Building trust is key to retaining top talent in the pork industry. Melanie Langley, director of people care at Fine Swine, discusses how you can transform barn culture through empathy. Langley shares her three Ps framework—protection, purpose and presence—to show how prioritizing the person behind the pig is the ultimate key to success.

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From the DC suburbs to the heart of Iowa, Harrison Furlow’s journey into the pork industry is anything but conventional. Discover why he believes producer-led advocacy is the key to a sustainable future in agriculture and how he’s helping build a more resilient industry in his new role at the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

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After a challenging 2023, Chet Mogler of Pig Hill Farms is shifting his focus from physical expansion to professionalizing operations through enhanced biosecurity and innovative grower incentives. Learn what’s happening with their new meat company, Iowa Craft Meats, and how their farm is focused on building a resilient and sustainable foundation for the next generation of pork producers. He also shares his experience as a father of 11 children and stresses the importance of learning from others and maintaining core values in both family and business.

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As Sylvester Stallone’s character Rocky says, “Life's not supposed to be sunshine and rainbows.” But Jennifer Tirey, Illinois Pork Producers Association executive director, points out what he has to say next about moving forward is the most important part of that famous quote. Tirey is no stranger to struggles in this world. She opens up about her fight with cancer when she was a young wife, the critical role of building relationships with decisionmakers, and battles that go on behind the scene in the pork industry.

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Professors Bob Goodband and Mike Tokach are retiring after 30 years dedicated to the swine industry at Kansas State University. Discover how these legends prioritized people over publications, shaping the next generation of industry leaders with their selfless mentorship and innovative research. Tune in to hear their reflections on a lifetime of impact, the evolution of swine production, and their challenge to the pork industry.

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Chelsea Schminke Grieder, Director of Team Purebred, shares her unique and resilient journey on The PORK Podcast. Her path to leading the national youth swine organization was shaped by significant life experiences, including caring for her mother during a kidney transplant. Grieder brings a unique perspective, offering encouragement as she discusses life's ups and downs.

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No one wants their family business to look like the Dutton family’s in Yellowstone. Todd Wiley created a succession planning tool to avoid unnecessary drama and position his four children for success in their family pork operation in eastern Iowa. He believes being able to understand everyone's strengths and weaknesses will help them achieve greater success together.

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Micah Jansen knows that the key to juggling a busy life as a mother and swine tech services veterinarian at Zoetis is to differentiate the “glass balls” from the others. In other words, she’s learned how to prioritize what matters most as she strives to find a healthy balance between her passions. She joins The PORK Podcast to discuss the future of swine health and how she makes decisions with producers’ ROI in mind.

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With a deep-rooted passion for agriculture, Maddie Hokanson follows a simple but profound philosophy in life: Start with why. A seventh-generation farmer, Maddie explains how her “why” – to ensure a successful, thriving future for the generations she will never meet – drives all aspects of her life, from family to farming to advocating for the pork industry.

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