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Lee Johnston was selected as an Outstanding Extension Faculty at the 2023 UMN Extension Dean’s Distinguished Awards Banquet. Dr. Johnston is a familiar face to pig farmers across Minnesota and has provided decades of valuable nutrition and management research...
Hord Family Farms, a fifth-generation pork producer based in Bucyrus, OH, today completed its acquisition of the assets of New Horizon Farms, a farrow-to-finish swine operation located in Pipestone, MN. The Minnesota farm going forward will operate as Hord...
Who doesn’t enjoy October’s sights and sounds? We marvel at harvest colors and the flurry of accomplishment across the countryside. A recent evening drive across southeastern Minnesota was colorful and warm, with a slight haze of soybean dust in...
Reflections on the Leman Swine Conference by Dr. John Deen
This year Dr. John Deen was recognized at the Leman Swine Conference for his work in the swine group at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. Dr....
We all have our own stories on the farm. But sometimes its the little things that make us laugh and/or frustrated. Here are a couple things that happened in the last week.
Incident #1
Hearing this secondhand and imagining in my...
President Joe Biden commenced his "barnstorming" tour of rural America with a visit to a hog farm near Northfield, Minnesota. The event aimed to garner support for his agenda in regions where the Democratic Party has faced challenges in...
Abstract
Describing PRRSV whole-genome viral diversity data over time within the host and within-farm is crucial for a better understanding of viral evolution and its implications. A cohort study was conducted at one naïve farrow-to-wean farm reporting a PRRSV outbreak....
In 2023, pork producers are grappling with significant challenges, and the hope for a turnaround in 2024 is paramount. This year has witnessed unprecedented consolidated losses in the industry, leading to financial difficulties for many producers and prompting some...
A few weeks ago was the annual Farm Aid concert/fundraiser. For over 30 years, you have put together a group of celebrity vocal performers such as John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Mathews, and Willie Nelson. Farm Aid was originally...
In these challenging times, many in the pork industry are experiencing financial strain. Economic fluctuations, market uncertainties and other external factors have made profitability an uphill battle for many dedicated pork producers.
Among the struggles, there are glimmers of hope...
We all love good food, and for many, the local food movement is the hottest trend right now. The farm-to-table movement promotes food purchases directly from local farmers. As a farmer, I have some confusion about the term “farm-to-table.”...
If there is one term I am most frustrated with hearing people say, it is Factory Farms. Why? You may find this a little crazy coming from a hog farmer, but I really don’t know what a factory farm...
A team of CVM researchers led by Kimberly VanderWaal (VPM) was recently awarded a 4-year, $800,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture...
Christensen Farms, a leading player in the agricultural industry, is going through a significant leadership transition. Glenn Stolt, who has served as the company's President and CEO for an impressive 13 years, has announced his intention to retire from...
So how are pigs raised? Here is an overview of how our pigs are raised. Granted, there are many ways to raise pigs and as long as the health and care of the animal is the highest priority, there...
