Category: Articles

Each summer, PIPESTONE provides the opportunity for college students from all over the nation to gain real-world experience within the swine industry. This year, PIPESTONE welcomed 14 interns from 12 different colleges to work within 7 departments. These departments included production, information technology, nutrition, research, public relations, marketing and veterinary services. Throughout the summer, interns…

Family businesses are often complex and making the decision to join the family farm is no different. Most young adults are exited to come back to the farm to do the work they love.  The following is a list of questions the next generation should consider answering about their family business, themselves and their family…

Capturing Farm to Fork Benefits through Feed Hybrid rye has been gaining traction as an alternative feed stuff in the upper Midwest. Compared to conventional rye, the hybrid varieties have shown to be better yielding, less susceptible to ergot (a grain fungus) and more drought tolerant. From the agronomic standpoint, hybrid rye can reduce the…

The Do’s and Dont’s the Do’s Manure Application Manure is the constant byproduct of every producer operation. Continuing to be constantly aware of your manure disposal and application procedures can help to avoid last minute emergencies from popping up and leading to costly, short-term solutions. Developing a couple of steady habits can ensure the smooth…

Why is it important in wean-to-market barns? Biosecurity. It is a big bold word but has it revolutionized the swine industry over decades? We go to extraordinary lengths to enhance sow farm biosecurity, which has historically been rewarded well. This begs the question: why do we not have near the standards for biosecurity in wean-to-market…

Proper handling and transporting of pigs to market is the final step in raising pigs. Following these basic but necessary steps helps to ensure the farmer can capitalize on the significant dollars they have invested in and worked hard to produce.  1. Proper Choring Throughout the pig’s life, properly walk the pens while choring to…

Today’s modern pig farmers have to balance and put focus on countless areas of impact in order to maximize success. In the newly weaned and growing pigs, herd health, feeding strategies, marketing, and risk management are just the beginning to a long list of important details. One additional area of focus that cannot be forgotten…

In the midst of record feed prices paced by $7-8/bu corn, in-barn feeder management should be a top priority for all producers. Spending over $100/pig in feed cost is already painful enough and shouldn’t be exacerbated by improper feeders or feeder settings.     I tend to break feeder management into 3 buckets: Selecting the…

Daily observations are not just a Pork Quality Assurance catch phrase, they are a foundational principal of proper pig care. Pig well-being and welfare starts with a daily evaluation of the animal, the environment, and the equipment. The Animal There are the obvious items we should be checking every day. Does the pig have food…

At the recent Pipestone Summit, we had an interesting exchange on pig farm biosecurity and the contrast between biosecurity measures employed at the sow farm and those effectively implemented in the wean to finish (W-F) farms. The takeaway for most was the striking gap found between sow farms and growing pig sites, with the breeding…

“Climate change” and “climate crisis”  are topics that have gained the attention of policymakers and businesses across the globe. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report released in 2021 noted, “Unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emission, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C will be beyond reach.” As…

⇒ In support of our Core Values of integrity, caring, commitment, growth and teamwork, employee safety is our top priority. Along with the great responsibility we have of caring for our animals, we understand that there are inherent risks to people safety within the swine production industry. Supporting staff personally visit; various support groups personally…

We recognize the growing global concern over Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), its impact for human medicine, veterinary medicine, public and animal health, as well as society and the shared concern of antibiotic use’s influence on AMR. PIPESTONE’s commitment to Responsible Antibiotic Use and reduced AMR serves as the framework for our Pipestone Antibiotic Use Standards (PORK).…

We live in the so-called “Information Age”. Data is being collected all around us. Today, the power of computing and digital technology have made collecting, analyzing and transferring data easier than ever. As a result, we have more information than ever at our fingertips. Good information for making business decisions can be invaluable; however, it…

The process of using data to make strategic production decisions is not new for PIPESTONE. It’s a process that usually starts with a concept, sometimes born of intuition, but more often born of necessity. It also requires a collaborative effort by PIPESTONE business units to bring the concept full circle. In 2016, Pipestone Applied Research…

Today, consumers are asking more questions than ever about where their food comes from and how animals are cared for. As a farmer and agriculturalist, it is our responsibility to share our story. To earn trust, communicating shared values is 3-5x more important than just sharing information. Consumers want to find shared values, such as…

There are several ways to evaluate feed cost and feed performance in wean-to-market pigs. Each method can provide a very different answer for the producer on what is the “BEST” way to feed a pig. In a perfect world we find the ideal marriage between biological performance and feed cost. However, the equation isn’t so…

As swine producers, you all pay a health tax at the end of the year, whether you know it or not. This tax is paid on every pig and reflects the cost of less-than-perfect health in an operation. The health tax is often far larger than producers recognize and is consistently evident year after year…

PIPESTONE’s relationship with the Mexican swine industry is not new. Multiple interactions between our technical team and local players have occurred over the past few decades. However, it was not until 2015, when PIPESTONE had the opportunity to participate in a start-up project of 10,000 sows, that this relationship got more formally established. This successful…

The #1 key to preventing African Swine Fever virus (ASF) breaks is improving biosecurity. Be flexible. Use the sites and infrastructure around you to optimize health and production in ways you may not have attempted thus far. Use feed mitigants. Depopulating continuous flow sites with viral health challenges is key to recovering performance. Grow/Finish biosecurity…

Personal Background: I come from a very humble family that had to immigrate from Zacatecas to Jalisco in search of opportunities. I am the fourth of seven siblings. I have always been involved in agriculture. From my childhood I was forced to leave school and start working at age of 13 to help my parents…

20 years ago, PIPESTONE started consulting in China. Consultation then turned into management, and later, ownership. Today, PIPESTONE is a minority owner in Riverstone, the operations group in Shandong Province. PIPESTONE oversees day-to-day operation for Riverstone, and Dr. Luke Minion serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. In China, Riverstone is managing…

Pork is the most consumed meat in the world. As a result, pig farming is a global pursuit. While the USA exports a significant portion of the pork we raise (nearly 30%), most pork is consumed within the country where the pigs were raised. As PIPESTONE has grown and evolved over the last 25 years,…

Growing up, I was involved in the swine industry by showing pigs, helping vaccinate weaned pigs for local farms, and working for PIPESTONE in the wean-to-finish records department. As the time came close for me to think about college and my future career, I knew I wanted to work in the swine industry and help…

There are many items to remember as winter ventilation is upon us of how we want barns to operate. Here are a few to think of as you are braving the cold.     1. Set Points This is what you are telling the barn to maintain temperature at. Typically, barns will be 1-2 degrees…

Having a risk management plan is critical for all hog producers, especially today with the extreme volatility of our hog and pork markets and with the increased risk of African Swine Fever making it into the United States. Hog producers really should protect their revenue and profit opportunities when they arise. Through Big Stone Marketing,…

There has been  a lot of chatter regarding the global supply chain as of late. Whether it’s referencing store shelves being empty, truck driver shortages or national ports being clogged, there has been an increased awareness of disruptions. If we are truly going to solve the issues, we need to understand how we got in…

 The 2021 supply chain issues are well known. Various news publications speak to the challenge of logistics via air, ocean, road and rail, as well as the lack of labor and materials. From an animal health perspective, the availability of raw ingredients that make up many of the products we use, or Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients…

African Swine Fever (ASF) is an inevitable topic as we talk about the global swine industry, especially after August 2018 when ASF was reported for the first time in China, the world’s largest pig producer and consumer. As a highly fatal disease with no effective treatment or commercial vaccine, ASF resulted in a nearly 40%…

African swine fever (ASF) was diagnosed on Hispaniola in the Caribbean this summer, the Dominican Republic in July 2021, and in Haiti in September 2021. This is the first time since the 1980s that the virus has been found in the Western Hemisphere. It has never been diagnosed in the United States. There is a…

When it comes to raising and investing in show pigs, our goal is to keep them healthy and productive in preparation for the show ring. The first few weeks of a piglet’s life are critical for setting them up with a strong foundation to help them develop immunity and protect them throughout their show career.…

Despite COVID-19 and what seemed like a dozen other challenges, the United States pork industry in 2020 exported a record amount of pork, and it’s poised to set a new record this year. In fact, through August 2021, America’s pork producers already had shipped to foreign destinations $5.8 billion worth of product compared with about…

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…

The year 2020 has been anything but normal.  I think we can all agree that the hog and pork markets are as volatile as ever!  In recent years, this industry has undergone PEDV, African Swine Fever, and now Covid-19.  All of the market ups and downs isn’t for the faint of heart. Big Stone Marketing…