Episodes

About the Guest Michele Payn, CSP, connects the people and science of food and farming as principal of Cause Matters Corp. She is known for being a community catalyst, a passionate advocate for global agriculture – and touching hearts to move minds. Michele has worked with farmers in more than 25 countries, raised millions of dollars for 4-H & FFA, and founded AgChat and FoodChat on Twitter. She is the author of three books: Food Bullying, an IPPY gold medal winner; Food Truths from Farm to Tab...

About the Guest Dr. Mike Tokach is a University Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences and Industry atKansas State University. Tokach joined K-State in 1991 and, as a swine nutrition researcher and extension specialist, is an author on more than 420 articles in scientific journals, 11book chapters and more than 1,100 extension and non-refereed articles. Tokach has received more than $22 million in research grants and gifts. He also has been awarded seven patents for his research and has giv...

What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Recent news within the industry. New technologies that will be at the World Pork Expo. What we are looking forward to.

About the Guest Scott stump is honored to serve as the chief executive officer of the national FFA organization and foundation. He is excited to lead FFAs efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Prior to this role, stump served as assistant secretary for the office of career, technical, and adult education within the united states department of educati...

About the Guest Dr. Cara Haden received her degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 from the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she joined Pipestone Vet Clinic as an associate Veterinarian working with independent pig farm clients throughout the Midwest. Today she serves as the Director of Animal Welfare for Pipestone. Cara is also active on social media, showcasing the swine industry and the ways farmers care for their pigs. What can you expect to learn fro...

About the Guest An avid supporter of responsible, safe ingredients in medical device products, Dr. Greenhalgh has established a career of inventing, developing and launching medical products that meet the unmet needs of consumers, animals and medical professionals. With a focus on skin and wound care, Dr. Greenhalgh has patented a large breadth of technologies that promote skin health through a novel nanopolymer platform. The wound care products that have resulted from this technology have bee...

About the Guest Joseph Kerns, President of Partners for Production Agriculture, has thirty years’ experience working with producers, suppliers, and mills to support agricultural operations. He leads a team of professionals with the purpose of understanding the financial parameters around agricultural markets so that those that he works with can thrive and prosper. Bill Even is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Pork Board based in Des Moines, IA where he has responsibility for leadin...

About the Guest Anne manages Invariant’s agriculture and food practice, bringing 20 years of substantive policy experience in the sector. For their field-to-fork clients, She provides regulatory guidance, crafts policy solutions, and deploys innovative engagement plans for Congress and the Administration. Anne spent four years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Obama Administration, first as senior adviser and then as deputy chief of staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack, where she led ...

About the Guest John Wesley Hairr is the Recruiter with Murphy Family Ventures. He leads the recruiting efforts for the company engaging with students, faculty and staff at colleges, universities, and also high schools to attract new hires to the company. Prior to taking his role as Recruiter, John Wesley was a Farm Manager for Murphy Family Ventures. He understands the importance agriculture has in Southeastern North Carolina, and strives to share its impact through his Recruiter efforts. John...

About the Guest After studying in the University of Lleida School of Agri-food and Forestry Science and Engineering, Oscar worked as a production manager in different large sow farms for 3 year. 22 years ago, joined Rotecna, where he has had the chance to cooperate with pig production and farm construction companies in more than 80 countries. Rotecna develops and manufactures innovative solutions in hog equipment and farm design to help the world’s best pig production companies to produce healt...

About the Guest Chris Grant is the President of Innovative Heating Technologies (IHT) out of Winnipeg, MB Canada. After a 15 year career managing plastic manufacturing that moved him around the country, he was looking for a change in life and career. In 2013 he took the leap and partnered with Matt Robins by purchasing IHT. By combining their plastics and electrical backgrounds, they were able to create the most energy efficient and reliable heat pad for farrowing. Their technology has helped c...

About the Guest Mr. John Quackenbush is the Chief Commercial Officer at Minitube USA, Inc based in Verona WI. After a 13-year career managing boar studs for Zoltenko Farms in Kansas, John moved to Wisconsin to work in Reproduction Sales. In November of 2015, John led the startup of Minitube USA, in Delavan WI, a subsidiary of Minitube International. In October of 2018, Minitube USA purchased the assets of MOFA Global and moved operations to Verona WI. Since 2018, John has led the Sales and Serv...

About the Guest Bill Luckey — Nebraska Bill Luckey, a fourth-generation farmer, owns a wean-to-finish operation in Columbus, Nebraska, and is a part-owner of a sow farm. Bill is responsible for the daily care of 740 nursery pigs and 1,400 finisher pigs. In addition, his family operates a 2,000 head custom contract finisher and markets 10,000 pigs annually. He also grows corn, soybeans and cattle on 700 acres. Bill is serving his second term on the National Pork Board and also serves on the boar...

About the Guest From vegetable farm manager to global ISO auditor, David then moved into the poultry sector when he purchased a UK broiler farm in 2004 and continues to operate a contract poultry farm management company in the UK. In 2018, David founded OPTIFarm. OPTIfarm is a very unique data driven support service, currently for poultry and swine, assessing real time farm data against animal behavioural knowledge and human considerations to increase productivity and welfare globally 24/7. Dav...

About the Guest Gary Asay, Producer from Illinois and past president of NPB Gary Asay owns and manages Asay Farms, a wean-to-finish operation in Illinois that markets 9,500 hogs annually. He also raises corn and soybeans. Gary most recently served on the Illinois Pork Producers Association board of directors and was a director for the National Pork Producers Council. He is an Operation Main Street speaker, as well as a member of the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Corn Growers As...

About the Guest Dr. John Sonderman, PhD, PAS Director of Technical Services for DNA Genetics, a provider of swine genetics to the commercial swine industry in North America, Spain, and Brazil. His duties include oversight of technical support to commercial customers and multipliers in North America, the North American nucleus herds and boar studs, and collaboration on research. He also provides consulting and research support for Pillen Family Farms, a 70,000-sow commercial producer located in...

About the Guests Dr. Clayton Johnson is a veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. located in Carthage, Illinois. He is one of eleven veterinarians dedicated to the swine veterinary practice. Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. provides health, management, and production consulting to swine farms of all sizes in all regions of the United States and many locations abroad. Dr. Johnson attended the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, receiving a Doctorate of Veterinary M...

About the Guests John started learning the ropes about pigs at the age of 11. He qualified as a veterinarian in 1982. After 5 years in general practice he returned to university to complete a Leverhulme residency in pigs and the PhD in urinary tract problems of pigs at Liverpool specialising in microbiology and pathology. He has a Diploma in Pig Medicine and is a Diplomate of the European College of Pig Health Management. He is recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a pig spe...

About the Guests Bob Ruth is the vice president of the National Pork Board of directors. He is the past president for Country View Family Farms, a farrow-to-finish farm with 110,000 sows. Now retired, Bob served as the senior vice president for Clemens Food Group, where he worked for 20 years. He has also served on the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Board of Directors and is an active member of PennAg and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Heather Hill is the president of the National Pork Board of direct...

About the Guest Lifelong pig and grain farmer, Dave Klocke is the founder and President of PigEasy, LLC, a swine equipment company that provides innovative solutions to improve pigs’ well-being and boost producers’ profit potential. In 2013, Dave and his wife, Karen, founded PigEasy, LLC after Dave invented products to help other pork producers streamline production and successfully feed their animals. He currently holds multiple patents and IPs for animal feeding, pig handling, and ventilation...

About the Guest Dean Meyer is no stranger to the livestock industry, for more than 30 years, he along with his family have been farming near Rock Rapids, Iowa. He has served as chair of the Lyon County Pork Producers, president of the Farmers Elevator Co-Op, the Lyon County Extension Council, chair of the Iowa Corn Animal Ag and Environment Committee and District 1 Director of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Being from one of the densest livestock regions of the state, he is passionate about...

About the Guest Kyle has a passion for teaching. He discovered this passion while working for Kaplan Test Prep as he finished his Political Science degree at Texas A&M University. He has carried this passion throughout his legal career, teaching clients as he helps them to find and understand legal pathways out of labor bottlenecks. His innovation in solving perpetual labor shortages for businesses came shortly after graduating from Vanderbilt Law School. He and his wife, Natalie, began working...

About the Guest Dave has been a veterinarian for more than 25 years and a computer programmer for more than 30. After a long period as a mixed animal vet he is now an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne with a PhD in Animal Welfare of cattle, where he undertakes research in dairy cattle medicine, reproduction and animal welfare. He is also editor-in-chief of the Australian Veterinary Journal and a director of the Australian Veterinary Association. What can you expect to learn fr...

About the Guest Dr. Lowe is 1994 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and has been working with swine production companies across the United States since that time. Dr. Lowe completed the college’s Executive Veterinary Program in Swine Health Management in 2000 and returned to campus as a student in 2002 while continuing to practice full time. In 2005 he received a master of science degree in infectious disease management. He has maintained an active research pr...