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How to Get Started in Small Scale Swine Raising

How to Get Started in Small Scale Swine Raising
There has been a continued interest in pastured and woodlot pig rearing in the last few years. This class will review best management practices for raising pigs, and discuss some of the ways that producers can integrate pigs into their current production system or design a new system that suits their specific needs and resources. Whether you're interested in beginning a 4-H project, putting the pig’s powerful noses to work improving your property, or raising your own pork products, this class will review the basics of getting started. 
 
CCE Livestock Educator, Jason Detzel, who has years of experience raising pigs on his own property, will cover the basics of caring for pigs including: 
 
• Learning your town rules and regulations for keeping pigs
• Pastured/ woodlot program design
• Housing, feeding, and watering needs
• Best practices for pig health and management
• Weather and predator concerns
• The use of alternative feeds
• Marketing your animals
• Fencing needs 
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CEOs of the Industry: Dr. Jay Miller, The Maschhoffs

Video: CEOs of the Industry: Dr. Jay Miller, The Maschhoffs

CEOs of the Industry, we sit down with Dr. Jay Miller, CEO of The Maschhoffs, to explore his remarkable journey from veterinary consultant to executive leader at one of America’s largest family-owned pork production companies.

Dr. Miller shares how his outside-in perspective shaped his leadership approach, what it was like transitioning from advisor to CEO, and how he’s balancing the company’s proud multigenerational legacy with the need for transformation and innovation.

We dig into tough topics like navigating company contraction, reshaping culture for performance, and the critical role veterinary expertise plays at the executive level. Dr. Miller opens up about building a sustainable, modern pork business—not just environmentally, but operationally and culturally—and what it takes to attract and develop the next generation of talent in agriculture.

Looking ahead, he shares his five-year vision for The Maschhoffs and gives us a personal peek in the Fast Five round, where he reveals leadership insights, the best advice he’s received, and the three words that define The Maschhoffs in 2025.