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Bridging Generations in Agriculture: Rethinking Workforce and Leadership | Kristen Cumming

About the Guest

Kristen Cumming’s career is focused on improving the connection between people and their work. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Education degree in Workplace and Adult Learning. Kristen spent 11 years instructing in the Donald School of Business at Red Deer College and the Bachelor of Management Business Economics program at the University of Alberta – Augustana Campus and spent the past 20 years operating a successful consulting practice through which she serves as a consultant, speaker and trainer focused on leadership and execution. She is a proud product of an Albertan farm family.

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Balancing Welfare and Productivity in Swine Care | Kurt Preugschas, DVM

About the Guest

Kurt was born and raised on a pig farm near Barrhead, Alberta, which sparked his passion for swine production and medicine. He graduated with his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 from WCVM in Saskatoon. After graduation, he went directly into swine medicine and has worked in swine practices in Manitoba and Alberta. In 2019, Kurt started a new swine veterinary practice, Precision Veterinary Services inc., based in Red Deer, Alberta. He and his wife Tanja have their home near Lacombe with their 4 children.
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Rethinking Pig Welfare: Beyond the Basics | Dr. Martyna Lagoda

About the Guest

Dr Martyna Lagoda holds a B.A degree in Science, Zoology, and an M.Sc degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Following the completion of her Ph.D in Sow Welfare (focus on sow chronic stress and its implications for piglet prenatal stress) at Teagasc, Ireland, in collaboration with the Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Poland in 2022, Martyna worked as a research technologist on the “Tail Bite Advice” project in Teagasc, aiming to develop algorithms to accurately monitor tail biting behaviour, and to create a data-driven PLF decision support tool to actively advise farmers on how to reduce tail-biting occurrences.

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Improving Pig Livability: A Continued Collaborative Effort | Dr. David Rosero

About the Guest

Dr. David Rosero is an Assistant Professor at Iowa State University. He leads a dynamic research program dedicated to advancing swine nutrition and smart farming practices. His current research initiatives include 1) maximizing the nutritional value of feed ingredients in swine diets, 2) implementing nutritional interventions to improve pig livability and swine systems sustainability, 3) determining the adequate access of pigs to welfare resources, and 4) harnessing computer vision AI technologies to improve production practices and animal welfare. Leveraging his past experience as the Technical Officer at The Hanor Company, he combines invaluable industry experience with academic pursuits.

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Building a Biosecurity Blueprint: Advancing Science-Based Policies | Dr. Scott Dee

About the Guest

Scott Dee earned a DVM, MS, and PhD from the University of Minnesota, is board-certified in veterinary microbiology, past President of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, past Chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents and currently serves on the AVMA House of Delegates. After 12 years in swine practice and another 12 years in academia, Scott joined Pipestone Veterinary Services as Director of Applied Research, where he served as Director of Discovery and Innovation for Pipestone for 12.5 years.

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Digitizing Biosecurity to Prevent Disease Outbreaks | Rob Hannam

About the Guest

As the CEO of Farm Health Guardian, Rob Hannam is committed to helping farms and food companies improve animal health and protect against the devastating impact of animal disease through digital biosecurity.

Launched in 2020 for the swine and poultry sectors, Farm Health Guardian technology is reducing the risk of disease spread and improving biosecurity compliance which saves time, reduces the cost of production and improves farm sustainability.

Rob’s passion for agriculture was cultivated while growing up on his family’s grain farm in Guelph, Ontario. He has worked in agriculture for over 30 years and has proven experience in building innovative businesses.
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