SwineTime with Pipestone

Episode #83: Reinvesting in Your Operation: Maximizing ROI

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Damon Vander Maten, Director of FarmBooks at Pipestone, to dig into one of the biggest questions farm families face: When is the right time to reinvest in your farm assets?Damon brings extensive experience analyzing farm financials,helping producers make sense of balance sheets, debt loads, cash flow, and long-term planning. Together, Spencer and Damon walk through practical, down-to-earth ways farmers can evaluate whether to repair, replace, or rebuild barns and other infrastructure—and how to decide which part of a multi-enterprise operation (pigs, cattle, crops, etc.) deserves capital first.Key topics include:How to know if you're financially ready to invest, usingsimple rules of thumb like matching your percent equity to your age.Prioritizing repairs vs. new construction, and why youshould fix barns before they start hurting production.Comparing returns across your operation—hog barns vs. crops vs. cattle—and how to identify where capital truly pays off.Using financial ratios like current ratio and debt-to-equity to understand your “purchasing power.”Market cycles and timing, including why down years often present the best opportunities for expansion.Build, remodel, or rent? Damon breaks down how to compare the real return on each option.Whether you're a producer weighing your next building project or simply trying to better understand your own financial position, this conversation offers clear, approachable guidance on managing farm assets with confidence and long-term vision.

Episode #82: Barn to Buyer - What Drives Weaned Pig Value

In this episode, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Hayden Kerkaert, Director of Pig Sales & Marketing for Pipestone Management, to break down the current weaned pig market and what it means for producers across the country. Hayden shares practical insights on what drives pig value, pricing,and performance.The weaned pig market has stayed strong longer than manyexpected. Unlike past short-term spikes, today’s high prices have lasted nearly a year, driven by tight pig supply, health challenges like PRRS, and some producers exiting the industry. Understanding why prices remain high—and whatbuyers are looking for—is critical for anyone raising or purchasing pigs.Hayden and Spencer cover the key factors affecting weanedpig prices, with health status at the top of the list. Buyers need clear, detailed information on a pig’s health, including PRRS status, vaccination history, and disease exposure, because it’s critical for them to know what’s coming into their barn. Vaccinated pigs generally perform better and can command higher value. Misunderstanding or missing these details can lead to costly mistakes, which is why Hayden emphasizes the importance of working closely with your veterinarian. Beyond the numbers, trust and strong relationships between buyers and sellers are just as important—producers who communicate openly and reliably about pig health create lasting partnerships and maintain the value of their pigs.Pig age, genetics, and attributes also matter. Older pigs(23–24 days) often bring a premium because they thrive in the nursery and have lower mortality. Genetics like Duroc-sired pigs, and attributes such as Prop 12 compliance or open pen gestation, can influence contracts and buyer interest. Timing and pig flow management—getting pigs to the right barn at the right time—also play a major role in profitability.Whether you’re a producer selling pigs, a buyer sourcing animals, or managing a sow farm, this episode provides real-world guidance you can put to work today. Hayden breaks down complex market dynamics into practical advice for navigating the weaned pig market, keeping pigs healthy,and maximizing return on every head.Tune in for insights that help you make smarter decisions for your pigs, your barn, and your bottom line.

Episode #81: Learning to Leading: The Value of Internships

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, host and veterinarian Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with fellow veterinarian, Dr. Rachel Stika-Jensen and veterinary intern, Emma Zwart, to take a closer look at what it’s really like to participate in a veterinary internship within the swine industry. Together, they share practical insights for students, parents, swine veterinarians, and pig producers who want to better understand the value of hands-on training in pig health and production.The conversation begins with what drew them to the ag industry, specifically swine medicine. Emma explains how her internships helped bridge the gap between veterinary school and working directly with pigs, allowing her to build confidence in diagnosing herd health issues, understanding biosecurity protocols, and learning the day-to-day realities of swine practice. Dr. Stika-Jensen offers her perspective as both a practicing swine veterinarian and a mentor, highlighting how internships give future veterinarians a realistic view of what a career in pig medicine entails.Beyond veterinary internships, the episode also explores other opportunities Pipestone offers for students interested in the swine industry. These include roles working alongside swine nutritionists to optimize pig feed programs, positions in production management to understand large-scale pig herd operations, and internships in research focused on pig health innovations. There are also opportunities in marketing, IT, and data analytics—fields that support the business side of swine production. By training and building the industry’s talent today, Pipestone ensures that farmers will benefit from skilled, knowledgeable professionals who drive innovation and sustainability for the future of pig production.Listeners will gain practical tips on how to find high-quality swine internships, key questions to ask before applying, andstrategies for making the most of these valuable experiences. Offering internships is essential for swine companies, as it cultivates skilled, industry-ready professionals who grasp both the science and business of pig production—building a stronger, more sustainable future for the swine industry.

Episode #80: The PRRS Puzzle: New Classification to See the Bigger Picture

In this episode of the SwineTime podcast, host and swine veterinarian, Dr. Spencer Wayne, is joined by Dr. Kim VanderWaal from the University of Minnesota to tackle a complex but critical topic for pig farmers: PRRS virus classification.Dr. VanderWaal is an associate professor in Veterinary Population Medicine with expertise in swine disease ecology, epidemiology, and big data research. She has spent nearly a decade studying swine viruses, particularly PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome)—one of the most costly and persistent diseases in pork production. With more than 80,000 virus sequences collected in the U.S., researchers now have a wealth of genetic data to study how PRRS evolves and spreads.The discussion highlights how the industry has shifted fromthe old RFLP typing system, which often gave confusing or misleading results, to a new framework built around lineages, sub-lineages, and variants. This updated approach offers veterinarians and producers more consistent, accurateinformation to evaluate outbreaks and determine whether a farm is facing a repeat infection or something entirely new.Dr. VanderWaal also explains why some PRRS variants—like the well-known 1C.5 strain—spread so aggressively. These viruses require only a tiny infectious dose to jump between pigs, making traditional biosecurity measures more difficult to hold. The conversation further explores how new viruses emerge, whether through gradual mutation or recombination, when pigs carry multiple strains at once.For farmers, veterinarians, and others in the swine industry, this episode offers valuable insight into how PRRS is studied, why accurate classification matters, and how ongoing research is equipping the industry to better respond to emerging health challenges.

Episode #79: Driving Progress Through Research

In this episode of the SwineTime Podcast, host Dr. Spencer Wayne talks with Paul Frahm, Director of Research Operations, about how research can help pig farmers make practical, informed decisions on their farms.Paul shares his background in the swine industry, starting in sow barns in Iowa before moving into research more than a decade ago. Today, he leads a team that focuses on answering real questions pig farmers face every day—questions about pig health, feed efficiency, genetics, and new technology in barns.Pipestone Applied Research operates 2,400-head barns set up like commercial pig barns, but with additional tools to measure results accurately. Automated feed delivery, precision scales, and split water lines allow the team to test everything from pig feed additives to vaccine programs under conditions that closely resemble what farmers see in their own barns.For producers, this kind of applied research offers meaningful value:Health and welfare – Trials comparing vaccines and treatments can help reduce pig losses and improve overall herd health.Cost efficiency – Studies on feed space, pig density, and nutrition strategies identify ways to get the most out of every pound of feed.Confidence in decisions – Results are based on unbiased data, giving farmers reliable information they can use.Relevant insights – Projects are chosen because they address current challenges in swine production, from disease prevention to barn management.Paul explains that not every study produces groundbreaking results, but even finding that two options perform equally well can help farmers make better choices. “Our job isn’t to prove a product right or wrong,” he says. “It’s to provide good data that farmers can trust.”The goal is simple: give producers the knowledge they need to raise healthier pigs, improve efficiency, and stay strong in a competitive industry. Farmers who want to learn more can connect with their Pipestone veterinarian, swine nutritionist, or production consultant to see how these findings might apply to their own herds.