Author: kyramaster

One of the core values we live by at PIPESTONE is Caring. Caring means caring for our team members, animals and communities. Our charitable efforts aim to make a difference in the lives of our local and global community members.     Domestically, we donate to: Children’s Home Society Atlas The Banquet in Sioux Falls…

I’m an optimistic person by nature, but I’ve had to become more of a realist. This is truer than ever when preparing our business, and our clients, for the potential of a foreign animal disease entrance into the U.S. In recent months, I’ve pivoted from talking about IF an African Swine Fever (ASF) introduction will…

Do you think you can impact the health of your piglets in the nursery by what the sow is eating at the sow farm? We had the very same question, and set out to conduct a research trial to test the idea. If we could improve the health and performance of the pigs in the…

  Grocery shopping is a balancing act of buying the “best” for your family while also staying within your budget. With the large variety of food labels out there, it can be hard to know what you’re buying.     When it comes to understanding food labels there are a couple points to remember. All…

What are the greatest factors that influence pig health? Most will say the health of the sow farm, pig density and area disease pressure. While these are all true, a common item gets overlooked: the overall design of the operation. This topic can even be broken down into the macro and micro features of the…

The goal for most swine producers is to make money raising hogs. With current ingredient prices, we have been getting many questions about how to reduce feed cost, which is a great question. However, many producers focus on feed cost per ton and immediately focus on the nursery diets. The most expensive feed cost per…

I am old enough now to have seen a significant arc of attitude regarding antibiotic use. Our attitude. Public attitude. Government attitude. At one time, antibiotic use would have been a very quick decision for me or my clients. Problem?… Solution! But the landscape is different today, and for several valid reasons. If we are…

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 L1C. Based on field observations from practitioners and producers, stating that, “This is the worst strain of PRRSV ever,” “Vaccines don’t work anymore,” and “Biosecurity protocols are ineffective,”…

The Pipestone Antibiotic Resistance Tracker (PART) celebrates its fifth birthday this month. Like most things, a lot has changed in that time and we wanted to share a bit about the background, learning and forward vision of this important tool. In the summer of 2016, we welcomed a national fast-food chain to PIPESTONE to showcase…

  In 1980, Michael Porter, distinguished professor at Harvard Business School, wrote that competitive strategy is “how a firm can actually create and sustain a competitive advantage in its industry.” In his book Competitive Strategy, he outlines that the two basic types of competitive advantage are cost leadership and differentiation. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a…

  Facilities play a large role in the health of your pigs and profitability of your pig business. As assets age, it’s important to evaluate your best facility strategy moving forward: retain, replace or remodel.     Below are some considerations to take into account when making your decision. If your answer was “no” for…

  While this is not an exhaustive list for employers, it is a sampling of the most common mis-steps well-intentioned employers make as they work through their day-to-day responsibilities of running a business and employing a team.       1. Unrealistic Expectations Employers often set their expectations of employees high to encourage workplace efficiency…

Money. The driving factor at the end of the day to make sure bills are paid and food is on the table. Everything comes at a cost, especially change within your family farm operation. Suggested changes are often quickly dismissed because capital outlay is high. Utilizing Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in your operation can help…

We all know that nutrition is a key component to successful pig performance. So, what takes nutrition from good to better to best? A combination of formulation, ingredient procurement, and nutrition partnerships will set your farm up for a successful nutrition program.  1. Formulation to perform Formulation is an art form and takes an innate…

It is that time of year again; the sun is shining, the days are longer, and the snow has melted away. Before we know it, the summer heat will also be here too but unfortunately, when it comes to raising pigs, the summer warmth means added heat stress and reduced growth performance when pigs are…

PRRS, the 4-letter abbreviation that should make any hog producer shutter. The extensive disease pressure this year has likely caused this feeling more than once. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a viral disease resulting in complications with reproduction and respiratory disease in pigs of any age. Since last fall, there has been an…

In the summer, many of us look forward to county fairs, state fairs and many other livestock exhibitions.  For many of us, this is a time to get off the farm and meet neighbors, friends and family.  It is important to remember that the livestock we leave at home are actually the ones that pay…

  As the epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF) spreads throughout China, it raises animal welfare and economic issues for the swine industry in China and the United States.   Classified as a foreign animal disease, ASF in the United States would immediately stop the export of pork products, costing the United States economy $16.5…

This year we have implemented several production efficiencies to focus our efforts on sustainable farming. Three production efficiencies to remain sustainable on farm include water usage, energy consumption, and reducing waste. As an outcome of COVID-19, we re-evaluated many of our production Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and determined ways to reduce cost at the sow…

When evaluating the carbon footprints at the sow farms managed by Pipestone Management, we found that manure accounts for roughly 30% of emissions.  So, if your goal is to reduce your overall carbon footprint, how do you do that with manure?  One method to gain traction in the industry is methane digesters.  Recently completing a…

PIPESTONE provides veterinary services to pig farmers all over the world. We recognize the growing global concern over Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and its impact on human and animal health. We share society’s concern of the potential impact of antibiotic use on AMR. With the health and production tools available today, we can raise pigs with…

Through good times and bad in agriculture, farmers generally cherish the idea of passing their family farm on to the next generation. The farm community’s practice is to celebrate and even commemorate the moment the family farm reaches the century mark. However, according to the PWC 2016 US Family Business Survey, only slightly over half…

The pork industry is a buzz with carbon reduction goals and even carbon neutrality. Two questions often asked are what is a carbon neutral pig and what can farmers do? A carbon neutral pig has net zero carbon dioxide emission equivalents (CO2e) into the atmosphere during its lifetime. CO2e is a term used to express…

There are three drivers influencing cost of production today; facilities, weaned pigs and feed, with feed cost accounting for over 60% of the total cost of production. In the last 90 days, we have seen feed cost per pig increase >$20/pig. Now more than ever, producers should be focused on improving feed efficiency as a…

Training | Tools | Tracking PIPESTONE and the families we work with are committed to producing safe food, protecting our environment, and providing the best care for our animals. Whether I am working with an individual family farmer or the team at PIPESTONE, when it comes to animal welfare we talk about incorporating the three…

The tech service team works to challenge current production protocols, evaluate new ideas and technology, and provide real data to make decisions. Utilizing actual sow farms, we can conduct large scale field research trials in actual production conditions. This helps to gain valuable information to implement in sow farms managed by Pipestone Management. New products…

During periods of high commodity prices and profitability, farm business owners should be diligent to financially prepare for the next period of low prices. The following are strategies that could help you build working capital to be ready for the next cycle of low prices. Improve operational efficiency Aggressively managing operational efficiency is the most…

Innovation in nutrition comes in many forms at PIPESTONE. From new technology, to better feed management, to improving the feed quality across our 40+ feed mills that feed sows managed by Pipestone Management, we are continually investigating ways to bring value. What does the body condition of an “ideal” sow look like in your mind?…

Everyone likes a deal! Who doesn’t? If there is an opportunity to buy something at a “good” price most people jump at the opportunity. But sometimes the deal isn’t as good as what we thought and is not figured out until after the fact.The same thing can happen with nutrition or formulation. One of the…

In 1942, Drs. E.A. Scheweim and P.A. Pinkert founded the Pipestone Veterinary Clinic. Since then, the company has continued to innovate while serving our mission of Helping Farmers Today Create the Farms of Tomorrow. In 1988, the Pipestone Management was founded and in 1990 Hiawatha Gilts, LTD was built and became the first Pipestone Management…

This year marks 30 years that the sow farm Hiawatha Gilts was constructed in Pipestone county, Minnesota birthing what would become the Pipestone Management and change modern swine production. Most intriguing is what Hiawatha represents as we think about innovation and the progression of health management. Hiawatha started as a multi farmer-owned farrow to finish…

For most pork producers, 2020 has not been a year of profitability. Without government program payments and a short-term spike in cut-out prices in May, the red ink has been steadily flowing. During these unfavorable economic times, your business uses the working capital you’ve created in the good times. Working capital measures whether you have…

As Covid-19 brought financial stress and uncertainty to many households, Pipestone launched into action for our farmers and communities. Pipestone’s MEAT the Need campaign ran May through September and brought pork contributions to food pantry agencies in the Midwest. The combined inputs of Pipestone and contributing partners resulted in raising $372,000 which our team turned…

As an industry, we have set guidelines for ourselves through the PQA program on what responsible antibiotic use looks like. If your interaction with those principals has been limited to passing the PQA quiz, today is a good day to think about how your antibiotic use fits into a responsible model. Do you work with…

As the harvest season approaches, fall field work and manure application will follow closely thereafter. During the manure removal process, our primary objective is to elevate the ventilation in your barns and keep you and your livestock safe and comfortable. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate and reach out to a Pipestone Management…

Mastitis can be a real pain in the udder, especially during the summer months.  When the weather turns hot and humid it gives the mastitis causing pathogens the needed environment to grow.  Hot and humid weather also adds stress to the cow which leads to a decreased immune function.  You put a better growing environment…

It’s that time of year again.  Temperatures are rising and the air is heavy enough you can cut it with a knife.  Although this weather is for growing crops, it means different things for your cattle operation. Whether in beef or dairy, producers need to understand heat stress and ways to help mitigate its effects.…

While the summer workload changes for the average cow/calf operation, there is still opportunity to make significant health and performance decisions that will make a difference to the bottom line. Most importantly, take the time to monitor both the health of the cattle and pasture, as well as performance of growing calves. Fly Control While…

In commodity production, high prices are the result of more demand than supply. In the past 20 years, the pork industry has been fortunate to increase demand through exports. More demand than supply results in high prices and creates profitability that attracts financial capital.  As capital rushes to the higher rates of return, pork producers…

PIPESTONE is excited to announce their sponsorship of the new agriculture-themed exhibits on the new “Grow It!” floor at the Washington Pavilion Kirby Science Center in Sioux Falls, SD. “Grow It!” features 3,000 square feet of new agriculture-themed exhibits as part of the center’s third floor dedicated to the state of South Dakota. “Grow It!”…

Ag Forte Pro has been proven to improve sanitation and bio-security of pig barns and livestock transport trucks, while being safe and easy to use. It eliminates irritation to nose, eyes and skin, as well as reduces wash time and water use. COVID-19 has brought biosecurity and disinfecting to the top of everyone’s minds; a…

Jo and Steve Weets are proud pet parents of Lucky and Libby. Lucky (right) is a 9-year-old male Dachshund and Libby (left) is an 8-year-old female Yorkie-Pom. How long have you had your dogs?  We have had Lucky since May 15, 2013.  He was brought into the Sheriff by a land surveyor who had found…