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Biosecurity and foreign animal disease preparedness extends beyond the farm. This episode looks at the risk of contamination on hog trailers as pigs move from different parts of the state to harvest plants. In this episode, Dr. Cesar Corzo, associate professor at the University of Minnesota and leman chair for swine health and productivity, and Lucas Ferreira, research assistant and PhD student at the university, discuss how their trailer research got started, how trailers can be exposed to pathogens and where contamination can occur during the transportation process. They also discuss trailer washing, PPE and opportunities to break the chain of contamination and strengthen transportation biosecurity.

PRRS continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing pork producers, but each outbreak can also provide valuable information about herd recovery, losses and the management decisions that follow.In this episode, Dr. Ana Paula Serafini Poeta Silva, a research scientist at Iowa State University, discusses the PRRS Outbreak Management Program, or POMP, and what researchers have learned from a database containing information from more than 700 breeding-herd outbreaks. She explains how POMP uses data from individual outbreaks to establish benchmarks producers can use to better understand what to expect during recovery, including potential losses and the time it may take for a herd to return to baseline production. The conversation also explores how PRRS management has evolved, including the role of live virus inoculation and modified-live vaccines.

Biosecurity remains one of the most important tools for protecting livestock health, but success depends on more than having a written plan. It requires clear communication, consistent training and a team that understands how to put protocols into practice every day. As disease threats continue to evolve and some pathogens become more infectious, effective on-farm biosecurity is more important than ever. In this episode, Dr. Josh Flohr, assistant professor at Kansas State University, discusses the gap between biosecurity policies on paper and their day-to-day execution on the farm. He shares insights on building a culture of biosecurity, gaining employee buy-in and ensuring protocols are followed consistently, even when operations are at their busiest.

Data can provide a clear picture of trends and performance across a swine farm, but its greatest value comes from putting those insights into action. In this episode, Dr. Edison Magalhães, assistant professor in the department of animal science at Iowa State University, discusses how producers can leverage data to make informed decisions that improve herd performance from birth to market. He highlights the challenges of siloed data across different teams, the impact those gaps can have on performance and the importance of integrating data to gain a more complete picture of herd health and productivity. He also explains the PROSPER (Predictors of Swine Performance) tool, which combines data from multiple sources to help producers better understand herd performance.

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation. Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.

Regulations like Proposition 12 and evolving technologies continue to impact swine production. In this episode, Hyatt Frobose, North America commercial director of JYGA Technologies Inc., discusses what success looks like in open gestation systems and shares producer insights on swine health, management and adoption of new technologies by farm teams. Fred Kuhr, in his 48th year of swine production, also joins the episode as director of production at Dykhuis Farms, a 17,000-sow farrow-to-finish operation. He shares how technology is being used on the farm today, including the role smartphones play in collecting and sharing data, improving pig health and helping employees stay informed and trained.

Genetic research and new technologies continue to influence the future of swine health and production efficiency. In this episode, we explore how research and technology are being used to support stronger, more resilient pigs, while also improving overall production outcomes. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger, geneticist with Topigs Norsvin, to discuss both routine and emerging strategies for improving piglet, pig, and sow livability. She outlines two primary approaches to enhancing resiliency: gene editing and traditional selective breeding. Continuing the resiliency conversation, we also hear from Dr. Lucina Galina, director of technical research projects at the Pig Improvement Company. She shares insights into ongoing gene-editing work focused on PRRS, detailing the pathway to success, regulatory and practical considerations, and the questions that still remain as the technology evolves. Together, these conversations provide a closer look at how research, genetics and innovation are shaping the future of swine health and livability.

This episode dives into swine mortality trends, sharing both U.S. and international data to understand the scope of pig survivability challenges. Rachel Johnson, technical account and production support lead at MetaFarms and Dr. Derald Holtkamp, professor at Iowa State University, join the podcast highlighting factors influencing mortality, including market pig prices, feed, productivity, and disease pressures. Over the past 40 years, pig-raising practices have evolved, and the episode discusses what these changes mean for productivity and opportunities for industry growth.

Pork producers say herd health is essential to the long-term success of the industry, and that message is driving the National Swine Health Strategy, a comprehensive plan set to be finalized this spring. Dr. Meredith Behr Petersen, director of swine health at the National Pork Board, outlines the timeline leading up to the plan’s final approval set for this spring and the steps involved in identifying producer priorities. She also explains how producers and the broader industry can align around the strategy to strengthen herd health and profitability. Learn more about the National Swine Health Strategy and its timeline: https://www.porkcheckoff.org/pork-production-management/national-swine-health-strategy/.

This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University. They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business. They also highlight areas of focus for future research. Explore additional research and stay connected through the Pig Livability Resource Library: piglivability.org/resource-library.

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.

How do pressure barn systems work, and is negative or positive pressure the right choice? In this episode, Dr. Brett Ramirez, associate professor at Iowa State University, breaks down the essentials of barn filtration and its role in biosecurity. He shares how the industry has evolved, practical ways barns can be modified to improve filtration without sacrificing efficiency and tips for troubleshooting common challenges. Dr. Ramirez also emphasizes the importance of building the right team when approaching filtration projects. You can also watch his full presentation from this year’s Iowa Swine Day: https://youtu.be/v8q1so_4jTA?s....

New equipment alone won’t solve every challenge in swine production. The real value comes when technologies and systems work together to improve efficiency. In this episode, three guests share their perspectives on how to make technology work smarter, not harder, and what producers should consider when making future decisions.First, Erin Brenneman and Jeremy Robertson of Brenneman Pork discuss the complexities of integrating different technologies, opportunities for overlapping data, and how success ultimately comes down to three essentials: air, water, and feed. You can also watch their full presentation from this year’s Iowa Swine Day: https://youtu.be/cQ99YHHB88w?feature=shared.Then, Dr. Suzanne Leonard from North Carolina State University emphasizes the importance of keeping technology adoption simple. She explains what value really means, considerations for budgeting and implementation, and how to avoid overcomplicating the process. Learn more from her presentation: https://youtu.be/gvDZnPE2VhE?feature=shared.

Biosecurity is vital to any swine operation, and manure handling can pose serious potential risks. Research from Ana Paula Serafini Poeta Silva, a research scientist from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, studied the association between manure management practices and disease outbreaks, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV). On today’s episode, she highlights the analysis on improving pumping procedures and which disease showed a stronger association in wean-to-market pigs. Learn more about the research: https://fieldepi.org/team/