Latest From Opinion

Alexis Main, graduate student at Oklahoma State University and 2021 College Aggies Online participant, clears up myths about what goes on behind closed doors on a pig farm and lessons she's learned about biosecurity.

Congress continues to tinker with the Build Back Better Act and we review the changes done today.

As we get ready to close out a roller coaster of a year, there are a few pieces of advice I’ve recently heard I wanted to pass on as we launch into a new year of foreign animal disease preparedness and prevention.

Being an FFA member isn’t something you hang up when you age out. Your role just changes, says Farm Journal's PORK editor Jennifer Shike.

Isn’t it easy to look across the table and think about how someone else needs to change their mindset? It’s hard to realize that maybe just a slight adaptation of your own perspective could change things faster.

The fall is often perceived as porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS) season. However, this focus on PRRS management can potentially leave the door open for other respiratory pathogens.

The industry has been through a lot of challenges with COVID-19 and a difficult year for PRRS. As we get those issues behind us, focusing on production metrics, enterprise analysis and future direction is critical.

Despite all the efforts to develop a commercial ASF vaccine, there is no vaccine or treatment commercially available yet to prevent or treat this virus. That’s why surveillance is so important, says Attila Farkas, DVM.

Animal rights extremist organizations are known for attempting to take advantage of unfortunate situations. That means farmers need to think about potential activism while coming up with crisis plans. 

Have you seen the headlines that animal ag is going away and soon we will all be eating plant-based protein patties and cell-cultured meat? Some even think the time of animal ag is at an end. But is that the truth? 

The more complicated part about raising pigs is how to ensure the people responsible for raising them are properly trained and supported by strong leaders that empower them to make the right decisions.  

When Dr. Bob Hines stepped in front of his class, everyone listened. He just had this way about him. He knew how to read his students. He knew hogs. And he knew how to connect the two in a special way that few can do.

Energy and passion for the global pork industry are the foundation of United Pork Americas, a new event Farm Journal recently acquired that will take place April 19-21, 2002, in Orlando. Here's what you need to know.

When you review the dynamics of the U.S. industry, most indicators are back to a normal “shape.” However, it's too early to believe the global pork complex, especially the U.S., is returning to business as usual.

The swine industry has historically battled labor shortages, and COVID-19 amplified those challenges. Here are a few tips for attending farrowing I learned working on a sow farm with labor challenges. 

Consumer spending is hitting record numbers in the first two quarters of 2021, and although economic growth may be slowing, it is still occurring. Columnist Kent Bang sheds light on what to expect in the pork markets.

With ASF marching westward and now just 750 miles from Florida, the U.S. pork industry’s decision three years ago to pull out all the stops to prevent the introduction and spread into the U.S. seems prescient. 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Those words spoken by an ag instructor, inspired Rob Brenneman to chase after his dream to become a pig farmer even though he didn’t have a pig to his name when he started.

“Every morsel of meat we eat is slapping the tear-stained face of a hungry child.” Hannah Thompson-Weeman shares remarkable quotes from 2021 activist conferences to demonstrate what animal ag is up against.

Virtual recruiting, including career fairs and interviews, were catching on before COVID-19, but now they’ve become the norm. Virtual recruiting is here to stay.

With possible increases in estate and gift taxes looming, the use of an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) may be appropriate to use in 2021.

While there are lots of reasons to believe ASF in the Dominican Republic is not a sure sign it will penetrate the U.S. industry, still, everyone has become focused on it and how slippery it is to contain.

In today’s food industry, consumers need assurances. While the specific assurances vary, the general request is the same: “Are producers doing things the right way when it comes to the way food is produced?”

I’ll never forget cramming into the livestock judging van for our first practice as a freshman. As I looked around me at a bunch of faces I didn’t know, I couldn’t help but think, “What am I getting into?"

Kent Bang left the National Pork Industry Conference filled with hope and excitement about the next generation who will take over leadership in the pork industry. Here's why.

While the U.S. remains free of African swine fever, the recent announcement of ASF in the Dominican Republic underscores the importance of continued detection and biosecurity efforts to protect swine in this country. 

The U.S. agriculture community tends to be proud of our role in providing families around the world with safe, affordable and nutritious food. And we have reason to be. However, not everyone shares that same sentiment.

Biosecurity is a large factor that plays into the overall health and profitability of a swine operation.

For years we watched as the ASF virus jumped from Africa into the Middle East, then into Europe and Russia, and most recently, into China and Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere it goes, ASF sets up shop permanently.

The Proposed Transfer Tax can actually eliminate net equity for many farm families and cause their heirs to be underwater. It can be much worse than the current or proposed estate tax for most farmers.

“They were raised right. They were raised in a hog barn.” Willie Kirkpatrick once made these remarks, and I can’t think of a better way to sum up “why” we show livestock, says Maddie Fugate of Mahomet, Ill.

Maybe not a wilderness per se, but one big honking tree.

An unexpected conversation in the check-out lane spurred editor Jennifer Shike to weigh in on the stock show prize we need to spend more time talking about these days.

At the foundation of a successful nutritional program, management of the components of a quality system requires close collaboration between team members working with animals on the farm. Here are four keys to consider.

We are about ready to enter the next phase of the pandemic whipsaw with respect to prices. Pork producers are facing very high feed costs and market hog prices, which are beginning the inevitable re-entry back to Earth.

Although he's grateful technology allowed education to continue during the pandemic, Chad Carr, a professor at the University of Florida, says he can’t wait to see students gather again to participate on judging teams.

The U.S. inflation rate is 5.0% for the year ended May 2021. Congress is debating a spending bill and stimulus package. With more money pumped into the economy, Kent Bang says we should prepare for further inflation. 

U.S. hog farmers are eagerly anticipating a mid-summer federal appeals court ruling on arbitrary animal housing standards being imposed on farms in the U.S. next year, driving up costs for pork producers and consumers.

How does a good welfare program allow for continuous improvement to promote outstanding animal husbandry and provide quality care for animals? Carissa Odland, DVM, says it comes down to training, tools and tracking.

With so much conversation around sustainable nutrition and some voices calling for everyone to ditch meat to save the planet, we all need to get more comfortable communicating about nutrition. 

Most agribusinesses conduct exit interviews. While these are valuable, it’s too late for that employee. Here's why you should implement stay interviews to gage employees' satisfaction and propensity to stay.

Don't let rising construction costs leave your production facilities underinsured.

Transportation biosecurity continues to be a significant risk. Aaron Lower, DVM, with Carthage Veterinary System Ltd, says 90% of grow/finish coronavirus breaks happen during transportation, marketing or placing pigs.

I’ve been keeping a secret. I was offered an exclusive interview with the pork industry's new celebrity mythbuster. No name. No details. My response? An enthusiastic “yes.” Here's what I learned.

The past few years have been incredibly difficult for hog farmers, Phil Borgic writes. Now, just as we are returning to normalcy, another looming disaster threatens my livelihood and the prosperity of farmers like me.

Make your pads last longer, the 80-80 rule, don't operate your evap system between 10 pm and 10 am, and airspeed is what makes evap cooling work.

With rising feed costs and higher market weights, it has never been more important to choose the right feeder for your hog operation.

For some, not knowing what challenges they may face each day is exciting, says Dyneah Classen, DVM. For others, unexpected challenges can throw them off course. Here's why she plans big and executes small.   

When you become a livestock "show mom," rest assured you’re going to experience your fair share of teachable moments. Here are five reasons why show moms deserve a little extra celebration.

What’s driving higher prices? Pork product demand. Kent Bang of Compeer Financial explores the factors that have affected demand and the headwinds that impact product delivery to consumers today and in the future.