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Streamlining Sow Farming: David Klocke and the Founding of PigEasy

Farming, undeniably, is a profession that takes hard work. Passed down through families and generations, it’s a hands-on, dedicated skill to earn, but what if it could be made more efficient so that producers can spread that hard work out and receive more for their time? That idea is what motivates Dave Klocke, recipient of the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award, in his work as the founder of PigEasy, LLC®. Klocke is using research-based innovation to merge his family farm roots with technology to create a more efficient status quo for all pork producers.

Foundations in Farming
Klocke began his life on an Iowan family farm as the youngest son of his family and the sixth out of seven children. His father was mostly a livestock producer but grew crops to feed their family’s cattle and pigs. Klocke grew up following his father around the farm in part because of duty but also because, in his time, “There was no television, no internet. You could only do so much in the house, so you were quickly happy to go outside and do something a little more interesting.”

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Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey


In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.