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Survey for alternative and outdoor pig farmers in Minnesota

As you may be aware, there are more alternative pig farms in Minnesota than there are large commercial farms. These farms are important for sustainability and make the food supply chain more resilient by providing pork locally but not a lot is known about the production and marketing practices. It is important to characterize these as there may be improvement opportunities that can aid in maintaining your pigs health.

My name is Miranda Medrano and I am a 3rd year PhD student at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. I am conducting a survey to learn more about the different farming, management, biosecurity, and marketing practices used on farms that raise pigs outdoors or allow pigs outdoor access at least partially during the year in Minnesota.

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Validating Net Energy in Commercial Swine Systems - Gustavo Lima

Video: Validating Net Energy in Commercial Swine Systems - Gustavo Lima


In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate at Iowa State University, explains how soybean meal net energy is evaluated using growth assays and calorimetry. He discusses caloric efficiency, validation under commercial conditions, and differences between controlled and real-world environments. Gustavo also highlights practical implications for diet formulation and ingredient valuation. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Indirect calorimetry provides a precise estimation of ingredient energy, yet validation under production conditions remains essential for accurate application in real systems.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima / gustavo-lima-a9867127 is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, specializing in swine nutrition, ingredient evaluation, and energy metabolism. With over 15 years of experience across Latin America, his work focuses on soybean meal utilization, caloric efficiency, and applied research for commercial production systems.