On this episode of SwineTime, Dr. Spencer Wayne is joined byDr. Kiah Berg from Pipestone Nutrition and Erin Little from FarmStats to dig into how wean age affects pig growth, feed efficiency, market weights, and sow productivity. They share real-world data and tips to help you make smart, profitable decisions on your farm. Evaluating your weaningst…

Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Carly Bates, a soon-to-be college graduate, to discuss what young professionals look for in agriculture careers and how employers can stand out. They cover the importance of mentorship, networking, and communication, as well as the strong sense of community in the swine industry. Carly shares insights on stepping ou…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, Dr. Spencer Waynewelcomes futurist and author, Jack Uldrich, along with Hannah Walkes, President of Pipestone Services to discuss how swine producers can prepare for an ever-changing future. Jack shares insights from his "BIG AHA" framework—Awareness, Humility, and Action—helping farmers stay ahead of emerg…

In this episode of the SwineTime, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Damon Vander Maten, Director of FarmBooks, an offering of Pipestone Business Services, to discuss the crucial role of risk management in farming and how financial discipline can make or break an operation. They explore the pitfalls of emotional decision-making, the importance of mai…

In the latest episode of the SwineTime podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne takes a deep dive into the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP), joined by experts Drs. Tyler Holck, Tom Wetzell, and Vienna Brown, all of whom play key roles within the program. U.S. SHIP is a voluntary program designed to safeguard, improve, and represent the health st…

In this continuation of our discussion on succession planning, host Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down again with Jim Marzolf of Pipestone Business Services to dive deeper into building the next generation of family farm leaders. While the first episode focused on family dynamics, this part tackles the structural and strategic elements of succession, incl…

In this episode of the SwineTime Podcast, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Jim Marzolf, Executive Vice President of Pipestone Business Services, to discuss a topic that hits close to home for many farm families: succession planning. Passing the torch to the next generation isn’t just about keeping the farm running—it’s about protecting a legacy. Ji…

In the latest episode of SwineTime, host Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Dr. Joel Nerem from PIPESTONE and Nikki Stolberg from New Roots Haiti, an organization doing incredible work to improve the lives of people in and around a small Haitian village. Together, they dive into the amazing ways New Roots Haiti is tackling poverty, hunger, and social…

In this SwineTime episode, Dr. Spencer Wayne sitsdown with UK swine veterinarian, Dr. Alex Thomsett, and explores the ins and outs of UK pig farming. Dr. Thomsett shares how UK farms operate under very different rules: weaning at 28 days, tail docking restrictions, minimalcastration, and higher welfare standards. Each of these regulations creates u…

In the latest SwineTime Podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne chats with Alex Kremer, FarmPro’s new Market Sales Manager, about the crucial role pig selection plays in boosting profits. Kremer shares insights on how selling pigs at the right weight and at the right time can make a big financial difference for farmers. They break down key terms like coeff…

Join Dr. Spencer Wayne as he chats with Dr. Jeff Blythe and FarmPro Production Consultant, Nick Enfield about the everyday ventilation challenges pig farmers face. They dive into practical solutions to improve barn conditions, focusing on the importance of getting airspeed right, placing temperature probes effectively, and keeping equipment well-ma…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, Dr. Spencer Wayne is joined by colleague Dr. Emily McDowell of Pipestone Veterinary Services for an in-depth discussion on managing E. coli in weaning pigs. They explore the evolving strategies and technologies, especially around weaning, a stage where pigs are most vulnerable to infections. Dr. McDowell em…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, hosted by Dr. Spencer Wayne of Pipestone Veterinary Services, listeners are treated to a fascinating discussion with Dr. Maggie Behnke, Director of the Animal Resources Unit and attending veterinarian at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas.…

In this episode of SwineTime, host Dr. Spencer Wayne dives into critical health issues and their impact on industry relations and trade with guests Terry Wolters, VP of Customer & Industry Relations with PIPESTONE, and Dr. Joel Nerem, a practicing veterinarian and Director of Industry Relations with Pipestone Veterinary Services. The discussion cen…

In this episode of SwineTime, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Jake Geisler and Hayden Kerkaert, both with Pipestone Nutrition, to chat about the basics of commodity management. They discuss the tools farmers can use to save money on better ingredients and boost their bottom line. Jake emphasizes the importance of customer service, simplifying the …

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne interviews Dr. Megan Niederwerder, Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC). SHIC, established in 2015, focuses on identifyingand mitigating emerging disease risks for the U.S. swine herd. SHIC is supported by pork checkoff funds and its missioninvolves global …

In this episode, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Nick Fitzgerald, Director of Business Development for PIPESTONE for a great discussion on facilities. The pair delve into essential considerations for optimizing swine farming operations. From wean-to-finish construction to barn remodeling and the repurposing of sow units, explore strategies and inn…

In this episode, host Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Erin McCoy, a veterinary physician assistant with Pipestone Veterinary Services, to discuss proper barn ventilation as the weather begins to warm up. Erin shares her warm-weather ventilation checklist and emphasizes the importance of opening soffit doors and ensuring proper ventilation by uncov…

Join Dr. Spencer Wayne on the latest episode of SwineTime, where he dives deep into swine genetics with experts Erin Little, Pipestone Research, and Carrie Pollard, Pipestone Business. In this engaging discussion, Erin and Carrie discuss how PIPESTONE is unlocking valuable insights into swine genetics for producers using both research and productio…

Join Dr. Spencer Wayne and Dr. Cameron Schmitt in a discussionof the ever-evolving landscape of swine diseases. In this episode, Dr. Schmitt, Executive Vice President of Pipestone Veterinary Services, delves deep into the nuances of various pathogens affecting swine health today. From the notorious PRRS virus to resilient strains of E. coli, they d…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne interviews Dr. Darin Madson, a diagnostician at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University. Dr. Madson shares his background in swine production, veterinary school, and his journey to becoming a diagnostic pathologist. The conversation covers the expansion of the di…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, Dr. Spencer Wayne welcomes Dr. Kiah Berg, Senior Supervisor of Nutrition with Pipestone Nutrition, to discuss the state of feed costs and her recommendations for proper nutrition strategies. Dr. Berg explains the recent trends in feed costs, highlighting the notable decrease in prices for key ingredients su…

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, hosted by Dr. Spencer Wayne, the featured guest is Dr. Scott Dee who shares valuable insights for young veterinarians, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, recalling his journey from being told he couldn’t attend vet school to becoming a prominent figure in the field. The discussion also touches on t…

Dr. Spencer Wayne welcomes Dr. Cara Haden, Director of Animal Welfare at PIPESTONE, and Dr. Carissa Odland, Director of Sustainability for Wholestone Farms, a producer-owned packer enterprise. The episode provides insights into the complex dynamics of animal welfare, sustainability, and consumer preferences in the swine industry.…

Dr. Spencer Wayne welcomes Dr. Adam Schelkopf, Health Director for Pipestone Management, for a discussion on the overall health status of PIPESTONE-managed farms. Historically, this time of year brings an increase in illness, especially PRRS infections. Dr. Schelkopf reports less than 10% of PIPESTONE-managed farms breaking with PRRS over the last …

Dr. Spencer Wayne welcomes Marty Rost, Environmental Specialist with PIPESTONE, to talk about the valuable commodity we have in manure. The pair discuss the importance of understanding its value and making it work for you and your neighbors. Marty talks about the differences in facilities he sees and shares insight on finding opportune times to pum…

Dr. Barry Kerkaert, Chairman of the Board, takes the reigns and puts Dr. Spencer Wayne in the hot seat to celebrate our 50th episode of the podcast. The pair discuss the goals of SwineTime and reflect on some of Dr. Wayne's favorite episodes. He shares behind-the-scenes happenings reflecting on memorable guests and the impactful work our experts ha…

Dr. Spencer Wayne welcomes Hannah Walkes, President of Pipestone Services, to chat about the recent leadership transitions at PIPESTONE - including the creation of two divisions, Pipestone Services and Pipestone Partnerships. Hannah provides insight into how her upbringing and tenure at PIPESTONE have fueled her passion and made her uniquely qualif…

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, is joined by Dr. Taylor Spronk to talk about the pig promotion activities happening at PIPESTONE. Dr. Taylor discusses the county and state fairs that PIPESTONE supports with exhibits and live sows across Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa. Additionally, she describes the Discovery Barn, champio…

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with Jon DeJong, President of Pipestone Nutrition to talk about what’s new with his team and all things nutrition. Pipestone Nutrition provides economic-driven, feed ingredient procurement and performance-based diet formulations that fit both your operation and your bottom line. Dr. W…

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with Dan Hanson and Giovanna Penuelas to discuss FarmTeam, a service offering of Pipestone Business. FarmTeam utilizes the human resource expertise of PIPESTONE to provide independent pork producers access to qualified farm employees for grow/finish teams. From a producer’s perspectiv…

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with Damon Vander Maten, Director of FarmBooks for Pipestone Business. Dr. Wayne and Damon talk about the accounting demands on producers and define what it means to be financially sustainable. He explains how the FarmBooks program came to be and what value it provides an operation. D…

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with PIPESTONE Nutritionists Hayden Kerkaert and Jacob Koepke. They share their perspective on what factors are impacting today’s high feed costs and discuss considerations for producers to remain profitable despite rising costs. PIPESTONE's mission is "Helping Farmers Today Create th…

In this episode of SwineTime, host Dr. Spencer Wayne and PIPESTONE CEO Dr. Luke Minion answer all your big burning questions: what’s to come in the pork industry next year? What’s new with PIPESTONE? And will Luke ever run for office? Fresh off the campaign trail against a Sioux Falls ballot measure that would have prevented the construction of a n…

In this episode of SwineTime, host Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Dr. Scott Dee, who currently serves as the Director of Research for PIPESTONE Veterinary Services. Dive into the viral risks associated with feed, and how to alleviate the risks on your operation. According to Scott, this information is relatively new to the industry as is the use …

In this episode of SwineTime, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with PIPESTONE’s Director of Records and Information, Angie Homann, and President of Nutrition, Jon De Jong. Recently, PIPESTONE has taken steps to explore the benefits and challenges of an older weaned pig. The health benefits are evident for grow-finish farmers. Older weaned pigs ar…

In this 40th episode of SwineTime Podcast, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with Dr. Adam Schelkopf. Adam has been with PIPESTONE for 10 years now and holds the title, Director of Health for Pipestone Managed farms. Sow repopulation can be an intimidating idea for pig farmers, but in some cases, is a financially beneficial solution for a farm wit…

In this episode of SwineTime, Dr. Spencer Wayne talks all things Mycoplasma with fellow PIPESTONE Veterinarian, Dr. Emily McDowell. Emily has been with PIPESTONE for 9 years now and has a special interest in Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is a bacterial pathogen that has been an industry concern for over 50 years. It generally originates at t…

SwineTime Podcast host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with PIPESTONE’s President of Transport, Hal Schmidt. Hal is a long-time employee with PIPESTONE and transitioned to transportation 8 years ago. Pipestone Transport falls under the Management business unit and serves to help our Pipestone Management shareholders receive their wean pigs, transport…

Dr. Bryan Myers has gained quite the experience and wisdom from being a veterinarian for the last 34 years. In these years, he has seen the serious effects of various diseases that have infected the swine industry. He is now seeing APP, an old disease that has resurfaced after almost 20 years in some of the most hog-dense areas of the Midwest. Swin…

Tune in to this podcast to learn more about GreenStone Farmers! GreenStone is an ownership investment offering facilitated by PIPESTONE to create and capture value for farmers in the U.S. carbon market. As a farmer-owned company, GreenStone will take a common-sense approach to carbon farming, with a focus on positioning farmers for success in this …

Safety is the number one priority at PIPESTONE. On this episode of SwineTime Podcast, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, chats with Josh Pawson, PIPESTONE’s safety director. Josh takes us through his personal journey to being a safety director and explains what a day in his role looks like. Prepare your farm for an OSHA inspection, take small steps to ensure…

Raising a healthy group of pigs starts long before they reach the finishing barn. In this episode of SwineTime Podcast, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, is joined by Dr. Evan Koep, PIPESTONE’s resource in gilt multiplication. Throughout the episode, listeners gain an understanding of what gilt multiplication is, and how it benefits piglets for the long run…

Managing risks is the safest way for pig farmers to protect their operations and ensure they can withstand tough times in the market. Hear from Brian Stevens, President of Big Stone Marketing, in this episode of SwineTime Podcast. This episode is all about risks in the pig market, how to prepare for them and what resources are available to farmers.…

SwineTime Podcast Host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, sits down with Hayden Kerkaert, a nutritionist with Pipestone Nutrition, to start back at the basics of pig nutrition. Throughout the episode, Hayden drills down on the importance of a nursery diet and how critical a piglet’s first three weeks of life are. Grow-finish farmers will gain tips on how to compa…

Passion, commitment and networking; words used to describe the lifestyle of a pig farmer throughout this episode of SwineTime. Are you or someone you know interested in pig farming? In the 32ndepisode, Dr. Spencer Wayne visits with Dr. Barry Kerkaert, President of Pipestone Management, and Justin Roelofs, Chief Financial Officer for Pipestone Manag…

On the 30th episode of SwineTime, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with the Head of Construction for Pipestone Management, Tad Woelber. Tad and his team strive to build pig barns that not only maximize production but efficiency as well. Keeping barns cost effective while building them to last has always been the objective of building PIPESTONE construct…

Designed for innovative knowledge generation, Pipestone Applied Research focuses on production-driven research to develop practical solutions to relevant problems. Since 2009, Pipestone Research has been committed to providing industry-leading and relevant information on swine health, genetics, nutrition, production and sustainability. SwineTime Po…

In this episode of SwineTime Podcast, host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, visits with Wholestone Farms CEO, Scott Webb. Scott’s background in agriculture has given him experience working with both crop and livestock farmers; a feat which has proven its significance in his current role. Wholestone Farms is a producer-owned packing plant located in Fremont, Neb…

In partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Pipestone Research has provided a rapid response to bring science-based answers to managing the emergence of PRRSV 144. Join SwineTime Podcast host, Dr. Spencer Wayne, Veterinarian, as he discusses the trial results with Dr. Scott Dee, Director of Research at PIPESTONE. Joining Dr. De…