Popular Pig

Dr. Mike Tokach is a University Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences and Industry atKansas State University. Tokach joined K-State in 1991 and, as a swine nutrition researcher and extension specialist, is an author on more than 420 articles in scientific journals, 11book chapters and more than 1,100 extension and non-refereed articles. Tokach has received more than $22 million in research grants and gifts. He also has been awarded seven patents for his research and has given more than 350 invited lectures at national and international conferences. Tokach has also advised and mentored over 110 advanced-degree students and visiting professors since joining the university. Mike’s wife Lisa also specializes in Swine as a veterinarian. Together, they have three children, Sage, Rogan, and Fiona.

Scott stump is honored to serve as the chief executive officer of the national FFA organization and foundation. He is excited to lead FFAs efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Prior to this role, stump served as assistant secretary for the office of career, technical, and adult education within the united states department of education. Prior to assuming this role, Scott served as chief operating officer with Vivayic, inc. A learning solutions provider devoted to helping individuals, organizations and corporations succeed.

Before joining Vivayic, Scott served as the assistant provost/state director for career & technical education (CTE) with the Colorado community college system. Over his tenure with the system stump served as state FFA advisor, agriculture program director and interim president of northeastern junior college during the institutions presidential search process. During his seven-year tenure as a state cte director, Scott has served as an officer for advance cte. Through this role, he served on the national SkillsUSA board of directors as the advanceCTE liaison.

Stump received his bachelors degree in agricultural education from Purdue university and a masters of business administration from western governors university. He began his career teaching agricultural education and biology at Manchester High School in North Central Indiana. Before coming to Colorado, he worked for the national FFA organization managing the national officer team and the national FFA convention.

When not in Indianapolis, stump lives on a small ranch in Stoneham, Colorado with his wife Denise and three children: Brady, ross and Emma. As a father, Scott is proud that all three children are products of FFA and career & technical education.

Dr. Cara Haden received her degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 from the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she joined Pipestone Vet Clinic as an associate Veterinarian working with independent pig farm clients throughout the Midwest. Today she serves as the Director of Animal Welfare for Pipestone. Cara is also active on social media, showcasing the swine industry and the ways farmers care for their pigs. 

An avid supporter of responsible, safe ingredients in medical device products, Dr. Greenhalgh has established a career of inventing, developing and launching medical products that meet the unmet needs of consumers, animals and medical professionals. With a focus on skin and wound care, Dr. Greenhalgh has patented a large breadth of technologies that promote skin health through a novel nanopolymer platform.

The wound care products that have resulted from this technology have been adopted worldwide in the OTC consumer markets, animal health markets and advanced wound care markets. She is committed to providing unique products that can save lives and advance healing through her novel spray on wound dressing products. Dr. Greenhalgh is passionate about supporting the US military with solutions that span every aspect of military wound care; from field use for warfighters that support combat readiness, to products that help military families and veterans through acute and long term care.

Joseph Kerns, President of Partners for Production Agriculture, has thirty years’ experience working with producers, suppliers, and mills to support agricultural operations. He leads a team of professionals with the purpose of understanding the financial parameters around agricultural markets so that those that he works with can thrive and prosper.

Bill Even is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Pork Board based in Des Moines, IA where he has responsibility for leading Pork Checkoff-funded research, promotion and education projects on behalf of the nation’s 60,000 pork producers.

Prior to his employment with the National Pork Board, Bill served as the Global Industry Relations Lead and Commercial Unit Lead for DuPont Pioneer from 2010 to 2016. Bill also served as South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture and Deputy Secretary for Tourism and State Economic Development for Governor Mike Rounds. Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in ag business and economics from South Dakota State University and a law degree from Drake University with a certificate in food and ag policy law. Bill and his family own and operate a diversified crop and livestock farm near Humboldt, SD. The farm was homesteaded in 1884 by his great-grandfather and Bill began farming in 1983.

Anne manages Invariant’s agriculture and food practice, bringing 20 years of substantive policy experience in the sector.  For their field-to-fork clients, She provides regulatory guidance, crafts policy solutions, and deploys innovative engagement plans for Congress and the Administration.

Anne spent four years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Obama Administration, first as senior adviser and then as deputy chief of staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack, where she led the development and implementation of the regulatory agenda for USDA. In addition, Anne advised the Secretary on a suite of day-to-day policy issues including nutrition, specialty crops, food safety, livestock markets, and animal health. She previously served as senior policy advisor to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and served in the offices of former Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) and the late Bob Matsui (D-CA), where she worked on a range of issues including agriculture, natural resources, energy, transportation and healthcare. Anne is a proud graduate of the University of California, San Diego and The George Washington University School of Law.

John Wesley Hairr is the Recruiter with Murphy Family Ventures. He leads the recruiting efforts for the company engaging with students, faculty and staff at colleges, universities, and also high schools to attract new hires to the company. Prior to taking his role as Recruiter, John Wesley was a Farm Manager for Murphy Family Ventures. He understands the importance agriculture has in Southeastern North Carolina, and strives to share its impact through his Recruiter efforts. John Wesley is a member of the Pork Leader Institute class of 2022 and also a member of the Board of Trustees at James Sprunt Community College. John Wesley holds a degree in Agricultural Business Management from North Carolina State University.  

Phil Hord is fifth generation pig farmer, and one of the family members who own and operate Hord Family Farms headquartered in Bucyrus, Ohio. Hord Farms is a multi-generational farm that breeds and births pigs, and works with regional farmers to grow their hogs and raise the grain to feed them. They have over 300 team members and growing contract partners combined, a grain elevator and feed mill, raise beef cattle, and also row crop farm as a family in the Crawford county region. Today, Phil is responsible for helping leading the business overall, but specifically focuses on leading the Sow Production teams, as well as directing nutrition and research for their swine business.

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.