After studying in the University of Lleida School of Agri-food and Forestry Science and Engineering, Oscar worked as a production manager in different large sow farms for 3 year. 22 years ago, joined Rotecna, where he has had the chance to cooperate with pig production and farm construction companies in more than 80 countries. Rotecna develops and manufactures innovative solutions in hog equipment and farm design to help the world’s best pig production companies to produce healthy animals with a great well-being in an efficient, sustainable and profitable way.”

Chris Grant is the President of Innovative Heating Technologies (IHT) out of Winnipeg, MB Canada. After a 15 year career managing plastic manufacturing that moved him around the country, he was looking for a change in life and career. In 2013 he took the leap and partnered with Matt Robins by purchasing IHT. By combining their plastics and electrical backgrounds, they were able to create the most energy efficient and reliable heat pad for farrowing. Their technology has helped clients around the world drastically reduce their energy consumption on their farms. IHT is also leading the development of other heating and cooling projects for commercial and agricultural applications which include a partnership with Purdue University on “Sow Cooling” to combat heat stress.

Mr. John Quackenbush is the Chief Commercial Officer at Minitube USA, Inc based in Verona WI.  After a 13-year career managing boar studs for Zoltenko Farms in Kansas, John moved to Wisconsin to work in Reproduction Sales.  In November of 2015, John led the startup of Minitube USA, in Delavan WI, a subsidiary of Minitube International.  In October of 2018, Minitube USA purchased the assets of MOFA Global and moved operations to Verona WI.  Since 2018, John has led the Sales and Service teams for Minitube USA, striving to offer the highest quality customer service, products, and consulting to porcine, bovine, equine, canine, ovine and other species, for use in assisted reproduction technologies. 

• John Quackenbush and Minitube USA’s background.
• The process of managing a boar stud.
• The semen delivery process.
• Best practices for semen handling and storage.
• Semen mythbusting
• John Quackenbush’s “golden nugget”

Bill Luckey — Nebraska
Bill Luckey, a fourth-generation farmer, owns a wean-to-finish operation in Columbus, Nebraska, and is a part-owner of a sow farm. Bill is responsible for the daily care of 740 nursery pigs and 1,400 finisher pigs. In addition, his family operates a 2,000 head custom contract finisher and markets 10,000 pigs annually. He also grows corn, soybeans and cattle on 700 acres. Bill is serving his second term on the National Pork Board and also serves on the board of directors for the Swine Health Information Center. He has been active on numerous NPB committees, is an Operation Main Street speaker, has served on the National Pork Producers Council board of directors (2008-2014), and on the Nebraska Pork Producers Association board of directors (2001-2007). He was president of the NPPA board from 2006-2007.

Jessica Campbell – Ohio
Jessica Campbell is the owner of Carroll Creek Farms, LLC, based in Waynesville, Ohio. The farm markets 300 pigs per year directly to consumers through a community-supported agriculture program, wholesale freezer meats, their on-farm store and the local farmer’s market. Jessica raises cattle, sheep, broilers, turkeys and layers as well. Professionally, Jessica is the vice president of food and agribusiness for Farm Credit Mid-America. In this role, she supports large commercial swine operators.

• Information about each guest’s background and operation.
• An overview of the U.S. pork international market development strategy.
• Why it’s important to have producers (specifically, board members) involved in the strategy and in the market. 
• The board of directors trip to Panama and Colombia and some of their experiences.
• How this trip can help inform Checkoff investments in the future.
• Key takeaways and action items from this trip.
• Each speaker’s “golden nuggets”

From vegetable farm manager to global ISO auditor, David then moved into the poultry sector when he purchased a UK broiler farm in 2004 and continues to operate a contract poultry farm management company in the UK. In 2018, David founded OPTIFarm. OPTIfarm is a very unique data driven support service, currently for poultry and swine, assessing real time farm data against animal behavioural knowledge and human considerations to increase productivity and welfare globally 24/7. David has a broad and open mind regarding the opportunities of data and digital solutions in farming and he has a passion for creating tangible value from digital solutions.

• ©Tim Scrivener Photographer 07850 303986

• The current fundraising mechanisms and if they are working for the swine industry.
• How grants, incubators, accelerators and innovation awards help when developing a new startup business idea.
• Whether VC type funding actually can match the longer term decision cycles in agriculture.
• What VCs are actually looking for.
• A better way to develop products based on a needs first approach.
• How startups can truly understand what problems companies are willing to spend money fixing.

Gary Asay, Producer from Illinois and past president of NPB

Gary Asay owns and manages Asay Farms, a wean-to-finish operation in Illinois that markets 9,500 hogs annually. He also raises corn and soybeans. Gary most recently served on the Illinois Pork Producers Association board of directors and was a director for the National Pork Producers Council. He is an Operation Main Street speaker, as well as a member of the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

Amy Skoczlas Cole, Trust in Food

Over the course of a 25-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and foundations, Amy has worked to reimagine the systems that deliver clean water, sustainable food and low carbon energy to society. Amy has a proven track record of helping businesses and nonprofits alike increase and sharpen their impact, grow their revenue and deepen their collaboration with stakeholders and employees. She has worked domestically and internationally at every point in the food-fuel-fiber value chain, advancing new paradigms for a healthy, thriving society and planet.

Sustainable practices in the pork industry and initiatives that are contributing towards a more sustainable future.

• Gary shares his definition of sustainability and Asay Farms practices.
• NPB’s on-farm sustainability reports and their benefits.
• Amy talks about Trust In Food and America’s Conservation Ag Movement.
• The importance of collaboration across industries consumer trust.

Dr. John Sonderman, PhD, PAS

Director of Technical Services for DNA Genetics, a provider of swine genetics to the commercial swine industry in North America, Spain, and Brazil. His duties include oversight of technical support to commercial customers and multipliers in North America, the North American nucleus herds and boar studs, and collaboration on research. He also provides consulting and research support for Pillen Family Farms, a 70,000-sow commercial producer located in Nebraska and South Dakota and is a past member of the National Pork Board’s Sow Lifetime Productivity Task Force. John’s experience includes three years in extension and over ten years working in the US feed industry in nutrition and reproductive management.

He has B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and a PhD from Colorado State University in Reproductive Physiology. He currently serves on the External Advisory Board for the Animal Science Department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is currently serving as the President of the board for the American Shorthorn Association. He resides with his wife on a small ranch near Columbus, Nebraska, where they raise purebred Beef Shorthorn cattle.

• Nurse sow utilization is becoming an important management consideration in the swine industry.
• Experts are evaluating current nurse sow strategies being used in the industry.
• DNA/Pillen Family Farms looked into nurse sow strategies to improve their production processes.
• Research and trials were conducted to answer the nurse sow question and revealed significant takeaways.
• John Sonderman’s “Golden Nugget”

Dr. Clayton Johnson is a veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. located in Carthage, Illinois. He is one of eleven veterinarians dedicated to the swine veterinary practice. Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. provides health, management, and production consulting to swine farms of all sizes in all regions of the United States and many locations abroad. Dr. Johnson attended the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, receiving a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, continuing on to complete the Executive Veterinary Program. In 2020, Dr. Johnson was honored with the Leman Science in Practice Award.

• Why sow mortality is such a common topic of discussion on farms, at industry meetings and in industry media publications.
• The most common causes of sow mortality.
• What producers and their associated support teams do to try to intervene to prevent mortalities.
• The production impact of sow mortality.
• Dr. Clayton Johnson’s projections for how sow mortality might change in the coming months and years.
• Dr. Clay Johnson’s “golden nugget”

John started learning the ropes about pigs at the age of 11. He qualified as a veterinarian in 1982. After 5 years in general practice he returned to university to complete a Leverhulme residency in pigs and the PhD in urinary tract problems of pigs at Liverpool specialising in microbiology and pathology. He has a Diploma in Pig Medicine and is a Diplomate of the European College of Pig Health Management. He is recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a pig specialist. He has taught production medicine at several universities: UK; Liverpool and Royal Veterinary College, London, US; North Carolina and Iowa State and at Murdoch and Townsville Universities Australia. John runs a consultancy practice with clients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. He currently teaches at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. John specialises in maintaining the health of pigs through promoting excellence in stockmanship and production practices.

• What it was like growing up in the UK swine industry.
• The importance of modern vets having slat level experience.
• The reality of ASF in Africa and Asia.
• Strategies that are being implemented to prevent ASF.
• The current state of China’s sow herd.
• The future of pig hotels in China and the world.
• Dr. John Carr’s “golden nugget”

Bob Ruth is the vice president of the National Pork Board of directors. He is the past president for Country View Family Farms, a farrow-to-finish farm with 110,000 sows. Now retired, Bob served as the senior vice president for Clemens Food Group, where he worked for 20 years. He has also served on the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Board of Directors and is an active member of PennAg and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Heather Hill is the president of the National Pork Board of directors, and formerly served as vice president and treasurer. She is a co-owner of Hill Farms in Greenfield, Indiana, a 600-sow farrow-to-finish operation. Hill Farms also grows corn, soybeans and wheat. Hill is also former president of the Indiana Pork Board and has been actively involved since 2009. She serves on the National FFA Career Development Sales Committee and is a leader for the local 4-H chapter. Heather is an Operation Main Street speaker.

• All you need to know about the myth busting strategy and how it went.
• How NPB used research to develop a strategy.
• What it was like to be behind the scenes both in planning and execution.
• Who NPB partnered with to extend the message.
• Pork Checkoff-funded initiatives addressing pork consumption barriers.
• Bob Ruth and Heather Hill’s “golden nuggets”