Popular Pig Podcast Episodes

Semen Collection & Storage | John Quackenbush

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 Service teams for Minitube USA, striving to offer the highest quality customer service, products, and consulting to porcine, bovine, equine, canine, ovine and other species, for use in assisted reproduction technologies. 

Venture Capital & Funding Ideas in Agriculture | David Speller

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. David has a broad and open mind regarding the opportunities of data and digital solutions in farming and he has a passion for creating tangible value from digital solutions.

Sustainability | Gary Asay & Amy Skoczlas Cole

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 Association.

Effects of Fostering Strategies on Pig Performance | John Sonderman

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 Nebraska and South Dakota and is a past member of the National Pork Board’s Sow Lifetime Productivity Task Force. John’s experience includes three years in extension and over ten years working in the US feed industry in nutrition and reproductive management.

Exploring Sow Mortality | Dr. Clayton Johnson

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 Medicine, continuing on to complete the Executive Veterinary Program. In 2020, Dr. Johnson was honored with the Leman Science in Practice Award.

China, ASF, and the Future of Pig Production | Dr. John Carr

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 specialist. He has taught production medicine at several universities: UK; Liverpool and Royal Veterinary College, London, US; North Carolina and Iowa State and at Murdoch and Townsville Universities Australia. John runs a consultancy practice with clients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. He currently teaches at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. John specialises in maintaining the health of pigs through promoting excellence in stockmanship and production practices.

Mythbusting 2.0 | Bob Ruth & Heather Hill

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.

PigEasy’s Founding Story | Dave Klocke

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 equipment. Dave continues to develop, test, and use all his innovations in his 2700 head farrow to wean operation outside of Templeton, Iowa. PigEasy products improve efficiency for pork producers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and across the globe.

A State of Corn & Pigs | Dean Meyer

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 supporting the crops he grows and the livestock he raises. He currently serves as chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation where he puts this passion to work as he advocates for the expansion of market demand for U.S. red meat exports. Dean and his wife Linda have five children including three sons, Alvie, Jacob and Blake, who work on the family farm helping raise corn, soybeans, cattle and swine.