Swine Extension

The University of Minnesota is conducting a research study to understand pig health and training needs of small-scale, niche, organic, beginning, and related farmers that raise pigs in Minnesota. The survey is voluntary, anonymous, and takes 20 minutes. If you complete the survey, you can enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Your response will help shape training and outreach. Thank you! Take the survey at: z.umn.edu/pigsurvey

Funding is still available through the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services and NPB to equip swine exhibition sites, cull sow market stations and processing facilities with RFID tag reader equipment. This program helps improve traceability and supports the transition to RFID tags. Swine exhibition sites can apply for handheld RFID readers, while cull sow market stations and processing facilities may receive both panel and handheld readers (up to five panel readers and four handhelds per site) with a valid premises identification number (PIN). Funding is available through September 14. Contact Dr. Brent Pepin , NPB director of swine health for more details.

PQA version 6 was launched at the beginning of June. With that, all current PQA Advisors need to recertify in version 6 to maintain their PQA Advisor status by August 31 (regardless of when certified in version 5). Emails granting online recertification access have been sent from the National Pork Board. If you didn’t get that email, let one of your Minnesota PQA+ Trainers know. Trainers:  Sarah Schieck Boelke , Diane DeWitte , or Lee Johnston .

PQA+ Advisors are the folks who work directly with producers to educate them on the PQA+ program and will help producers obtain PQA+ certification and PQA+ site status at their respective production sites. Two PQA+ Advisor training dates are planned for NEW advisors or those who let their PQA+ Advisor status lapse: September 9 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Minnesota Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Ct. Ste. 810, Mankato, MN. Complete and submit the application by September 2. November 18 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Minnesota Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Ct. Ste. 810, Mankato, MN. Complete and submit the application by November 11. Contact Diane DeWitte ( stouf002@umn.edu ) or Sarah Schieck Boelke ( schi0466@umn.edu ) for a PQA+ Advisor application. Applications can also be found on MN Pork’s website . Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the link to the application. Individuals wishing to attend the training session must meet the qualifications to become a Certified PQA+ Advisor. Be a v...

Sign up for the new Minnesota Agritourism Quarterly Newsletter to stay connected with farm-based tourism efforts across the state. The newsletter includes best practices, regulatory updates, marketing tips, success stories and news from statewide partners and programs. ~ Freya Thurmer, Extension Educator, multi-county agritourism

The self-paced beginning livestock production course will cover the animal science and husbandry topics of nutrition, housing and facilities, health, and handling with information specific to beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and swine. The course will help beginning livestock producers decide which livestock species fits their system and goals. Participants will use this information to plan for the essential facilities, supplies and skills necessary to successfully raise livestock. Participants can ask questions during bi-weekly office hours with the instructor. The course will take about 8-10 hours to complete. Date/time: Course opens May 12 with enrollment any time on/after May 12. Participants would have access through December 13. Delivery: Online self-paced course Cost: $50 Registration: Register online

Source: National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA Multigenerational Farm Transition Retreats are available for Minnesota farmers considering farm transition or succession plans. The University of Minnesota Extension offers the retreats in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Southern Agriculture Center for Excellence. Attendees will be guided through hands-on planning and discussion on farm transition for the whole farm family. The next available retreat will be Friday, March 21 - Saturday, March 22 in Rochester. The retreats are free to attend. Visit the University of Minnesota Extension event page for more information and to register .

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. When: September 20 - 23 Where: RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN The Allen D. Leman Swine Conference is an annual educational event for the global swine industry. It is internationally acclaimed for bringing science-driven solutions to the complex challenges facing the industry. Did you miss the 2024 conference or want to revisit your favorite presentation? Presentations given at the 2024 Leman Conference are now available on the conference Google Site !

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 message from MN Department of Agriculture (MDA) Recognizing the risks posed by extreme weather, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a grant opportunity to help eligible producers make their operations more resilient to drought, flooding and severe weather events like storms, tornadoes and straight-line winds. The Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant, also referred to as the Prepare Grant, offers grants of up to $10,000 for Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers to buy and install supplies and equipment for weather event preparation. It requires a 50% match. “Minnesota agriculture needs to prepare for more climate extremes in the future,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “This will help farmers and ranchers increase the resiliency of their operations and reduce some of the stress and anxiety around the weather.” For the purposes of this grant program: Livestock includes aquaculture, bees, beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, mules, farme...

A message from MN Department of Agriculture (MDA) Applications for a new grant to help beginning Minnesota farmers purchase equipment and infrastructure through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will open later this month. Farmers will be able to apply for up to $20,000 to reimburse costs associated with purchasing farm equipment or paying for farm infrastructure development, such as investments in water access, irrigation, fencing, electricity, walk-in coolers, livestock buildings, greenhouses and other similar structures. Applicants may request funding at two levels: Up to $5,000 for a mini-grant Up to $20,000 for a full grant Visit the MDA website for more information, including downloading the RFP and registering to join one of the following online public information sessions: Tuesday, October 1 at noon Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m. Language interpretation will be available at these sessions for Spanish, Hmong and Somali. The MDA expects to award a total of $800,0...

A message from MN Department of Agriculture (MDA) The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for grants to support innovative sustainability-focused research or demonstration projects on Minnesota farms. Applications are due December 12. The Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant funds projects that explore the energy efficiency, environmental benefit, and profitability of sustainable ag techniques, from the production through marketing processes. Minnesota farmers or individuals from organizations including agricultural cooperatives, educational institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments and local units of government (such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts) are eligible to apply. Eligible projects must test and demonstrate on-farm practices that will benefit a broad range of farmers. Past grants have explored topics such as cover crops and crop rotation; conservation tillage; pest manag...

Photo Source:  National Pork Board The University of Minnesota Extension Agricultural Business Management team is hosting four webinars on introductory Farm Transition and Estate Planning starting Wednesday, Aug. 14, and occurring weekly through Sept. 4. All sessions are from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is no cost to attendees. Attend one or attend all four! Participants must pre-register to receive the webinar link and materials for each session. Session topics include: Aug. 14: Developing your farm transition goals and assembling your “team” Aug. 21: All things tax: gifting, selling and transferring Aug. 28: Wills, trusts, ownership titling—what does it all mean? Sept. 4: Putting the basics together: estate, retirement, healthcare and business transfer planning

The Leman Swine Conference turns 50 in 2024! Plan to attend the Allen D. Leman Conference on Sept. 21 - 24. Details are posted on the conference website . Keynotes, breakouts and pre-conference sessions will cover a wide range of topics including disease control and elimination, biosecurity, mycoplasma, ventilation management, productivity and so much more! Registration is now open . Make sure to register by Aug. 16 to receive the early registration rate. The Leman Conference will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. See Location and Accommodations for lodging information. The Leman Conference is presented by the College of Veterinary Medicine and University of Minnesota Extension.

As details become available, they will be posted on the conference website .  

Join us on Thursday, May 30 at the UMN West Central Research & Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris for the Organic Swine Field Day. The event will showcase how integrating hybrid rye into organic swine production may help reduce feed and bedding costs in organic pig production based on data collected at the WCROC over the last two years. The field day is from noon to 3 p.m. The event will start with a free lunch and short seminar and end with a tour of the organic swine facilities and organic hybrid rye field. The event is free of charge, but RSVP is requested. Visit the WCROC website for more information and to register.

 

You have a chance to get $25 for a 15-minute survey focused on understanding the biosecurity adoption among swine producers in the U.S. This survey is being conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Vermont and is funded by a USDA|NIFA grant. Your input is crucial to preventing a potential outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the U.S. Your participation is important! Please complete the ASF survey.