Life on the farm is full of things you just have to figure out. Perhaps it’s that constant challenge that keeps Mike Paustian constantly inspired to do better by his pigs every day. A microbiologist by trade, he worked for USDA’s National Animal Disease Center before returning to his family’s century farm in Walcott, Iowa.
Whether he’s building his own computers, explaining genetic editing or managing better farm data, Paustian brings a level of technical expertise to the pork industry that is rare on the farm today.
“Sometimes in life, we know what challenges are coming,” Paustian says. “But most of the time, they surprise you and you have to figure out a solution because nobody else is going to figure it out for you.”
Slat Floor to Microbiology Lab
Growing up on the farm, Paustian always knew he wanted to stay engaged in agriculture. He became interested in microbiology during a high school AP biology course and was “hooked.” After finishing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, he went to work for the National Animal Disease Center.
“It was an exciting time to be in science,” he says. “I realized that scientists and farmers are both striving to learn new things and figure out how to do things better. Looking back, that really prepared me to go back to the farm.”
When an opportunity arose for he and his wife to move back to the family farm before their oldest started kindergarten, they jumped at it.
“I’ve learned to embrace wherever you’re at, because you’re never going to have that time again,” he says. “I work hard not to focus on the mindset of ‘it’ll be great when this happens.’ It’s fun to look forward to things, but as I get older, I am focused on appreciating where I’m at right now.”
Forged by Fire
As Paustian transitioned back to the farm, he realized that his experience helped him appreciate how interconnected everything is in the pork industry.
“I think we like to kid ourselves that we’re self-sufficient on our farms,” he says. “We are ‘masters of our domain.’ But, if there were any silver linings out of the pandemic, I hope we saw how dependent we are on so many people to show up, do their jobs and contribute to the success of all of us.”
Paustian was leading the Iowa Pork Producers Association when the pandemic hit in March 2020. It wasn’t the presidency he expected, but he says everyone was thrown a curveball and had to navigate uncertain times.
“Looking back, I think we did a pretty good job of getting through it, because the worst-case scenarios never came to pass,” he adds. “That really resonated when I did speak with consumers and groups who were not involved in our industry. They appreciated that farmers were trying to do everything they could to make sure their animals were safe, healthy and available for providing people with safe and healthy food.”
As a scientist, he was taught to eliminate personal biases because it can contaminate the research. He credits this mindset to helping him lead the Iowa pork industry during these challenging times.
“I was able to look at the reality of what was happening to help determine how we would work our way out of it,” Paustian says. “My mindset was, ‘Here’s the problem that needs solved, now let’s figure out how we do it.’”
Get All the Information
As someone who likes to have all the information before making a decision, Paustian advocated for getting producers information as quickly as possible to help them make informed decisions.
After leading through a pandemic, he learned a few things that changed how he approaches risk management on his farm now.
“Always have a plan B,” Paustian says. “During COVID, we had to come up with some plans that, fortunately, we never had to implement. It’s not fun, but it’s like estate planning. You have a responsibility to do it, or other people will have to deal with the negative consequences of that choice. Sometimes we must force ourselves to think about worst-case scenarios.”
He also learned to always have some type of hedging in place in case there’s another black swan event.
“Don’t assume the good times will last,” Paustian says. “I think that’s especially important now when we’ve had a run of strong prices in the pork industry. We must be careful not to get complacent. For example, we’ve seen African swine fever popping up in other places in Europe. We need to constantly be on guard for market-disrupting events.”
Keep Pushing for More
The pork industry has been through a lot in the past decade. Even though it hasn’t all been memorable, Paustian says it provided the industry with many opportunities to sharpen its approach.
“When it comes to our industry, don’t settle for good enough,” he says. “Keep pushing on your own farms and keep pushing the producers who are in leadership positions.”
He encourages more people to get involved in leadership roles in the industry.
“I have gotten much more out of it than I put in,” Paustian says about his service to the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “I think there are areas that our industry needs to hold ourselves accountable for and keep moving the bar higher. Whether we’re talking about nutrient management or pork quality, there are many topics we need to spend more time discussing moving forward.”
One of the things he loves most about the pork industry is how people show up to get things done.
“All the great leaders that I’ve met through my involvement give me so much confidence in this industry,” Paustian adds. “I’ve talked with people from other industries, and I think we take it for granted how pork producers from all walks of life come together and solve problems.”
In this 50th episode of The PORK Podcast, Mike and Jennifer dive deep into:
- The Lab vs. The Barn: Why thinking like a scientist is the secret to better pig health.
- Genetic Editing: What’s actually coming next, and why producers shouldn’t be afraid of it.
- The ‘Black Swan’ Protocol: The specific risk-management steps Mike took after leading through a global crisis.
- AI on the Farm: How artificial intelligence is moving from the computer lab to the slat floor.
Ready for the full conversation?
🎧 [Listen to Mike Paustian on The PORK Podcast]
📺 [Watch the interview on YouTube]
“If you aren’t constantly pushing the bar higher, you’re falling behind.” — Mike Paustian
