Producers who were raising pigs in the 1980s can clearly remember the first time they encountered the “Mystery Swine Disease,” a deadly virus that affected both breeding and finishing hogs and changed the landscape of pig production forever. First...

Minnesota Pork is proud to announce the launch of Activate: Minnesota Pork Leadership Cohort, a new 18-month leadership development program designed to equip emerging leaders in the pork industry with the tools, confidence, and connections to boldly advocate for...

chroeder’s innovative virology research is advancing biosecurity, pollinator health, and global food systems. eclan Schroeder, professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), has been named the recipient of the 2025 Mark of...

Farm Updates All corn and soybean plants are in the ground and growing. We did have to replant some areas, however, as a deluge of rain washed some of the seeds out of the ground. Pigs have been sick. The good...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as March 14, 2025 Swine & U column Much of UMN Extension’s swine work involves disease preparedness. Not only are foreign animal diseases (FAD) a threat, but the...

This is our Friday rubric: every week a new Science Page from the Bob Morrison’s Swine Health Monitoring Project. The previous editions of the science page are available on our website. Today’s Science Page is a breakdown of a recent study done by...

The Minnesota Pork Producers Association (MPPA) and the Minnesota Pork Board (MPB) have announced Kate Maddock as director of farmer outreach. Maddock joined Minnesota Pork in May 2024 as the sustainability outreach coordinator, where she built meaningful relationships with...

Minnesota is typically considered an outdoor recreation, hunting-and-fishing state, the motherland to six outstanding professional sports teams, and home of the Mall of America. However, nestled within Minnesota’s rural communities are nearly 9 million hogs and hundreds of well-trained...

Wow, it's been crazy busy lately. We just wrapped up planting—but not without a few hiccups. Unfortunately, we had to replant some corn acres after a deluge of rain a while back. I even had to bring out the...

In the podcast, Swine Extension Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with Dr. Marie Culhane about H5 Influenza. Especially as it relates to cases in poultry and dairy, and the risk of it for pigs. Dr. Culhane is a professor...

🌽 Planting Season Update The weather lately has been picture-perfect—sunny skies, mid-70s temperatures, and, best of all, minimal wind (a rare treat here in Minnesota!). Last week I tried attending my granddaughter’s track meet, but with gusty winds and 50-degree...

Minnesota Pork is excited to announce the launch of ‘Activate,’ an 18-month leadership development program designed to equip emerging leaders in the pork industry with essential skills, industry knowledge, and hands-on training needed to confidently advocate on behalf of...

Farm Updates: Balancing Planting and Pig CareSpring is on the horizon—you can feel it in the air! While some farmers are already preparing their fields, those of us with livestock face a different kind of busy. Between taking care...

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified tongue tip fluids as a cost-effective and accurate method for detecting Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Influenza A in swine. This innovative approach offers a practical alternative to traditional...

Find out more about important signs of African swine fever (ASF) and classical swine fever (CSF), and how you can participate in the sick pig veterinary diagnostic laboratory (VDL) surveillance component here: https://z.umn.edu/ASFsickpig Currently, the United States is free of...