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University of Guelph Names New Ridgetown Campus Director

By , Farms.com

 The University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus has named Ken McEwan as the new director for a five-year term, which began May 1. McEwan will be succeeding Art Schaafsma, who served as director from 2007 to 2011.

Rob Gordon, Dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) says the Ridgetown community is excited about McEwan’s vision. McEwan has been acting as interim director since Jan. 1, 2012. Prior to that, he was the research co-ordinator at Ridgetown. The director position entails overseeing 120 faculty and staff and an annual budget of $18.5 million.

McEwan has a long history with the college, joining in 1990 as a professor in production economics and agribusiness and teaching at the University of Guelph’s main campus in the Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics. In a press release, McEwan said that it is a privilege to be given this opportunity and says he looks forward to working with community stakeholders in his new role.


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What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?


?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.