Pig Farmers Focus on Taking Care of People, Pigs and Planet

Jun 14, 2018

American's Pig Farmer of the Year says farmers are typically to busy doing than talking about their role in taking care of people, pigs and planet.

The Pig Farmer of the Year program recognizes excellence in pig farming with winners taking on the role of pork sector ambassadors.

Leon Sheets, who operates a northeast Iowa area farm that consists of 600 acres of row crops, a 36 hundred place facility that takes pigs from weaning to 40 pounds and three finishing barns, told those on hand last week for World Pork Expo in Des Moines his role as Pig Farmer of the Year is taking him to places he normally wouldn't have the opportunity to be and to meet and talk to more people than ever before.

Leon Sheets-Northeast Iowa Pig Farmer:

Our key messages come under our "WE Care" principle.

We're going to talk about animal welfare, animal well being.

We're going to talk about food safety, we're going to talk about worker safety, we're going to talk about the environment.

We're doing the right things by the environment and we're also doing the right things for our community.

We're involved in the community.

If you start asking a pig farmer, a pork producer, what do they do around home, be ready to start writing down or allow a little time because we are all involved and we think it's the right thing to do.

Source : Farmscape

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.