Popular Pig Podcast Episodes

Advancing Needle Safety for a Stronger Pork Industry | Greg Hastings

About the Guest

Greg Hastings serves as the Senior Director of Commercial Excellence & Business Development at Neogen. In this role, he oversees Neogen’s Animal Safety R&D and Data Analytics teams. Greg is a passionate advocate for animal agriculture and actively engages in evaluating and contributing to the development of new technologies and services that offer benefits to owners and employees of animal production practices worldwide.
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Leveraging AI for R&D Tax Credits in Agriculture | Hillary Dubé and Dominic Vitucci

About the Guests

Dominic Vitucci Bio

Dominic was always poised to disrupt the tax industry. To get the required hours for the CPA, he decided to study both accounting and computer science. With two degrees in hand, Dominic started his career as integral part of the Grant Thornton Tax Innovation team.

Throughout his tenure, he had the unique opportunity to interact with firm experts, each sharing their ambitious visions for cutting-edge technologies. In August 2020, inspired by these encounters, he made the bold decision to leave Grant Thornton and devote himself full-time to building a truly innovative R&D credit technology.

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Transforming Farm Biosecurity and Expanding into New Markets | Martijn Schippers

About the Guest

Martijn Schippers, a driven entrepreneur from the Netherlands, began his journey in business at the age of 15, co-founding a successful employment agency with his siblings. Over the course of a decade, Martijn helped grow the company from the ground up, eventually selling it after reaching $8 million in revenue and employing 20 staff members.

In 2022, Martijn joined The Schippers Group, a family business started by his grandfather in 1966, which has evolved into a global leader in farm biosecurity. As the General Manager of Schippers USA, Martijn relocated to the United States with a mission to expand the HyCare program. His focus is on delivering comprehensive biosecurity solutions that not only supply high-quality products but also provide the right application, coaching, and monitoring to ensure optimal results. These initiatives are designed to create cleaner living environments and drinking water on farms, ultimately reducing antibiotic usage and enhancing animal performance.

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From Ag to Tech: Dave’s Journey | Dave Parks

About the Guest

Dave Parks is an engineer at SwineTech with a diverse background in agriculture and technology. Raised in South Central Kansas, Dave grew up with hands-on experience at his grandparents’ small sow finishing farm. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in secondary education, emphasizing computers. Dave spent years in the public school system, where he taught computer technology and developed mobile apps and cloud computing solutions to enhance educational processes.

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The New North Star for Pork | Dr. David Newman and Bill Even

About the Guests

Bill Even is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork Board. With extensive experience in agriculture and leadership, he directs programs to build trust and add value for the nation’s 60,000 pork producers. His responsibilities include strategic marketing, research, and supporting producer initiatives.

Dr. David Newman is the Senior Vice President of Market Growth at the National Pork Board. A third-generation pork producer and meat scientist, Dr. Newman leads efforts to understand consumer behavior and drive demand for pork. He focuses on innovative marketing strategies to position pork as a preferred protein.

What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig?

• Adapting to post-COVID changes and focusing on product value.
• Insights into consumer segmentation and seven key categories.
• Targeting future pork consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials.
• National Pork Board’s new digital consumer marketing campaign.
• The role of technology and innovation in modern pork marketing.

Innovative Approaches in Pig Farming | Brent Hershey

About the Guest

Brent Hershey is the owner and President of Hershey Ag, a company he formed in 1980. Growing up on the family farm, Brent raised steers, grew tobacco and corn, and worked alongside his father and uncle in an egg layer house. Over the years, he has expanded Hershey Ag to include swine production, a dairy feed division, and a dairy ventilation business.

Brent’s commitment to valuing and growing people from within has been a cornerstone of his management strategy, particularly across his sow farm management team. His greatest accomplishments include achieving superior production systems by promoting quality and efficiency from sow breeding and birthing to growing excellent market hogs. Brent embraces change and progress in the ag industry, always striving to be better today than yesterday.

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Balancing Family, Farming, and Technology | Drew and Kali Ott

About the Guests

Drew Ott, a former Iowa Hawkeye football player, balances life on his Nebraska family farm with his wife, Kali, who he met at the University of Iowa where she played basketball. Married since 2017, Drew and Kali integrate modern agricultural techniques and traditional farming practices, navigating the challenges of family farming while fostering a deep connection to their rural roots and each other.

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Breaking Barriers in Agriculture | Barb Determan

About the Guest

Barb grew up on a diversified farm in west central Illinois where she was active in 4-H and then attended the University of Illinois where she majored in Ag Communications. Her career includes farming, livestock publication experience, animal health sales, and small business ownership.

After college Barb worked in Omaha and Kansas City before moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to begin her animal health sales career. While working with dairy farmers and pork producers throughout Iowa, Barb met her future husband at a pork industry trade show. They were married in September 1981 and Barb dove head-first into being a farm wife. (more…)

Passion for Pigs and Community | Erin Brenneman

About the Guest

Erin Brenneman is a passionate advocate for agriculture and a dedicated farmer. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Erin’s journey to the farming world began with her love for animals, sparked by horseback riding lessons during her high school years. She pursued her passion at Iowa State University, where she earned a degree in Animal Science and met her husband, Tim Brenneman

Erin’s introduction to farming came through weekends spent at Tim’s family farm in Iowa, where she fell in love with the farm life and community. Over the years, Erin has become deeply involved in the operations of Brenneman Pork, focusing on farrowing and day-one piglet care. Her hands-on experience and commitment to animal welfare have been pivotal in streamlining processes and enhancing farm efficiency. (more…)

World Pork Expo Changes and Industry Innovations | Alex Adams, Marcel Schubert, Chris Grant

What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig?

• New World Pork Expo Format: How the two-day format affected attendance and engagement.
• Adoption of Innovations: The challenges of introducing new technologies in the swine industry.
• Labor and Automation: How labor shortages are pushing farms to adopt automation.
• Consumer Education: The need to educate the public about modern farming practices.
• Future Industry Trends: Predictions on the role of artificial intelligence and automation in modern farming

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