9/14/23

AMES, Iowa – Building on the success of the initial event in 2021, Iowa Pork Industry Center is proud to announce the second IPIC Sow Summit set for Nov. 1 in Ames. This one-day conference will present current research poised to influence sow farm productivity, and provide opportunity for attendees to learn about and discuss emerging topics that particularly affect sow farms.

The morning plenary session features three “big picture” talks followed by a panel discussion focusing on labor and staffing on the farm.

• Dr. Rob Knox of the University of Illinois, sow farm opportunities past and future.
• Dr. Bradley Wolter of Windy Hill Insights, the bio-economic considerations for a sustainable herd.
• Chad Bermel of Brenneman Pork, experiences transitioning to a Prop12-compliant system.

The morning session ends with a discussion on labor and staffing on the farm by these panelists.

• Chet Mogler, Partner, Pig Hill Co.
• Victor Ochoa, Director, Swineworks LLC.
• Silvia Castañeda, Director of Human Resources, Eichelberger Farms.

After lunch, attendees can choose individual presentations from a research session and an applied session, with state, national and international presenters from industry and academia.

Registration for the IPIC Sow Summit is now open with the fee of $65 for general attendees and no charge for students. See more information including registration link and sponsor list on the conference website.

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IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.