Four Star Veterinary Service Announces Its Annual Pork Industry Conference

Jul 29, 2024

The Four Star Veterinary Service will hold its Pork Industry Conference Sept. 10-11, 2024, in Mucie, Ind. Producers, nutritionists, academia and industry from North America are encouraged to attend.

The event, which is centrally located offers opportunities for attendees to visit and network.

“As veterinarians, we believe that sharing knowledge is part of our responsibility to our clients and the industry,” says Dr. Bill Minton, founding partner at Four Star Veterinary Service. “The swine industry has experienced a challenging time recently, but sharing experiences, research and market information can help producers feel informed and offer new ideas to help operations maximize their animal’s potential.”

The speaker line-up features hands-on experience and valuable insights:

• Tim Burnside, swine farm manager at I & S Furrer Farms – Producer to Producer: Real Life Perspective from the Barn

• Dr. Jason Woodworth, professor at Kansas State University – Nutrition and Management Strategies to Improve Post-weaning Performance and Reduce Diarrhea

• Dr. Larry Coleman, DVM and owner at Vet Care LLC – Piglet Survivability: Is there a Silver Bullet

• Brian Burke, president at John Stewart & Associates – Fundamentals and Policy Shaping Grain & Feed Markets

• Brad Heimerl, senior manager Pork Procurement at Bob Evans Farms – Maximizing Cull Sow Value

• Dr. Peter Schneider, veterinarian at Innovative Agriculture Solutions and co-owner of Schneider & Schneider Pork Farms – Biggest Challenges Facing the Pork Industry from a Producer/Veterinarian’s Viewpoint

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.