Hog Management
Apple’s influence has undeniably shaped consumer expectations across industries, including the pork industry. However, the reality pork producers work in is far removed from the seamless experience provided by Apple.
Why would a farm convert to become California Proposition 12 compliant? It’s a fair question that Phillip Hord, president of Hord Family Farms in Bucyrus, Ohio, continues to ask himself.
H-2A. J1. TN. Don’t be intimidated by this short list of visa worker programs, Dianne Bettin says. They connect U.S. farms with access to “amazing people with great work ethic.” Why should you consider them?
We are no longer in the “olden days” when a producer had to drive to the site to see if the barn ventilation was operating correctly because he made a ventilation change the day before based on a snapshot in time.
Challenging times in the market offer valuable opportunities to reexamine risk management strategies for feed inputs.
Data analysis is the process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information. However, without proper data analysis, you may draw the wrong conclusion.
“You don’t know what you don’t measure,” says Brad Eckberg with MetaFarms. “Producers need to be able to say, ‘Here is where we’re at, here is where we want to be as a goal for an improvement.’”
People are looking for authenticity. That’s why influencers such as Eddie Zamora, the Yum Yum Foodie, and Ashley Sampson of Life With Ashley Ann are drawing droves of peopled to their social media platforms every day.
The SEC voted on its final climate disclosure removal and removed the Scope 3 reporting requirement, that would have required public companies, including farmers, to report greenhouse gas emissions of their supply chain.
Is the ability to focus on the farm a superpower? It might be, especially in modern pork production systems. Here’s a look at MetaFarm’s preliminary 2023 data and why focus is more important than ever on the farm.
The latest MetaFarms reports show sow death loss in 2023 was at an all-time high at 15.3%. That’s up 1% from a year ago – a trend that continues to move in the wrong direction.
Sow death loss wasn’t the only number to trend in the wrong direction in 2023. Wean-to-finish mortality increased from 6.87% in 2022 to 7.61% in 2023. Brad Eckberg shares his perspective on opportunities to improve.
With all of the data available at a producer’s fingertips, no one can argue it can be overwhelming. With all of that information on hand, what are the key metrics people should look at on a periodic basis?
Close behind profitability in the list of challenges facing the U.S. pork industry is labor – not only attracting workers, but also retaining them. Dianne Bettin offers insight on how to retain top talent.
In pig farming, maximizing genetic potential is a constant pursuit. Despite perceptions that pigs are the “easy part” compared to humans, the reality is ensuring optimal conditions involves overcoming various hurdles.
A variety of topics ranging from biosecurity breaches to PRRS kicked off conversations during the 2024 American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting. Here’s a quick glimpse of what some experts had to say.
It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.
Here’s why a coalition of poultry and livestock groups filed comments with the EPA about its proposed regulation of rodenticides to control rodents on farms.
To be most effective at reducing variation, it’s important to consider its causes. If we can begin to manage these causes before placement in finishing, we’ll increase the positive impact at marketing.
Alan Hoskins, president of American Farm Mortgage, shares his expectations for the economy and how it changes the buying process.
In recent years, agricultural employers consistently emphasized talent acquisition, but there has been a noticeable shift towards prioritizing retention as the primary focus in 2024.
In 2023, pork producers did a better job of managing risk and that’s made a big difference. Steve Meyer says this is one of the reasons he hasn’t heard of many wholesale bankruptcies this year despite negative margins.
From innovative ideas and encouraging conversations to powerful networking and frank discussions, the Ohio Pork Congress was a huge success. Here are top takeaways from the powerful line-up of speakers.
Some legislators say it’s time to strengthen cybersecurity protections within the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector by identifying vulnerabilities and improving protective measures.
One of the common ways farms are targeted is by unknowingly giving an animal rights extremist access via employment. Don’t wait for a crisis to arise before you act. Here’s what should be on your 2024 hiring checklist.
The numbers were up at the 2024 Illinois Pork Expo in Springfield, Ill., this week. Here is a quick look at some of the insightful things we heard at the event in case you missed it.
“We want to make sure that we take every idea, that we take every concern back to the team and to the board of directors to be able to turn over every rock,” says NPPC’s Cody McKinley.
“Things are looking better, but not good,” Ever.Ag chief livestock economist Steve Meyer said about the pork outlook. “The question is, will things get better enough to get you in the black?”
No one would argue the character Rocky had a lot of ups and downs in his life. IPPA’s Executive Director Jennifer Tirey said it reminds her of what hog farmers have been going through, especially the last couple years.
In the “Supporting Farm Operations Act,” U.S. Congressman John Moolenaar (MI-02) introduced calling for a two-year freeze on the adverse effect wage rate for H-2A nonimmigrant workers, at 2023 levels.