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Registration Open For 2026-2027 SowBridge Educational Series

By Sherry Hoyer

SowBridge, the distance educational series for those who work with sows, boars, and piglets and with genetic and reproductive issues, begins its next program year in early February 2026, and registration is now underway. The series is provided online through Zoom, and each session is recorded for later viewing.

Suggestions from participants guide the selection of future topics and speakers, and the opportunity for interaction with session speakers remains unchanged. SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts and to contact those experts following the individual sessions.

Sessions generally are held on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. Central time. The fifth session is moved up one week to May 27 to avoid conflicts with the World Pork Expo.

During each session, participants can ask questions to industry expert presenter from the comfort of their home, office or swine unit. Each registration provides access to one Zoom connection per session and all program materials provided by presenters.

The cost is $200 for the first registration and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Source : iastate.edu

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Advancing Swine Disease Traceability: USDA's No-Cost RFID Tag Program for Market Channels

Video: Advancing Swine Disease Traceability: USDA's No-Cost RFID Tag Program for Market Channels

On-demand webinar, hosted by the Meat Institute, experts from the USDA, National Pork Board (NPB) and Merck Animal Health introduced the no-cost 840 RFID tag program—a five-year initiative supported through African swine fever (ASF) preparedness efforts. Beginning in Fall 2025, eligible sow producers, exhibition swine owners and State Animal Health Officials can order USDA-funded RFID tags through Merck A2025-10_nimal Health.

NPB staff also highlighted an additional initiative, funded by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services through NPB, that helps reduce the cost of transitioning to RFID tags across the swine industry and strengthens national traceability efforts.

Topics Covered:

•USDA’s RFID tag initiative background and current traceability practices

•How to access and order no-cost 840 RFID tags

•Equipment support for tag readers and panels

•Implementation timelines for market and cull sow channels How RFID improves ASF preparedness an