Every Decision is an Investment
As the parents of three kids, my husband and I will quickly admit that life feels a little busy right now. From livestock shows and wrestling meets to gymnastics practices and FFA contests, it’s easy to run out of time to get everything done. We often question if we are doing the right thing as parents.
I think that’s why one of our pastor’s recent reflections from 2022 is stuck in my head. He said, “Every decision is an investment.”
It’s a simple, but poignant truth. Every decision we make is an investment in something.
This holds true in our faith, families, and yes, pork operations, too.
How Will You Invest in Your Operation?
Every day, pork producers face a myriad of decisions on how to invest in their operations. After the swine health challenges of 2022, it’s hard to disagree with the advice Christine McCracken of Rabobank offers for 2023.
"Don’t get lax on biosecurity. Tight labor markets and higher turnover leave the industry vulnerable to disease challenges. This is a good time to double-down on educating your team and enforcing the strong programs already in place,” McCracken says.
She’s not the only one urging improvement needs to be made when it comes to biosecurity on the farm.
Derald Holtkamp, professor at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, points out that we are adding hazards faster than we are adding control measures on the farm. Find out what he discovered through a staged loading study.
Biosecurity may not seem like a glamorous investment, but TriOak Foods’ veterinarian service manager Lauren Glowzenski, opens up about why it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make.
An Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia outbreak devastated a farm she oversees. After a great amount of investigation on how the disease got into the finishing site, it was determined it likely entered by contaminated equipment coming on to the site from contracted labor crews.
“We know biosecurity works because we’ve done it on the sow farms and the boar studs, we just need to bring that same mindset to the finishing units,” Glowzenski says. “We have to get better about biosecurity. We can’t turn a blind eye to it.”
It Starts with a Single Decision
Swine Health Information Center Associate Director Megan Niederwerder suggests adding one additional biosecurity step in 2023 to prevent and protect your herd from infectious disease.
This issue is full of ideas about how you can make meaningful investments in 2023. I challenge you to adopt one idea from these experts and put it to work in your operation.
Take advantage of the start of a new year and the opportunity to reset, refocus and re-engage with your priorities professionally and personally.
For my husband and I, that means doubling down on decisions that maximize time spent with our growing children from the bleachers to the show ring. We’ll sleep again someday, right?
More from Editor Jennifer Shike:
With Age, I've Gained A Little Perspective
When the Reality of the Hunger Problem Hits Close to Home
Trust, Trash and Faith: A Few Things I Learned from Darrell Anderson
