Iowa Pork Industry Center

The Iowa Pork Industry Center summer interns shared their final presentation today!

Over the past 16 weeks they've participated in numerous conferences and industry experiences, contributed to four different research studies, assisted with extension programming, and gained experience on commercial and research swine farms. Both have expressed interest in future career opportunities within the swine industry and will be jumping back into animal science classwork at Iowa State University on Monday.

Thanks Sierra and Ashton for all of your work this summer!

Over the weekend, the Iowa Pork Industry Center team volunteered at the Iowa Pork Tent to help serve pork to thousands of people at the Iowa State Fair. Thank you to everyone who came by to help out! 🐷

Fun fact: On a typical day, an Iowa State Fair patron receives a pork product approximately every 4 seconds (Source: Iowa Pork.)

Biosecurity better ex*****on Matt Romoser, Swine Field Specialist with the Iowa Pork Industry Center, joins us with some important tips related to biosecurity.

"At any given moment, more than 1 million hogs are being transported across the United States via semi-trailers. When one of those transport vehicles is involved in an accident, emergency responders must know what to do."

The Iowa Pork Industry Center's livestock rollover trainings were featured in the August edition of STORIES magazine.

These workshops are designed to train and prepare emergency responders for traffic accidents involving livestock and use semi-trailers and tow trucks to demonstrate rollover scenarios.

Read the full article here:
https://stories.cals.iastate.edu/2026/08/preparing-livestock-rollovers

Preparing for livestock rollovers When livestock trailers are involved in an accident, emergency responders must know what to do. At the request of several rural emergency management teams, the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University developed trainings to give emergency responders experience with livestock handling and r...

What's happening in this photo? 🤔

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach swine field specialist Colin Johnson is using ultrasound imaging to measure a pig's loin size and backfat depth.

Each summer, swine field specialists assist with carcass value contests at swine exhibitions across Iowa. This is an opportunity for 4-H and FFA youth and their families to learn about their pig's performance and how the industry determines pork cutout values and pricing.

How is the final carcass value determined? 🐷

The pig's starting and ending weight, along with total days on feed, are entered into a pricing matrix. Premiums are determined on a sliding scale for the ideal backfat and loin size parameters based on each individual pig's measurements at the 10th rib loin muscle area.

Finally, today's market values for pork cuts are incorporated into the equation to determine the final performance ranking. Top individuals are then recognized for their highly efficient pig! 🏆

Colin Johnson connects with Iowa pork producers daily in his role as an extension swine field specialist and 4th generation farmer in Wapello County.

Recently, producers have been asking questions about the National Swine Health Strategy, finding and retaining labor, and managing aging facilities. Learn how Johnson is helping answer those questions and more. Link in the comments ⬇

New PigX episode out now! 📣

Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/5xfzkw4h

Biosecurity remains one of the most important tools for protecting livestock health, but success depends on more than having a written plan.

In this episode, Dr. Josh Flohr, assistant professor at Kansas State University, discusses the gap between biosecurity policies on paper and their day-to-day ex*****on on the farm.

Nursery mortality in swine production is costly, complex, and often recognized only after losses have already begun.

Learn how ISU researchers are using machine learning to predict mortality rates prior to visible signs of declining health.

Link to article in the comments. ⬇

Photo by National Pork Board

Dr. Mike Paustian, sixth-generation farmer from Scott County, Iowa, recently presented “Gene Editing: A Producer Perspective” at the Iowa Swine Day conference held June 25. Paustian’s presentation was the second-annual Lauren Christian Lecture on Swine Management and Genetics.

Dr. Lauren Christian was a Charles F. Curtiss distinguished professor of animal science at Iowa State University from 1966 until his death in 1998. While at Iowa State, Dr. Christian managed the swine teaching farm, co-lead the swine breeding research herd, served as director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, mentored and advised countless students, and performed research in swine genetics and pork quality.

Thank you to the Lauren L. Christian endowment for supporting this lecture as well as annual scholarships and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students involved in the swine industry!

Iowa State University-Animal Science
Iowa State University Foundation

Meet Saije Simpson, a swine research intern with IPIC this summer! 🐷

Saije is from Middletown, Delaware and is a senior studying Animal Science with a Biology minor at Iowa State University.

When asked why she was interested in learning about the swine industry, Saije said, “I have an interest in research in swine nutrition and pathology. Through this internship, I aim to expand my knowledge about the numerous opportunities available in the swine industry, and I am excited to explore them further.”

One thing to know about Saije is that she has dual citizenship in both the US and France.

Thank you for spending this summer with us, Saije!