Regional pork meetings set for February

Feb 24, 2025

The annual series of Iowa Pork Regional Conferences has been a long-standing partnership of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Pork Industry Center, according to an Extension news release.

The goal to bring research and education to producers continues with this year’s topics:

Brian Blumhagen, director of operations, Altenburg Construction: What to inspect in hog barns, when to consider doing major repairs and what the repair, remodel or replacement costs will be.
Chris Rademacher, ISU Extension swine veterinarian: Composting practices to implement in your day-to-day operation and in case of a foreign animal disease.
ISU Extension agricultural engineers: Practical ways to improve barn ventilation, manage ventilation-related costs and run facilities more efficiently.
Gracie Greiner Marlow, IPPA sustainability manager: National Pork Board’s Pork Cares Farm Impact Reports provide data for the producer by tracking, measuring and monitoring conservation efforts in their operation.
ISU Extension swine specialists: Updates on issues and opportunities in respective areas.

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Video: Stress as a Nutrient Thief - Dr. Sarah Pearce

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sarah Pearce, Research Animal Physiologist with USDA ARS, explains why stress can act as a nutrient thief in pigs. She discusses gastrointestinal health, barrier integrity, inflammation, feed efficiency, stress interactions, and emerging biomarkers that may help predict performance challenges before they occur. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article: https://academic.oup.com/af/article/1...

"Stress can steal calories and nutrients because energy normally used for growth is redirected toward immune activation, gut repair, and other costly survival responses."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sarah Pearce / sarah-pearce-phd-3a5881a5 earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Iowa State University and currently serves as a Research Animal Physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Her research focuses on gastrointestinal physiology, nutrition, stress biology, immune function, and productivity in pigs and poultry. Learn more from Dr. Sarah Pearce on the Swine Nutrition Black Belt Podcast, available on all major platforms.