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Dedicated producers shift focus to soil conservation

It’s hard work but at the end of the day, soil conservationist farmers in southern Saskatchewan are reaping the benefits of their research, networking and soil improvements.

It has been a long time coming for soil health efforts at Box H Farm, but Laura Hoimyr sees even more improvements that can be made on her and her husband’s 250 herd cow/calf cattle farm.

Fifteen years ago, the farming couple knew they wanted more out of their conventional grazing operation down near Gladmar and started making a conscious effort to make soil care a priority.

Perennial grazing with native and forage grasses seemed a better fit than throwing money into new equipment and fighting with the marginal acres they had, Hoimyr told farmnewsNOW. Now intensified rotational grazing has become their standard practice in order to have sufficient periods of rest for both the soil and the greenery as well as low levels of cattle traffic to withstand compaction.

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Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.