Swine Extension

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog December 17, 2024 In this episode of At The Meeting, Dr. Cesar Corzo, Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity at the University of Minnesota, takes a closer look at the ongoing challenges and advancements in eliminating porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Drawing on years of monitoring data and biosecurity enhancements, Dr. Corzo highlights the industry’s progress in managing PEDV and shares insights into the potential for a nationwide elimination effort. Listen to the podcast .

Is it your New Year’s resolution to stay current with research and management techniques in the pork industry? If so, the SowBridge program is for you. SowBridge is a webinar series for people involved in managing or caring for sows, and/or their litters and boars, including operation owners, caretakers, technicians, managers and technical service providers. SowBridge offers accurate and timely information on a variety of topics from experts. The first session is scheduled for February 5, so don’t hesitate to register. Learn more about the program and register.

Registration is now open for the 2025 Extension Women in Ag Network Conference! Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025, with NEW optional pre-session the day prior on Monday, February 10. Location: The Park Event Center, Waite Park, MN Register through January 27 for the early-bird registration rate of $85 for adults or $55 for students. To learn more and register visit the Women in Ag Network event page on the University of Minnesota’s Extension website.

MN Pork Congress is scheduled for February 11 & 12 at the Mayo Event Center in Mankato, MN. The University of Minnesota will have a booth staffed with UMN swine group members. Be sure to stop by and visit. Check out more information, including how to register for the MN Pork Congress.

A few in-person Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) certification sessions are scheduled for 2025. The sessions include the following dates and locations: March 4 : Mankato, MN - Minnesota Pork Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810 June 10 : Le Center, MN - Le Sueur County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 320 S Plut Ave July 15 : Olivia, MN - Renville County Government Center, 105 S 5th Street Nov. 11 : Mankato, MN - Minnesota Pork Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810PQA+ certification is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and TQA from 1 to 4 p.m. at all locations unless noted otherwise. If you need to renew your PQA+ or TQA certification and a date listed above does not accommodate your schedule, or if your farm has a large group of employees needing certification, please contact Colleen Carey at the Minnesota Pork Board office at 507-345-8814 or colleen@mnpork.com to schedule an alternative time for training. University of Minnesota Extension prov...

Farming can be a stressful occupation. It is important for farmers to take care of themselves and their families. Minnesota has numerous resources to help with those coping with farm and rural stress. Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline Phone: 833-600-2670 for a 24/7 confidential and free chat with trained staff and volunteers Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211 Email: farmstress@state.mn.us Free, confidential, 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression, reach out to the Minnesota Farm and Rural helpline. Trained counselors answer calls, and sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know. And if you are experiencing business, financial, or legal problems, they can connect you to that kind of help. Minnesota also has two Rural Mental Health Counselors who work with farmers throughout Minnesota. No cost and no paperwork! Ted Matthews: 320-266-2390 Monica McConkey: 218-280-7785 The University of Minnesota Extension’s farm and rural stress programs of...

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Li, C., Meliopoulos, V., Rendahl, A., Schultz-Cherry, S., & Torremorell, M. (2024). Naturally occurring influenza reassortment in pigs facilitates the emergence of intrahost virus subpopulations with distinct genotypes and replicative fitness. MBIO , Early Access Article, doi: 10.1128/mbio.01924-24. Shurson, G. C. , Ramirez-Camba, C. D., Urriola, P. E. , & Schroeder, D. C. (2024). Stability of surrogate African swine fever-like algal virus in corn and soybean based feed ingredients during extended storage and in vitro digestion processes. Frontiers in Veterinary Science , 11(Article number 1498977), doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1498977.

January Jan. 8: SowBridge program - “Sow shoulder wounds: causes & treatment” February Feb. 5: SowBridge program - “H5N1 as it relates to pigs” Feb. 11: Women in Ag Network Conference , Waite Park, MN Feb. 11 - 12: Minnesota Pork Congress , Mankato, MN March March 4: PQA+ & TQA certification, Mankato, MN March 5: SowBridge program - “Feeding frequency pre-farrowing: impact on farrowing duration” April April 2: SowBridge program - “Your farm broke with PRRS/PED: now what, what are the vets doing?” May May 7: SowBridge program - “Overcoming barriers and understanding the psychological impact of pig euthanasia”

Episode 43: Feeding hybrid rye to organic growing-finishing pigs  is now available on our Minnesota Swine & U podcast channel. In the podcast, Extension Swine Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with Gabriella Lima who recently finished her Master of Science degree from the Department of Animal Science. Gabriella speaks about a research project she worked on. The research project was very comprehensive in what it all looked at, but specifically, Gabriella looked at the effects of growth performance and carcass characteristics when feeding hybrid rye to organically raised growing-finishing pigs. Gabriella does briefly share the other aspects of the research project that were studied by others, but didn’t share those results. Listen to the podcast https://z.umn.edu/Episode43Podcast (~16 minutes; recorded November 5, 2024 Learn more about research featured in the podcast Abstract published in the Journal of Animal Science , volume 102, Issue Supplement 2, Pages 58-59. DOI: http...