Popular Pig

About the Guest Zach Lahn is a 6th generation Iowan who was born and raised in Sioux City, and now resides on his family farm in Belle Plaine. Zach’s family came to Iowa over 100 years ago in 1884, built their family farm, and lived there until 2005, when it was sold. In 2014, Zach bought back his family’s homestead, where he and his wife, Annie, are raising their family.  He is running on a strong Iowa-First platform that includes 4 key issues: saving Iowa’s family farms, combating the cancer crisis, making Iowa’s education #1, and keeping our kids in Iowa. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig brought to you by SwineTech? Why farm profitability depends on more than productivity, and where technology fits into the conversation. How water-quality monitoring can help measure progress and guide conservation efforts. Why Zach Lahn believes local food purchasing could create new opportunities for Iowa farmers. What independent pork production and stronger local markets could mean for Iowa producers. Why Zach believes the next generation needs to see more opportunity in agriculture.

About the Guests Sarah Showalter is the director of consumer and business insights for the National Pork Board. She implements consumer-focused, producer-led strategy by leading qualitative and quantitative research to answer business questions and identify opportunities. Prior to her role at NPB, Showalter attended Iowa State University and has experience in developing strategic insights through research at Circana (formerly IRI), Conagra Brands and Hallmark Cards, Inc. Chad Groves is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaboard Foods LLC, the pork segment of Seaboard Corporation — a Fortune 300 agribusiness with over a century of history. Seaboard Foods is an integrated pork processor marketing 7.2 million hogs annually from its 330,000 sows, and markets and sells premium pork under the iconic Prairie Fresh® brand. In this role, Groves leads the full scope of the business — spanning live operations, processing, sales, sustainability, supply chain and innovation — with a relentless commitment to bringing excellence to the table. Groves is a recognized voice on the future of the U.S. protein industry — from consumer demand and trade policy to sustainability and supply chain innovation. As CEO of Seaboard Foods, President of the National Pork Board and an Executive Board Member of the Meat Institute, he has been vocal about the importance of engaging younger generations with the fresh pork category, viewing their affinity for bacon, sausage, and ham as a gateway to broader pork consumption. He has spoken at the national level on long-term demand strategy, describing targeted investment in consumer engagement as “not an investment for next year — this is an investment into the next 25 years of pork production and beyond.” What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How consumer insights can uncover new opportunities to make pork more relevant and convenient. Why pork innovation starts with understanding how people shop, cook, and build meals today. How younger consumers are shaping new flavors, formats, and ways pork shows up at mealtime. Why retailers can make pork easier to shop by connecting cuts to complete meal ideas. How stronger pork demand can create value across the supply chain and back to producers.

About the Guest Dr. Jose Ramirez is a scientific advisor for Clipper Distributing Company, LLC. Dr. Ramirez developed the first accelerated peroxide (AHP®) formulations which asides from Intervention disinfectant, also include hospital and dental disinfectants, a reuse medical sterilant, an antimicrobial hand wash, and a dairy teat dip. He holds more than 20 issued or pending patents ranging from cleaning & disinfection, to water treatment and chemical process sensors & controls. His first patent was filed in 1999 – the first AHP® formulation. Dr. Ramirez has more than 25 years of experience in disinfectant formulation development as applied to infection prevention and biosecurity in a variety of markets. He has started two companies based on his inventions and has won several business pitch competitions, including technologies for wastewater processing and wastewater control. He has been featured and interviewed several times in the press. Dr. Ramirez holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and MS and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig?  What contact time really means and why the surface has to stay wet.  Why EPA lab testing does not perfectly match the conditions found on a farm.  How cleaning first can lower the pathogen load before disinfectant is applied.  Where worker exposure changes depending on how a disinfectant is applied.  Why truck-wash time, dilution and application steps can change the true cost.

About the Guest Micah L Jansen, DVM, Director, Pork Veterinary Technical Services, Zoetis has special interests in influenza A virus in swine (IAV-S), heterologous prime boost vaccination strategies, and gilt development and acclimation. Jansen received a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois as well as a certificate from the University of Illinois Swine Executive Veterinary Program. Prior to joining Zoetis, she spent time in private practice first at Circle H Headquarters in Dalhart, Texas, as well as at Rudolphi Veterinary Service in southern Illinois. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why gilt development is about more than simply growing the next generation of sows. How the Individual Gilt Care Program from Zoetis helps caregivers understand the role gilt care plays in sow farm health and performance. How health, vaccination, structure, environment and boar exposure contribute to successful gilt development. Why gilt health protocols should be built for each herd and in partnership with the herd veterinarian. How prioritizing gilt care early can support retention, productivity and lifetime performance in the sow herd. Micah’s “Golden Nugget”

About the Guests Return on investment and payback are not the same number, and treating them as the same changes which projects on a farm ever get funded. Today on the Popular Pig Podcast, host Matthew Rooda welcomes Brian Strobel and Alex Adams to talk about precision feeding, technology implementation, and what they see on farms in Europe, China and Australia. You will hear why a change only sticks when the crew knows there is no going back, what individual feeding records let you prove about animal care, and the one job Brian does not expect a robot to take. Brian Strobel has extensive experience in the swine industry, with a background spanning open gestation, lactation, growing pigs, gilt development, genetic selection, precision livestock technology, and farm management. Brian has authored five articles for ASABE Resource magazine covering RFID, pre-wean mortality, labor and technology, gilt development practices, and water consumption. He serves as Treasurer for the National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF) and is a member of the Pork Leadership Institute Class of 2025. His industry experience includes working for Murphy Brown and Osborne, as well as serving as a contract grower for Smithfield and JBS until 2020. He also has extensive experience with lactation heating and genetic equipment. Brian grew up near Greenville, Ohio, and is a general partner in his family partnership, which includes multiple farms and properties. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Systems from The Ohio State University in 1991, a Certificate in Civil Engineering Technology, a master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University in 1996, and an MBA from Ohio University in 2001. He received his Professional Engineering (PE) license in 2007. Brian and his family reside in Knoxville, Tennessee. He and his wife, Catherine, have two children, Sophia and Austin. He is active in his church and community through several organizations and volunteer efforts, and he plays violin. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig?  Why a change on farm only sticks when the crew knows there is no going back.  How individual feeding records let you prove animal care instead of defending it.  What return on investment should actually mean, and why stopping at payback costs you.  Where technology earns its place in the barn, and the one job it should not take.  Brian & Adam’s “Golden Nugget”