides thoughtful answers. Through Blondies Butcher Shop, she has created a modern platform for pork promotion that resonates with today’s audience while honoring the work of those who raise pigs.

One More Pound of Consumption: The $1.6 Billion Opportunity for Pork

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:16:19 GMT

What would happen if every American ate just one more pound of pork per year? David Newman, chief executive officer of the National Pork Board, says it’s worth approximately $1.6 billion of U.S. retail value.

“Do you believe that that’s possible?” Newman challenged delegates at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The math is straightforward. With approximately 345 million people in the U.S. and an average per capita consumption of 50 lb., he calculates that an incremental 1-pound increase—priced at the average retail rate of $4.70 per lb.—would result in a $1.6 billion surge for the industry.

To get there, Newman says the industry must stop thinking “one pig at a time” and start thinking “one pound at a time.” While U.S. producers are world leaders in production efficiency, Newman argues the next great horizon is domestic demand.

From “Push” to “Pull”

Newman points to South Korea as the “dream” benchmark. In South Korea, per capita consumption is 70 lb., representing a massive gap in untapped potential for the U.S. pork industry.

To achieve greater consumption in the U.S., he says the industry must move from a “push” strategy where the industry liquidates supply via low prices to a “pull” strategy where it creates a high desire for pork so consumers seek it regardless of price.

“You’ve got to increase the units per household,” he says. “We need more households buying more pork. It means you have to get more trips per year. Trips — literally trips — where they drive to the store, choose to buy pork and choose to drive back again.”

Currently, the average U.S. household makes fewer than 10 trips to the store per year to buy pork. One additional trip per household and consumers spending more money on pork can change the economic landscape. Not just for retailers, but for producers.

Is the New Campaign Working?

The “Taste What Pork Can Do” campaign is the engine behind this “pull” strategy. Launched in May 2025, early data show an incremental return on ad spend (I-ROAS) of $83. For every $1 of Checkoff investment, the campaign returned $83 in retail sales through December 2025, according to Numerator.

“As someone who has been in the business and looks at these numbers every day with our team, I’m also very cautious,” he says. “A one-to-four return is considered very good. $83 is a big number, a great start in our long-term demand efforts.”

To ensure these gains translate to the farm gate, the National Pork Board is developing the Pork Power Index, a new ROI measurement designed to tie retail success directly back to producer value. While the campaign is only 10 months old, Newman stressed that economic experts emphasize 40 months of data are needed to establish firm long-term trends.

The Hispanic Growth Engine

While the national campaign gains steam, a new parallel effort is launching to capture the Hispanic market—a $4 trillion demographic where pork is already a cultural staple. The campaign, “Explora todo el gusto del pork,” will target major hubs like Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas and Los Angeles with culturally specific messaging. It loosely translates to “explore all the flavors of pork,” which aligns with messaging around taste and flavor and the Taste What Pork Can Do campaign.

With a $4 trillion market and pork already at the cultural center of the community, the Hispanic population is viewed as the primary driver for future domestic growth, he adds.

A Transformational Time

Although the opportunity ahead of the pork industry is historic, Newman reminds producers it requires patience.

“It’s like trying to turn an aircraft carrier with a canoe paddle,” Newman says. “It takes time to shift this piece, but we have to believe we can do it.”

He urges producers not to radically shift strategies based on headlines but to allow the current data-driven campaigns time to work.

“Let’s encourage people to get fired up and believe in what we’re doing,” Newman says. “When we invest together, we can show the world exactly what pork can do.”

One Farmer’s Fight for Pork Choice in Chicago Schools Could Save Millions of Dollars

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:15:19 GMT

Josh Maschhoff didn’t go to Chicago to ask for a handout; he went to offer a solution that could save a school district in a financial crisis millions of dollars annually.

After being selected to speak at the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education meeting, Maschhoff jumped in his vehicle 24 hours later to drive 300 miles to the meeting site. When he arrived in Chicago with Illinois Pork Producers Association’s executive director Jennifer Tirey, people were already lined up at the door to enter the 10:30 a.m. meeting.

For the first few hours of the nearly nine-hour meeting, groups came forward to present their two-minute case to the school board.

“Most were pleading for programs, why not to close their school and how much money they needed to sustain the schools,” Maschhoff says. “In fact, some of those schools were looking to close in the next two to three weeks for lack of funding. The environment was tense.”

A Million-Dollar Proposal

When Maschhoff’s name was called, his comments carried a much different tone.

“I might be the only one who stands up here today with a proposal for you to save money and still give more choice,” he began in his comments shared here .

He asked the board for a formal review of the district’s pork prohibition impacting 630 schools that currently cannot serve pork at breakfast or lunch. Of the 350,000 free meals served daily at CPS through the Community Eligibility Provision, none includes pork. Despite being a staple in Chicago households, a vote during a virtual COVID-era board meeting quietly removed this nutrient-dense protein from the menu.

Because the district is unable to accept or serve USDA-provided pork, CPS forgoes access to a nutrient-dense, high-quality protein available through federal procurement , Tirey says. On a weekly basis, CPS misses out on approximately $5.51 million in federal reimbursements because roughly 39% of students skip lunch and 56% skip breakfast. Just by swapping a beef sausage patty with a pork sausage patty at breakfast alone, it would save CPS $1.2 million over 180 days.

“You could tell this was a unique topic school board members weren’t expecting to hear about,” Tirey says. “We did see a lot of non-verbal nods and smiles, recognizing that we had been there for several hours. I think it definitely created an impact.”

Maschhoff noticed people perk up when he mentioned cost savings. Many board members looked surprised when he discussed the ban on pork.

“I heard from several of the board members when I followed up with emails afterward,” Tirey says. “They are definitely aware of the situation now and are interested in pursuing a review of the policy.”

Several board members requested more information, specifically on the nutritional value and content of pork. Tirey says the next step is a review of the policy with the Office of Student Health and Wellness.

“In the meantime, I am setting up meetings on Zoom during individual board members’ designated CPS board office hours to see if those individuals have any additional questions or want more information,” Tirey says.

Correcting the Record

The Illinois Pork Producers Association is also employing targeted campaign ads about the pork ban on social media in the Chicagoland area for school-age parents.

“There have been several comments and questions that we have been able to respectfully respond to that I think consumers just don’t understand,” she says. “We’ve had comments about the cost of pork, and we’ve been able to offer cost analysis information. There have been comments about the religious choice. We’ve been able to give the individuals information about the halal-certified kitchen that Chicago Public Schools works with, and how pork would simply be offering another option – another choice – and not taking away from anyone’s rights.”

She says social media has been a positive way to answer some of those questions for individuals who are not familiar with the pork industry.

Beyond Chicago

The impact of the CPS ban is resonating far beyond the city limits. One food service employee commented on social media that they weren’t seeing a lot of pork served in their schools in central Illinois and didn’t think kids were eating it.

“We responded and said, ‘Well, we respectfully disagree, and here are the statistics in the Chicagoland area for why we believe there are some discussions that need to be had,’” Tirey says. “We talked about the nutritional value of pork and the food service person said, ‘Thank you for your intelligent responses. I’m going to take another pass at including more pork in my school menu again.’”

It’s hard to imagine kids going to school and not eating anything because they don’t like the choices they are being served on the menu, Maschhoff says. CPS has the opportunity to take advantage of government programs to purchase nutrient-dense pork products that are culturally relevant and appreciated by over 85% of its students .

“Let’s help these kids gain access to meals that are already paid for that will appeal to them and connect with them,” he says.

Connect Your Story

While the Chicago Public School system having a ban on pork is a big deal, Maschhoff adds, it’s just one of a number of school districts that do the same. CPS is the fourth-largest school district in the nation, but since uncovering this prohibition on pork, Maschhoff and Tirey have heard examples of other school programs that do the same.

“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘Hey, I looked into my school district and found out my kids don’t like the offerings that we have for protein either, and pork isn’t on the menu very much there,’” he says. “And those are rural districts.”

At the National Pork Industry Forum, the National Pork Board shared how it will continue to invest more dollars, through the hiring of an additional staff member, to promote nutrition research on pork and help public schools add more pork into their menu to follow the new dietary guidelines.

“This is what’s causing America to not be healthy,” Maschhoff says. “It’s the choices that we provide them, starting in their schools, where they attend every day. We need to tell our story and keep banging the drum.”

Every story matters. That’s why the industry needs to persistently advocate and show up to help answer questions, provide additional resources and make connections, Maschhoff says.

“It doesn’t take much time to explain your story,” he adds. “With four little boys, I am passionate about making sure they eat right and attend school – those are two main goals in my life now. All I did was connect my story to things that can impact my children and other children who attend public schools.”

Pork Industry Must Adapt to a "New World Order"

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:23:07 GMT

In the pork industry, there is more that brings us together than separates us, says National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) CEO Bryan Humphreys. However, the foundational “pillars” of the industry are shifting.

“Survivability requires adaptation,” Humphreys told the delegate body at the National Pork Industry Forum. “We cannot adapt to a new world order that we simply don’t understand.”

Four Pillars in Flux

Humphreys outlines four fundamental truths that have guided the industry for decades but are now undergoing radical shifts:

The Erosion of Science and Facts: For years, the industry relied on objective data to win legal and political arguments. Today, Humphreys warns that the definition of science is “under attack.” He pointed to the “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again) coalition as a driver of a movement attempting to replace peer-reviewed research with unsubstantiated social media claims.

“My fear is that our primary battle will shift from simply using data, information and facts to actively defending and validating the very existence of those facts that make our food system the safest and most abundant in the world,” he says.
A Scrambled Political Map: The traditional lines of political alignment aren’t just blurred, they are being completely re-written, Humphreys says. For example, he noted a “bizarre reality” where the far-left and far-right are finding common ground in attacks on ultra-processed foods.
Unchecked Executive Power: With Congress frequently stalled, the Executive branch has filled the void with aggressive rulemaking and executive orders. Humphreys warns of “regulatory whiplash,” noting that while unchecked executive action may benefit us at times under the current administration, it sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations to bypass the legislative process.
Transactional Geopolitics: Agriculture was once the “crown jewel” of American trade deals. Now, trade is often focused on national security, critical minerals and domestic manufacturing. Humphreys warned that pork risks becoming “collateral damage” in broader geopolitical fights if the industry does not adapt its trade strategy.

The Power of Bacon

Despite all the “noise in Washington,” Humphreys reminds producers of two unwavering truths: the global love for pork—specifically bacon—and the high level of public trust in farmers. Citing 25 years of Gallup polling data, he noted that the American farmer remains one of the most trusted resources of information.

“In all the political headlines that we face, people love your product. People trust and love you all,” Humphreys says. “When a grassroots organization made up of you all as members faces foundational shifts, I firmly believe that the opportunities are endless if we are willing to adapt and change.”

A New Strategic Playbook

To address these shifts, Humphreys says the industry must execute on the “playbook.” The 2022 decision to increase the Strategic Investment Program (SIP) rate to 15 cents per $100 of value created an “extraordinary opportunity for us to take a broader and more aggressive approach.” The strategy moving forward will include:

Third-Party Validation: In addition to industry-led research, looking to the work of third-party experts and allied coalitions to validate the science behind modern pork production.
Direct Political Engagement: Becoming more comfortable in the political arena, from grassroots town halls to leveraging PACs and holding historical individuals in Congress accountable.
Executive Branch Focus: Deepening bipartisan relations directly with regulatory agencies to ensure the industry has a voice regardless of which party occupies the White House.
Strategic Trade: Working with partners to anticipate barriers and ensure U.S. pork is ready to move the second a trade door opens.

“Bring on the Mountains”

Humphreys revisited a metaphor he shared years ago of “two paths” up a mountain. He urged producers to avoid the narrow, solitary path and instead choose the wider path of collective commitment.

“As we step into this new world order, the perception of a divided industry will weaken our ability to navigate the challenges ahead,” Humphreys says. “There is more that joins us together as an industry than will ever separate us. Bring on the mountains. I look forward to seeing you at the top.”

AASV Recognizes Lifelong Dedication to Swine Health

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:06:59 GMT

Veterinarians and industry leaders were honored for their commitment and dedication to the U.S. swine industry at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.

AASV Names 2026 Meritorious Service Award Recipient

Dr. Clayton Johnson was named the 2026 recipient of the AASV Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service to the AASV. Johnson’s commitment and service to the AASV are unparalleled, the organization says. During 2022-2025, he led the innovative AASV Early-Career Swine Veterinarian Development Program, an initiative designed to provide mentorship, communication and leadership training, giving early-career practitioners the tools they need to thrive. He has served for decades on AASV committees, including chairing the Student Recruitment Committee and chairing the Pharmaceutical and Biologics Committee, one of AASV’s most active committees. He delivered the 2025 Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture. Most recently, Johnson was elected the 2026 AASV Vice-President.

“I’m beyond grateful to receive the 2026 AASV Meritorious Service Award – to be recognized by peers, colleagues and my own mentors is a tremendous honor,” Johnson says. “The American Association of Swine Veterinarians has given so much to me personally, it’s always been my goal to give back as much as has been given to me and I take this award as a token of gratitude that I’m at least making strides in that direction. To be recognized as having contributed to the development of others is the highest compliment I’ve ever received – thank you again for this generosity and recognition.”

Originally from Griggsville, Ill., Johnson received his DVM from the University of Illinois in 2008. He credits his veterinary interest and entire career to the foundational knowledge in technical skills, relationship building and communication instilled by his veterinarian father. Johnson is the director of veterinary services at Carthage Veterinary Services in Carthage, Ill., where he is a globally recognized swine health expert. He leads a team of veterinary professionals and hosts “The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast” a weekly podcast series reaching a global audience of more than 100,000 listeners serving to distill complex swine health research into actionable insights.

AASV Foundation Awards Prestigious Heritage Award to Dr. Joe Connor

Dr. Joseph Connor received the AASV Foundation’s Heritage Award. He becomes only the seventh recipient of the award which recognizes individuals who have lifelong outstanding achievements in swine veterinary medicine. It is only awarded on an as-needed basis when a deserving individual has been nominated and selected. Awardees have demonstrated their eligibility through their membership in the AASV, service to the AASV, and service to the North American swine industry.

Connor founded Carthage Veterinary Service, LTD after purchasing the CVS practice in 1980. A leading swine veterinarian in the world, he considers it a privilege to be involved in the swine industry during a time of significant transformation and assisted producers domestically and globally undergoing transformations. He was recognized for his international efforts by being named the first honorary member of the Japanese Association of Swine in 2008.

A true leader in swine health, Connor has led the AASV for decades. After serving on the AASV Board of Directors, he was elected president of the association in 1988. He was a member and chair of the AASV Foundation Board. He continues to serve the association as a member of the Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Committee, and Foundation Investment Committee. Colleagues regard Connor as an icon in the swine industry and are grateful for his tremendous contributions and outstanding service to the AASV. The Carthage, Ill., native received his bachelor’s degree and DVM from the University of Illinois, and his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota.

“It has been a rewarding journey,” Connor says. “Our colleague, the late Dr. KT Wright, informed me in my first year in practice that to be a swine veterinarian you had to be an active member of AASV. His guidance was fortuitous as AASV has evolved into a diverse organization leading the industry transformation by incorporating programs that support both our profession and our industry. It is exciting to see it adapt and be involved in multiple segments of the industry. The strength of the organization is our members. It is a privilege to be a member.”

AASV Names 2026 Howard Dunne Memorial Award Recipient

Dr. Rick Sibbel received the AASV 2026 Howard Dunne Memorial Award for his important contributions and outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.

Sibbel was born and raised on a family farm in Butte, Neb. As the oldest of six children, he shared daily responsibility with his brothers and sisters for much of the farm animal work, including working at the family’s small livestock auction market. Around 12 years old, he decided that a veterinary career gave him the best chance to make a positive impact on people and agriculture. He went on to receive his BS from the University of Nebraska and DVM from Iowa State University.

After retiring from Merck Animal Health in 2018, Sibbel established Executive Veterinary & Health Solutions LLC, a consulting firm specializing in veterinary and human medicine interface (One Health) processes and programs, especially focused on food animal systems. He is the president and owner. During his transition from rural mixed private practice to the animal health industry in the mid-80’s, Sibbel began attending AASV annual meetings. There, he grew to cherish the people and interactions and the innovation and evolution in herd health. He became very active in leadership roles within AASV, the animal industry, and organized veterinary medicine, having served on numerous committees in both the AASV and American Veterinary Medical Association. He served as the AASV president in 2003.

“Accepting the Howard Dunne Memorial Award is a truly special moment for this veterinarian,” Sibbel says. “I’m accepting this award with humility and honor as I join the long list of veterinarians that have come before me. I am forever grateful for the many incredible people I have worked with in my veterinary and animal industry leadership roles.”

AASV Names Outstanding Swine Academic of the Year Award Recipient

Dr. Glen Almond was named the 2026 recipient of the AASV Outstanding Swine Academic of the Year Award to a member employed in academia who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research and service to the swine veterinary profession. Almond is a professor of swine health and production management at North Carolina State University (NCSU). He has been on faculty since 1987 when he joined as a graduate research assistant. His research has focused on reproductive physiology, urogenital disease and interactions between disease and growth.

Perhaps his most impactful contribution during his time at NCSU is his commitment to swine-interested veterinary, graduate and undergraduate students world-wide. As coordinator of a senior swine medicine course, he has provided educational opportunities for students from twelve veterinary colleges and seven countries. Extremely generous of his time devoted to students, his open-door policy demonstrates his drive to help others succeed. As a mentor, he is highly supportive of students and continues to advocate for their success.

Dozens of current and former students who nominated Almond for this award credit their mentor as foundational in their careers. His ability to ignite excitement in his students has been carried into practice for decades. Almond’s commitment to students and education is evident in his service to AASV. For many years, he has been a member of the AASV Student Engagement and Collegiate Activities committees and has participated in the AASV Program Planning Committee at least seven times. He is the 2020 recipient of the AASV Howard Dunne Memorial Award.

“It is an incredible honor to receive this award,” Almond says. “It reflects on the amazing, positive attitude of my current and previous students, and the AASV as an organization. Without their support and commitment, I would have left the university system a long time ago. I do not measure my success by the number of publications, nor the number of funded grants: the success of my students has been my motivation. I always learn from the students. They are the future of our profession.”

3 Emerging Technologies That Could Transform Modern Swine Operations

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:28:14 GMT

Traditional swine management still depends heavily on caretakers making rapid, subjective assessments of pig health and performance across large populations of pigs, says David Rosero, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. However, outdated processes often delay early detection of diseases, limit timely targeted interventions, and result in inefficient production systems.

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) tools, such as computer vision and automated environmental and biological sensors, are becoming increasingly important tools as swine management shifts from labor-intensive, manual tasks to automated, digitally enabled systems.

“Despite the rapid development of new PLF technologies, adoption in swine barns remains slow, primarily because swine producers are uncertain about their accuracy, reliability and economic value,” Rosero said at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Annual Meeting.

Here are three emerging PLF technologies that Rosero and his team at Iowa State University believe offer a transformative opportunity to modernize swine operations.

1. Wearable sensors to monitor pig activity

Today’s technological advancements enable the clustering of multiple sensors into compact, innovative devices for pigs, Rosero says. Previous research has demonstrated this concept using a Bluetooth-enabled electronic sensor board that can record body and ambient temperatures, head tilt, movement and vocalizations, all integrated into an ear-tag form factor. The sensor cluster is now remarkably small and lightweight making it practical for the use in pigs at various stages of their lives, he adds.

“Wearable sensors have also demonstrated strong potential for early detection of infectious diseases,” he adds.

For example, one study evaluated a real-time monitoring system that combined an accelerometer and a thermometer within an ear tag, demonstrating that the model could distinguish between healthy and infected pigs with African swine fever (using an attenuated strain) one to two days before clinical signs became evident.

“Despite these promising results, important limitations remain for the large-scale implementation of ear-tag sensors,” Rosero says. “Costs of assembling electronic sensor boards remains high for commercial operations.”

Computer Vision is an emerging scientific field that seeks to automate tasks beyond the capacity of the human visual system, Rosero says. It integrates edge computing and artificial intelligence systems that extract and process information from images automatically using relatively low-cost equipment. Applications of computer vision technologies include assisting humans in identifying tasks, detecting events from visual surveillance, and analyzing medical images, among others.

“Traditionally, counting pigs at different production phases has been a time-consuming and labor-intensive task, often carried out alongside activities such as weaning, vaccination or sorting,” he says. “Because swine facilities house large numbers of animals, manual counts are frequently inaccurate, which can negatively affect feed and supply planning, health protocols, and marketing accuracy. New computer vision systems provide a superior solution for identifying, tracking and counting animals.”

It is true that the use of cameras in field conditions presents challenges due to variable lighting, diverse backgrounds and occlusion from pen structures. However, researchers have developed robust computer vision methods capable of overcoming these limitations with high accuracy, Rosero points out.

3. Computer Vision to estimate the body weight of pigs

Continuous and automatic monitoring of pig growth performance can provide producers with valuable insights into system efficiency, herd health status and marketing readiness, Rosero explains. In practice, however, caretakers rely on only a few traditional methods, including direct weighing with scales, body tape measurements such as heart girth or flank-to-flank measurements, and visual estimates made by trained technicians.

“The application of computer vision for body-weight estimation has demonstrated strong accuracy in research settings and is now being evaluated within commercial production systems,” he says.

A previous study conducted a direct comparison of methods using 91 individually weighed pigs in a university setting. Results showed that a walk-across scale achieved 98.2% accuracy (with six pigs unregistered), human visual estimation reached only 88.2%, and the PigVision computer-vision system achieved 96.6% accuracy. Researchers noted that PigVision was the least labor-intensive approach and provided continuous weight data throughout the growing period, although it required routine maintenance.

A novel computer vision-based system (Swine Sense Hub Camera) capable of estimating individual body weight of pigs and identifying them through ‘codeflex’ tags to was evaluated in a commercial research finishing barn in Indiana from June to November of 2025. The mean (± standard deviation) absolute percent error (MAPE) was 2.39% (± 2.31%) for Turn 1 and 2.58% (± 2.38%) for Turn 2. Concordance correlation coefficients were measured to evaluate the agreement between the camera and scale weights. Substantial agreement between weights was observed at the individual level in both turns, with estimates of 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.975-0.983) in Turn 1 and 0.99 (CI: 0.988-0.991) in Turn 2. Excellent agreement was identified at the pen-level, with correlations of >0.99 for both turns, showing high accuracy of predicting weights, Rosero says.

“Collectively, these findings demonstrate that computer vision can achieve high accuracy while reducing labor requirements,” he says. “Moreover, these studies highlight the need for standardized evaluation protocols to validate the accuracy and reliability of new technologies across diverse production and farm settings.”

The Challenge for Adoption

Rosero says the industry needs a standardized technology evaluation process. One study identified 83 commercially available PLF technologies for pigs; however, despite the large number of devices available for swine producers, only 14% had been evaluated in scientific validation studies.

“The limited number of validated systems is concerning, as rigorous evaluation is a critical step toward commercial adoption,” Rosero says. “Field-based assessments generate essential information on accuracy, reliability and return on investment, along with practical considerations such as barn connectivity, integration with existing controllers, staff training requirements and concerns about data ownership and privacy.”

Rosero believes that for digital tools to provide meaningful value in commercial swine systems, they must consistently capture, process and report data as intended. Scientific evaluation is critical to ensure emerging PLF tools are suitable across production systems, housing environments, growth phases and genetic lines.

To address this knowledge gap, Rosero and his colleagues Sarah Phelps and Nathan Vander Werff at Iowa State University, are developing standardized evaluation tools to assess the accuracy and reliability of emerging digital technologies for commercial swine barns. These science-based assessments are designed to inform technology adoption decisions and enhance swine producers’ confidence in PLF innovations, Rosero says.

“Establishing standardized technology evaluation processes, along with technology testing centers, will be crucial to reducing adoption risk, generating independent performance evidence, and building producer confidence,” he says. “As the swine industry moves toward a more digital, data-driven future, the strategic integration of validated PLF tools will be critical for enhancing animal health, improving labor efficiency, strengthening farm decision-making, and ultimately driving greater profitability across commercial systems.”

Swine Veterinary Students Take Home Top Honors from AASV Annual Meeting

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 19:31:12 GMT

The awards and honors were abundantly presented to outstanding students at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Annual Meeting at the AASV Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.

(AASV)

AASV Foundation Announces Results of First Graduate Student Competition

The AASV Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $5,000 to three graduate students who participated in the Research Topics session. The Research Topics session highlights research projects related to swine health and production, including virology, diagnostics, environment, biosecurity and welfare. For the first time, graduate students presenting in the session competed for scholarships sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.

• $3,000: Katlyn McClellan, South Dakota State University, “Blood hemoglobin as a predictor of removal risk and reproductive performance in prolific sows”

• $1,000: Rafael Medeiros de Avila Melo, University of Minnesota, “Assessing viral environmental contamination in and around mortality handling structures in wean-to-finish farms”

• $1,000: Sara Correia Sequeira, The Ohio State University, “Assessing connectivity and biosecurity compliance of vehicles in a Brazilian swine production system”

Bryn Van Winters of the University of Guelph.

(AASV)

AASV Foundation Announces Student Seminar Awards and Scholarships

The AASV Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students who participated in the AASV Student Seminar at the Annual Meeting.

Bryn Van Winters, University of Guelph, received the $5,000 scholarship for top student presentation. Sloane’s presentation was titled “Effects of early-life energy supplementation on survival and growth in pre-weaned piglets?” The Zoetis Foundation provided funding for the Top Student Presenter Award.

Elanco Animal Health provides $20,000 in additional funding, enabling the AASV Foundation to award scholarships for 2nd through 15th place. Four veterinary student presenters received $2,500 scholarships: Maeve Powis, University of Guelph; Jacqueline Springer, University of Illinois; Jinnan Xiao, Iowa State University; Emma Zwart, Iowa State University. Five veterinary student presenters received $1,500 scholarships: Ginny Bass, North Carolina State University; Emily Evans-Stevens, Kansas State University; Ben Hollis, Iowa State University; Kara Linder, Colorado State University; Johanna Vandenack, Iowa State University. Those student presenters receiving $500 scholarships were: Sean Dullard, University of Illinois; Lila Minnick, University of Illinois; Rebecca Smith, University of Georgia; Nicole Villalon, Iowa State University; Samantha Wagner, Midwestern University. In addition to the $5,000 Top Student Presenter award, the Zoetis Foundation provided $11,250 in grant funding to support $750 awards for each student selected to participate in the oral session.

(AASV)

AASV Announces Student Poster Competition Awardees

The AASV provided an opportunity for 15 veterinary students to compete for awards in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition. United Animal Health sponsored the competition, offering awards totaling $4000. Additionally, the Zoetis Foundation provided $10,000 in grant funding to support $500 awards for students selected to participate in the poster session.

$500 scholarship: Molly Jones, North Carolina State University – Top student poster titled “The dosing disconnect: Evaluating agreement between two measurement methods of swine water medicator performance”
$400 scholarships: Abigayle Brown, Iowa State University; Heath Keiser, Iowa State University
$300 scholarships: Lindsey Britton, North Carolina State University; Logan Griggs, University of Pennsylvania; Aleah Vetter, University of Minnesota
$200 scholarships: Lee Ammons, Iowa State University; Emma Coursey, University of Illinois; Rachel Kontz, University of Minnesota; Timothy Magdall, University of Minnesota; Ella Moll, Iowa State University; Abbey Pals, Iowa State University; Amanda Pisarczyk, Iowa State University; Seth Reicks, University of Minnesota; Antonio Rodriguez-Torrado, St. Georges University

(AASV)

K-State Student Wins David A. Schoneweis Scholarship

Emily Evans-Stevens, a second-year student at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, was awarded the David A. Schoneweis Scholarship. The children of the late Dr. David Schoneweis established a scholarship in his memory to benefit swine-interested students from Kansas State University (KSU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU). The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a student or students from KSU or OSU who participate in the student oral or poster presentations during the AASV Annual Meeting, based upon a selection rubric prepared with the oversight and approval of the Schoneweis family. Evans-Stevens presented her research, “Evaluation of sanitation procedures in swine nursery facilities utilizing adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence,” during the AASV Student Seminar.

(AASV)

AASV Foundation Awards First Baysinger Scholarships

Yoonsuk Lee and Mary Lisa Kasakamu were the named the first recipients of the AASV Foundation Angela Baysinger Memorial Scholarship. The objective of the Angela Baysinger Memorial Scholarship is to promote the long-term improvement of production animal welfare by supporting experiential learning opportunities for the next generation of animal welfare veterinarians and scientists. This scholarship is awarded annually to a student with a passion for production animal welfare who is currently working or studying in a field of animal welfare science.

Yoonsuk Lee spent seven years as a practicing dairy veterinarian before pursuing his graduate studies in welfare. He is a PhD student majoring animal welfare science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where his research focuses on experimental and epidemiological investigations of dairy calf welfare practices, particularly in calf pair housing. Lee’s goal is to contribute to a future in which farm animal welfare practices are supported by robust science and where producers feel confident making decisions that benefit both animal welfare and farm success. He expects this scholarship to support his continued efforts to advance meaningful, practical, and scientifically sound welfare improvements, particularly in the dairy industry, but also to benefit animal agriculture more broadly.

Mary Lisa Kasakamu is pursuing a PhD in animal sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, specializing in animal health, welfare and precision livestock management. She regards precision livestock management as a powerful tool for individual animal care within populations. Her goal is to develop science driven technologies that detect welfare challenges, including thermal stress, lameness, and failure to thrive. Supported by this scholarship, Kasakamu hopes to deepen her expertise, further develop her communication skills, identify adoptable solutions, contribute to meaningful dialogue, and evolve as a spokesperson for animal welfare improvements – just like Dr. Baysinger.

Finding Color Again: A Story of Love, Loss and Healing

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:34:48 GMT

It’s true that the pork industry is driven by data and science, but it’s ultimately built on the strength of the people who are in it. Sometimes that strength arises out of the darkest times of our lives. Dan Hamilton, senior director for product performance in the Americas for PIC, experienced a profound tragedy in 2005.

When Hamilton was a student at the University of Illinois, he met Rachel – a dynamic powerhouse who captured his heart quickly. Always the life of the conversation, she made people laugh and brought joy to everyone she was around, he says.

“We couldn’t wait to start our storybook life together,” Hamilton says. “We were young and of the mindset that you set a goal and achieve it. Then, you just keep doing that. We both had successful careers, bought our first house, and decided it was time to have a baby.”

He will never forget the morning when it was time to go to the hospital after nine months of waiting.

“We had the bag packed in the car like you’re supposed to, and the nursery was ready,” he recalls. “We went to the hospital and they took Rachel back. I went with her and they said, ‘You know, her blood pressure is a little bit variable. Why don’t you step out?’”

They told him they were going to get her blood pressure under control before moving on to the next step of the delivery process.

“It wasn’t a few minutes later that a lot of sirens started going off, and they were having some sort of a code event,” Hamilton says. “I wasn’t sure if it was her or what it was, because they had me in the waiting room with no direction. The next thing I know, the doctors were approaching me with a very grim face.”

They sat him down and explained that Rachel died in the delivery room that morning from either an amniotic or pulmonary embolism. A rare, one-in-a-million event, there was nothing the doctors could do to save his wife. In that very same moment, he found out he was the father of a baby girl, Kaitlyn.

Stunned, Hamilton didn’t know what to do next. The doctors were talking about the duress Kaitlyn endured while his heart smashed into pieces.

Black-and-White Memories

Because Kaitlyn experienced a lack of oxygen for a period of time, doctors whisked her off to the neonatal intensive care unit for the first four days of her life to stabilize her respiratory tract.

“I don’t think any dad goes into the hospital thinking he will leave a single father,” Hamilton says. “Not only was I grieving the loss of Rachel, but the stress of how I was going to care for Kaitlyn on my own put me to the limit.”

An outpouring of support from family and friends surrounded him at that moment.

“It’s unfortunate that it takes a traumatic event to realize how many people in the world care,” Hamilton says. “And that continued for years afterward. My parents were really close and they came and spent a lot of time with me. Rachel’s mother had just retired, so she was able to help me with Kaitlyn during the day. She was a godsend for sure. Friends would come on nights or weekends and give me a break when needed.”

When he looks back, he sees that time of his life in black and white.

“Memories are usually in color,” he says. “But that first year was definitely in black and white for me.”

Although watching each step of Kaitlyn’s development was the greatest gift, he says not having Rachel to share it with him was hard. He constantly questioned how he was going to be able to raise a young lady.

“Rachel would have been so good at this,” he says. “I asked a lot of questions. Why did this happen? Why was she taken away from me?”

He learned to stop asking those questions.

“You may never find reason with those,” he says. “Focus on the positive and the good things around you. Be grateful for the people that support you, because that is what God is sending you – the help, support and strength to move forward.”

Be in the Moment

When you’ve gone through a trauma like this, Hamilton says it’s important to take time to heal and reflect.

“My grief for Rachel will always be there,” he says. “I still tear up every time I think about it and it’s been 20-some years. I just want to encourage people walking through grief that someday you can reformulate your life and have positive experiences again. It may not feel like it at first, but there are good things ahead.”

And let people help you, Hamilton adds. People want to help, but don’t always know how to help. He believes letting people in allows both parties to process and that’s a good thing.

“One thing I’ve learned is to be in the moment,” he says.

Don’t let things get out of balance that shouldn’t get out of balance, he adds. For example, your job shouldn’t compromise your relationship with your family. That’s something he takes seriously.

Three years after Rachel’s death, he met his current wife, Carrie, and her daughter. Today they are raising three daughters. Kaitlyn is now a junior at the University of Illinois and doing amazing, he says.

“Looking back at what I went through, there’s always some guilt that I could have spent more time or done this or that,” Hamilton says. “Live your life so you don’t have those regrets as you go forward. You just never know when you’ll get that next chance.”

You can listen to more of Hamilton’s personal story of resilience on “The PORK Podcast” on YouTube or follow The PORK Podcast anywhere podcasts are found.

AASV Names 2026 Top Veterinarians of the Year

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:10:46 GMT

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) celebrated the “best of the best” at its 2026 Annual Meeting, honoring veterinarians for their exceptional skill, industry impact and leadership. This year’s top honors recognize the clinical proficiency of Dr. Brad Leuwerke, the pioneering technical expertise of Dr. Robyn Fleck, and the rapid professional ascent of Dr. Elizabeth Noblett, showcasing the depth of talent driving the U.S. pork industry forward.

2026 Swine Practitioner of the Year

Dr. Brad Leuwerke was named the 2026 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians for his unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients. Originally from a farm near Forest City, Iowa, Leuwerke earned an MSc in veterinary microbiology and preventative medicine and DVM from Iowa State University in 2006. He joined the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn., immediately after graduation. There, he oversees sow herd and nursery/grow-finish health, trains clients on health topics, and conducts research.

Leuwerke stands out for his balance of science, common sense and character. Clients view him as a “kind, humble, empathetic leader and a talented, approachable resource.” His critical thinking skills and ability to contribute on topics such as animal welfare, infectious diseases, biosecurity, responsible use of antimicrobials and live vaccines demonstrate his holistic vision toward the profession and the level of respect he has for the pig, the consumer and the environment.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Eileen Thacker in veterinary school, Leuwerke was introduced to the concept of a swine-only veterinarian, and she encouraged him to attend the 2003 AASV Annual Meeting. Leuwerke has attended every AASV Annual meeting since. He has presented, chaired seminars, served on the program planning committee, and participated in student recruitment events. He has also been an active participant and leader in AASV committees, especially the Pork Safety Committee. AASV notes that he mentors new veterinarians, fostering growth and knowledge sharing, and remains actively engaged in industry conferences and emerging research.

2026 Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year

Dr. Robyn Fleck received the AASV Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award. As a senior account manager of scientific sales and affairs at Merck Animal Health, Fleck manages corporate account relationships and technology transfer, and she manages generation and distribution of scientific data to support swine vaccine brands. She also provides technical input into and review of marketing materials for swine biologicals and pharmaceuticals.

Prior to joining Merck Animal Health, she held positions with Zoetis as associate director of outcomes research, the National Pork Board as director of swine health programs, Schering-Plough Animal Health as a swine technical services manager, and as a staff veterinarian with Cargill Pork.

Fleck has served on multiple AASV committees, including program planning, influenza, pharmaceutical issues, food safety, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has also served on the National Pork Board’s Swine Health and Food Safety committees. Fleck is a recognized pioneer among women in the swine veterinary profession who has paved the path for others.

2026 Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year

The AASV Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Elizabeth Noblett. Originally from Gastonia, N.C., she received a BS (2013) and MAS (2016) in animal sciences, and a DVM (2020) from North Carolina State University (NCSU). Noblett said before college, she had very little experience or exposure to swine production. Her unwavering interest was sparked after holding her first pig at the NCSU Swine Unit during her first animal science lab.

After graduation, Noblett joined The Maschhoffs as a herd veterinarian. Since 2023, she has been a veterinarian with Smithfield where she oversees the health of sow farm operations and corresponding grow-finish operations in the southeastern United States.
Noblett has been a continuous member and leader of the AASV since joining as a student. She has presented at the AASV Annual Meeting as a student and a practicing veterinarian. She has served as the student podcast coordinator, and she currently chairs the AASV Communications Committee. Noblett was a participant in the first class of the AASV Early-Career Swine Veterinarian Development.