Popular Pig Podcast Episodes

Rethinking Animal Welfare for Stronger Pigs and Farms | Dr. Yolande Seddon

About the Guest

Yolande Seddon is an associate professor in swine behaviour and the Enhancement Chair in Swine Welfare at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Yolande leads a research group in Saskatoon, Canada, and provides animal welfare consultation for swine industry groups. Her academic training is in applied ethology (animal behaviour) and the scientific assessment of animal welfare, with a PhD in finisher pig health management (Newcastle University, UK).

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Fixing Sow Prolapses on Farm | Dr. Lauren Glowzenski

About the Guest

Dr. Lauren Glowzenski, VMD, is a 2016 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and has been a swine exclusive practitioner for over a decade. With experience in all phases of production, from birth to market, Dr. Glowzenski has previous experience working for TriOak Foods (JBS USA) and Tyson Foods. She currently works for Pipestone Veterinary Services where she provides care for client farms throughout the Midwest. (more…)

The Fourth Revolution: Digitizing Pork Production | Oscar Toledano & Tyler Leete

About the Guests

After studying at the Faculty of Agrifood, Forestry, and Engineering at the University of Lleida, Oscar Toledano worked as a production manager on large pig farms. Twenty-four years ago, he joined Rotecna, where he has had the opportunity to collaborate with pig production and farm construction companies in more than 80 countries. Mr. Toledano has experience as a speaker at national and international events and has also written technical articles on current topics related to the pig industry. (more…)

Cracking the Code on Market Hog Transport Losses | Dr. Ashley DeDecker

About the Guest

Dr. DeDecker received her Ph.D. in swine well-being at the University of Illinois in 2011 and then started her career with Smithfield Foods.

Currently Senior Director of Research and Extension for Smithfield Hog Production, Dr. DeDecker oversees applied research in all disciplines of swine production with the goal to identify cost effective solutions that can be implemented at the farm level using Extension services and outreach. (more…)

Taste What Pork Can Do: Marketing That Meets the Moment | Neal Hull & Tony Manker

About the Guests

Neal Hull joined the National Pork Board in 2019 as director of domestic market development. He leads the field team of channel market development managers to align NPB’s strategies with key retail and foodservice customers across the country; he is focused on building trust, adding value and creating demand for U.S. pork. Neal has more than 30 years’ experience in the food industry, including foodservice and retail.
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Navigating Risk, Renewal, and the Next Generation | Chris Ford

About the Guest

Chris Ford works with swine operations across the Farm Credit Services of America, Frontier Farm Credit, and Ag Country Associations’ state territory and throughout the Midwest ranging in a variety of sizes. Chris is a part of the specialized Swine Team which has lending relationships with 28 of the 40 largest swine producers in the nation. Prior to becoming a Vice President of Corporate Swine Lending, Chris was a Credit Underwriter that specialized in swine operations.

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Turning Sludge into Sustainability | Jordan Phasey

About the Guest

Jordan is the founder and CEO of Phinite and a seasoned entrepreneur currently leading his third startup. He first recognized the opportunity to recycle animal waste nutrients into high-value fertilizer while managing wastewater treatment and resource recovery projects in Darwin, Australia. In 2016, he earned top honors from the U.S. EPA in their Nutrient Recycling Challenge for his innovative work in this field. Jordan relocated with his family to North Carolina,one of the largest hog-producing regions in the U.S., to launch Phinite. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a regional leader in waste management and sustainable fertilizer production, driving innovation at the intersection of agriculture and environmental stewardship.

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Creating Tomorrow’s Ag Leaders Through Experience and Trust | Shonda Sammons

About the Guest

Shonda Sammons is a partner and Program Leader with the sister organization of 21st Century, 21st Century Agriculture Leadership. With over 30+ years of experience, she works with employers and employees to provide coaching, guidance, and leadership development. In addition to her highly engaging facilitation style, Shonda converts individuals into enterprising champions and assists companies in identifying in-house talent and matching employee skill sets to job responsibilities.
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Navigating Leadership in Ag and Beyond | Gary Weihs

About the Guest

Gary Weihs serves as Managing Partner for Kincannon & Reed, the world’s premier search firm for senior leadership roles in food, agribusiness, and life sciences organizations.

Leveraging more than 30 years of management experience in technology, production, renewables, biotech and agricultural equipment environments, Weihs focuses on senior executive and direct-report-level assignments within agricultural and food sectors.

Weihs and the Kincannon & Reed team work to become trusted partners with their clients through a consultative approach, strong work ethic, deep industry knowledge, and extensive professional networks. Early in an engagement, Weihs and his colleagues gain a thorough understanding of their clients’ near-term business objectives, long-term strategies, and organizational culture. This discovery process enables them to apply their executive experience into recruiting skilled, results-oriented, and visionary leaders for their clients.

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Rethinking GDU Design for Longevity and Profitability | Emily Pottorf & Dr. Dalton Obermier

About the Guests

Emily Pottorf is the Territory Representative for Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for Gestal. She has been with the company for 4 years. Emily grew up on an Iowa farm with her 3 sisters and spent her high school through college career working on nursery and sow farms. She followed her passion for the pork industry to Iowa State University where she earned her degree in Animal Science. She continued to work in the swine industry post-graduation; her favorite part of working with Gestal is helping farmers find solutions and improve efficiencies in their operations.
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