Popular Pig

Matthew Rooda
  • 4.4 (15)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to the Popular Pig Podcast. A convenient place where you can stay up to date on what’s popular in the swine industry. By listening to Popular Pig, you will receive invaluable information on the latest trends, news, and research from various experts that guide the global pork industry.

  1. 3D AGO

    An Australian Approach to Balancing Welfare and Economics in Pork Production | Steve Coleman

    About the Guest What began as a spontaneous job application became a lifelong commitment to protecting animals across New South Wales and supporting some of the state’s most underserved and marginalized communities. Throughout his career, Steve has developed a deep understanding of human behavior and an exceptional ability to inspire people to take meaningful action. His experience across animal welfare, government relations and the justice system has shaped his insight into what drives individuals, organizations and communities. As CEO, Steve leads the largest animal welfare organization in Australia with authenticity, integrity and a clear strategic vision — creating the conditions for lasting, impactful change. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? The difference between animal welfare and animal rights — and why the pork industry needs to understand that distinction. Why communication and working with producers often leads to better animal welfare outcomes than enforcement alone. How real farm constraints influence decisions around housing systems like farrowing crates. Why consumer expectations, economics, and welfare improvements are closely connected in pork production. Steve’s “Golden Nugget”

    33 min

  2. MAR 5

    Eliminating PRRS and Protecting the U.S. Herd | Dr. Dustin Oedekoven

    About the Guest Dr. Dustin Oedekoven is the chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board, based in Des Moines, Iowa. In this role, Dr. Oedekoven leads a team of veterinarians and swine production experts in Pork Checkoff-funded work for pork producers, including foreign animal disease (FAD) preparedness, protecting the U.S. herd from African swine fever and developing a national swine health strategy. Dr. Oedekoven has over 20 years of experience in the agriculture sector. Prior to joining the National Pork Board in 2022, he served as state veterinarian and executive secretary for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, where he provided strategic leadership and direction for the state’s animal health agency – a seven-member, governor-appointed board of livestock producers with responsibility for all animal health programs and disease control efforts in the state. Dr. Oedekoven received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University and bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from South Dakota State University. He resides in Pierre, South Dakota, with his wife and kids. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why the National Swine Health Strategy was created and how pig health directly impacts producer profitability. The two big goals guiding the strategy: reduce the impact of domestic diseases and keep foreign and emerging diseases out. Why PRRS elimination is now being set as a long term industry destination. Why PED elimination may be more achievable in the near term and how recent progress gives the industry momentum.

    19 min

  3. FEB 26

    How to Reduce Wean to Finish Mortality Without Guessing | Nat Stas

    About the Guest Nat Stas is a Technical Services Director for PIC and has been in the commercial swine industry for 15 years, 8 of which have been with PIC. He holds a master’s degree from University of Illinois under Dr. Mike Ellis focusing on swine genetics and reproduction. In addition to Nat’s commitment to the commercial swine industry, he currently stays involved in the American Society of Animal Science and many livestock youth development programs and swine research programs. Nat resides in Latrobe, Pennsylvania with his wife and twin daughters. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why finishing mortality keeps climbing and why it costs you the most money. How tracking week on feed at death can quickly narrow down where your real problems are. Why cutting pigs open and getting a true diagnosis beats guessing every time. The simple things that matter most: getting pigs started right, keeping feed in front of them, avoiding feed outages, and managing space and sound feet late in finishing.

    35 min

  4. FEB 19

    Pork Demand Must Be a Priority | Al Wulfekuhle

    About the Guest Al Wulfekuhle lives on Lake Delhi in east central Iowa, he is the owner of G&W Pork, a farrow-finish operation that markets around 50,000 pigs per year to Tyson Foods. Al also farms 640 acres of corn and soybeans. Al has business experience in managing farrow to finish pig farms and providing pork industry consulting and is a past President of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and is now serving as Past President of the National Pork Board. Al has a passion for improving pig production and health, creating more long term demand for pork and assisting others to be successful in the pig industry. He has served on numerous IPPA, NPB and Iowa State University research projects, advisory boards, committees, and task forces. Al and his wife Kathy have 3 married children, all very successful in their careers outside of the pork industry and 9-grandchildren. His personal hobbies are traveling, physical fitness and spending time with family and friends. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How Al Wulfekuhle built a hog operation from 45 gilts starting in 1979 and grew through both good times and hard ones. How relationships and trust helped Al move forward when lenders said no on a barn loan. Why some of the toughest times in pork production created the biggest opportunities for growth and leadership. Why pork demand became a top priority after 2023 and how the domestic marketing campaign took shape. Al’s “Golden Nugget”

    51 min

  5. FEB 12

    The Real Cost of Mortality and Why It Matters | Dr Derald Holtkamp

    About the Guest Dr. Derald Holtkamp is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostics and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa, U.S.). He received his DVM, MS in Agricultural Economics, and B.S. in Agricultural Business with a minor in statistics, all from Iowa State University. Prior to joining Iowa State, he was a private veterinary consultant. He has also served as a technical services veterinarian for ADViSYS Inc., Vice President of Swine Applications for MetaFarms Inc., Director of Pork Development for E-Markets, Inc., and veterinarian for Smithfield Foods in Warsaw, North Carolina. Dr. Holtkamp’s research focuses on managing infectious swine diseases, biosecurity, disease risk assessment, and the economics of animal health and disease. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, delivered over 70 invited presentations internationally, and given more than 220 invited talks across the United States. In addition, he has mentored over 275 professional and graduate students. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How pig mortality directly impacts US competitiveness and why productivity gaps matter far beyond individual farms. What global benchmarking data shows about how the US compares to countries like Brazil and why mortality is a major driver. How PRRS continues to play a significant role in lost productivity and why its true economic impact is likely underestimated. Why biosecurity failures are usually tied to everyday processes, not rare events or one time mistakes. How identifying, prioritizing, and monitoring biosecurity risks matters more than debating rules like downtime length.

    41 min

  6. FEB 5

    Building Farmer Grade on Trust, Not Claims | Sawyer and Tork Whisler

    About the Guests Sawyer Whisler is an Iowa hog farmer and the co-founder of Farmer Grade. He built an audience by sharing real day-to-day farm life through the @thislldofarm channel and later launched the Barn Talk podcast. His father, Tork Whisler, is part of the father-son dynamic behind the show and the long-term focus on trust and credibility. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How Barn Talk grew from farm YouTube videos showing modern hog farming day to day. Why authenticity on camera matters when showing the good, bad, and frustrating moments. How the Barn Talk studio came together in a hayloft barn that had never been uncovered. Why avoiding sponsorships can protect credibility and help keep a weekly show sustainable. How Farmer Grade started when people asked to buy pork based on trust, not claims.

    57 min

  7. JAN 29

    Novel Strategies to Select for Livability | Jenelle Dunkelberger, PhD

    About the Guest Jenelle Dunkelberger has worked as a geneticist at Topigs Norsvin for the past eight years. She holds a PhD from Iowa State University, where the focus of her research was on the role of host genetics in response to viral disease in pigs. She continues to study this topic, along with other health-related issues, as Head of the Topigs Norsvin Global Health and Behavior Research Platform. Jenelle resides in Minnesota with her husband and young boys. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why improving pig livability through genetics is not as simple as it sounds and why what we measure matters more than what we assume. How collecting data from commercial herds helps reveal traits like resilience, robustness, and longevity that elite nucleus animals never get the chance to show. How genetic selection is being used today to reduce sow death loss tied to feet and leg issues, prolapse, and unknown sudden death. Why disease resilience can only be improved by measuring performance under real disease pressure, not ideal conditions. Jenelle’s Golden Nugget

    45 min

  8. JAN 22

    Modernizing Execution in Pig Production | P.J. Corns

    About the Guest PJ Corns is the Technical Director for JBS Live Pork, Greeley, CO. Responsible for nearly 260,000 sows, boar studs and gilt development units across the Midwest. PJ has spent his entire career forging world class results with every step from managing large sow units in North Carolina, to working internationally with PIC and his own consultancy firm where his involvement in well over 2 million sows was driven by delivering results based upon proven protocols, system maximization, people development and biosecurity implementation and execution. PJ joined JBS in his current role in September, 2021. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why the best farms don’t just “track KPIs” — they focus on what they can improve today. How to stop relying on lagging data (like farrowing rate or closeouts) and start using leading indicators. Why execution on the farm matters more than having the “perfect” SOP. Where AI is headed in pig production — and why it only works if people follow through and execute. PJ’s Golden Nugget

    1h 15m
See All (263)

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Popular Pig Podcast. A convenient place where you can stay up to date on what’s popular in the swine industry. By listening to Popular Pig, you will receive invaluable information on the latest trends, news, and research from various experts that guide the global pork industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Rooda
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    263
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 - Popular Pig
  • Show Website
    Popular Pig

You Might Also Like