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New Mexico-born farm kid on his way to Rio for Canada

Shawn Barber hopes to bring home gold

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

On Saturday, August 13, Shawn Barber will start his quest for gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Jeneiro when he competes in the pole vault.

Barber won gold at the 2015 World Championships and Pan American Games. His love for jumping over things began as a child.

 

“I ran around with a pole getting into trouble and trying to jump over things,” Barber told The Globe and Mail in July. “I did pretty much whatever you would expect a kid with an imagination to do.”

Starting around the age of five, Barber, who was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but now calls Toronto home, would vault over a creek on his family’s farm.

When the creek became too easy, his father, George, a fellow vaulter, built a barn with a pole vault pit and other gymnastics equipment inside.

Shawn said having the equipment on the farm is one of the reasons for his success.

“Looking back, it was probably the thing that made me such a great athlete today,” he told CBC. The exposure to gymnastics at such a young age and the ability to go out every day and have all that equipment in my backyard.”


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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.