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Put yourselves in their shoes

For Cactus Family Farms, today’s farm employee stems from one of two main groups. The first being the local employees near their headquarters in Osceola, Iowa. According to HR Specialist Heather Vaughn, 80% of those local applicants are Hispanic. They often have little formal education or prior experience with pigs and sometimes speak traditional indigenous languages as well as Spanish.

The other side of that coin is a completely different pool of applicants. Through the North American Free Trade Agreement, they also have the option to hire employees with a TN visa. For this specific visa, applicants must either be from Canada or Mexico, however Vaughn says that the agriculture industry primarily relies on Mexican candidates.

Another specification to the TN visa is that they have to have some level of an advanced degree.

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Trending Video

Why Swine Field Research Matters - Dr. Stephen Frazer

Video: Why Swine Field Research Matters - Dr. Stephen Frazer


In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Stephen Frazer, swine veterinarian at Demeter Services Vétérinaires, explains how field research connects university science with real commercial swine production. He discusses research design, economic impact, external validity, health challenges, and practical implementation on farms. Dr. Frazer also shares how applied research helps producers stay competitive with modern genetics and production systems. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Field research applies rigorous scientific methods within commercial production systems while focusing on practical economic outcomes that directly affect modern swine operations."

Meet the guest: Dr. Stephen Frazer / stephen-frazer-5769b7141 completed both a Master of Veterinary Science and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Université de Montréal. Currently working as a swine veterinarian at Demeter Services Vétérinaires, Dr. Frazer focuses on applied field research, production health, and practical strategies that improve commercial swine operations. Learn more about field research and swine production by listening to Dr. Stephen Frazer on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.