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Agriculture This Week: Farming always evolving

When you have grown up on a farm in the 1960s and ‘70s it is almost beyond belief the changes in farming we see today. 

It was a mixed farm for me, and that meant pigs and grain. 

In my youth I hauled a lot of ground grain to feed the pigs using cleaned five-gallon pails that originally were filled with some weed spray, or another. 

Looking back over some 40-years it seems like it was such a crazy thing, but repurposing the pails was pretty standard. I’m pretty sure potatoes came from the garden to the cellar bin in similar pails. 

Of course I clearly recall Dad taking plugged nozzles off the sprayer, his gloves getting soaked in the process, and then simply blowing out the nozzle with his breath. 

Knowing what we do now it’s a wonder what health problems were caused in a time we didn’t know better, or were reluctant to change. Dad lived to a considerable age, his heart giving out one day, but one wonders. 


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Biosecurity Audit Common Findings - Dr. Erin Kettelkamp

Video: Biosecurity Audit Common Findings - Dr. Erin Kettelkamp



In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Erin Kettelkamp from Swine Vet Center reviews common biosecurity audit findings from the Spring 2026 outbreak season across the Midwest. She explains how PRRS pressure exposed filtration leaks, transport gaps, smoke testing needs, and daily execution issues that can weaken even strong biosecurity investments. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Basic biosecurity execution can determine whether a filtration investment delivers real protection or leaves costly gaps exposed."

Meet the guest: Dr. Erin Kettelkamp is a consulting swine veterinarian with Swine Vet Center in northern Illinois. She specializes in herd health, biosecurity, and disease prevention across all phases of swine production, with applied field research focused on disease prevention and practical biosecurity solutions. Learn more from Dr. Erin Kettelkamp on The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.