Popular Pig

Matthew Rooda

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. 4d ago

    The Entrepreneurial Story Behind Under the Slats | Zach Byrnes

    About the Guest Zach Byrnes is a Northeast Iowa native and Iowa State University graduate with a degree in Ag Engineering. He manages a family row crop operation alongside his father and brother, and the family also custom feeds pigs. Drawing on a diverse background in agriculture–from product engineer at a hydraulic company to leading a sales team in Ag Tech–Zach brings a nuanced perspective as a customer, developer, and business manager in the farm economy. His latest project, Under the Slats, tackles manure management challenges that plague many hog producers. Driven by a commitment to cost-effective solutions with strong outcomes, he’s building a business that puts farmers first. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How one producer’s frustration with manure pit problems turned into a new business. Why ammonia, foam, and hard-to-pump manure aren’t problems you have to live with. What to ask before spending money on a manure pit treatment. How customer service, guarantees, and good records can matter as much as the product itself. Zach’s “Golden Nugget”

  2. Jul 23

    Enhancing Biosecurity Oversight and Compliance | Justin White & Jay Hess

    About the Guests Jay Hess serves as the Managing Director of Orbit Farm Technologies, an agricultural technology partner dedicated to protecting the integrity of pork production through advanced connectivity and monitoring. Jay’s work in the swine industry began in 2021 when he spearheaded the delivery of robust network infrastructure across all of Brenneman Pork’s sow farms. Serving as Director of Product for Orbit’s parent company, CCR Technologies, until 2024, his career has been driven by the goal of building scalable, reliable tools that minimize operational downtime. Today, he leads the charge on “Eyes on Glass,” a proactive managed service that removes the burden of oversight from the producer by analyzing barn movements to guarantee total compliance with internal biosecurity rules across the entire operation. Justin White serves as a Sales Executive at Orbit Farm Technologies, bringing over 20 years of experience to helping agricultural producers improve business connectivity and operational efficiency. His path into agriculture technology began with hands-on industry roles, including Field Sales Agronomist at GROWMARK and Sales, Marketing & Precision Specialist at Hook’s Point Irrigation, providing him with a practical, on-the-ground understanding of the day-to-day challenges producers encounter. He later built his technical sales expertise in sales at a major national telecommunications provider, delivering network, security, and communications solutions to business and government clients. A graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Systems Technology, Justin combines deep agronomic roots with a career-long focus on connectivity, driving the technology partnerships that keep today’s farms running efficiently.   What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How Eyes on Glass uses live camera monitoring to verify biosecurity protocols. Why improving biosecurity compliance starts with consistent oversight. How practical network infrastructure supports biosecurity technology across the farm. Where AI can help with monitoring today and where it still has limitations. Justin and Jay “Golden Nugget”

  3. Jul 9

    Staying Relevant in a Changing Swine Industry | PJ 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? How learning, teaching, and sharing knowledge help you stay relevant throughout a career in swine production. Why strong people management and putting employees in the right roles improve farm performance. How technology and AI should solve real production challenges instead of becoming technology for its own sake. Why empathy and consistent leadership matter when farms work through PRRS and PED outbreaks. How continuous learning, communication, and adaptability prepare you for the future of the swine industry.

  4. Jun 25

    Building Pork Demand Through Better Consumer Insights | Brett Kaysen

    About the Guest Brett Kaysen, Ph.D., serves as senior vice president of producer and state engagement for the National Pork Board (NPB), where he leads grassroots efforts to empower state associations and drive long-term success for the U.S. pork industry. Drawing on his passion for developing people, Dr. Kaysen has supported the development of signature leadership initiatives including the Elevate and Immersion programs while reshaping NPB’s approach to state partnerships. With a career spanning both industry and academia, Dr. Kaysen brings valuable perspective from his roles as Western Regional Business Director for U.S. Pork at Zoetis and his 18-year tenure at Colorado State University. His background includes coaching livestock judging teams, developing 4-H programs and serving as Youth Advisory Board Chairman for the National Junior Swine Association. A CSU graduate with degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Education, Dr. Kaysen resides in Iowa with his wife and two daughters, where they raise show pigs and remain actively involved in the industry he loves. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How state pork associations are sharing resources and working together to better serve producers. Why pork demand efforts are focusing on specific consumer groups instead of broad audiences. How data is helping the pork industry make smarter marketing and demand-building decisions. Why swine health remains one of the biggest challenges impacting farms, people, and profitability.

  5. Jun 11

    The Founding Story of Iowa Craft Meats | Dwight Mogler

    About the Guest Dwight Mogler is the managing partner of Iowa Craft Meats and a partner in Mogler Farms/Dayspring Farm in Lyon County, Iowa. A graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in agricultural business, Dwight returned to the family operation after working in the feed and grain industry and helped grow the farm’s farrow-to-finish operation to 200,000 head of annual marketing’s. Today, the family enterprise includes pork production, beef feedlot operations, crop farming, a country grain elevator and Iowa Craft Meats, a business focused on creating value-added pork products and connecting consumers more closely to the people who raise their food. Dwight is passionate about the future of pork demand, product innovation, and helping producers build stronger connections with consumers. Dwight previously served on the National Pork Producers Council board and is currently a producer board member of the National Pork Board.  He has been recognized by the Iowa Pork Producers Association for his contributions to the pork industry. He and his wife, Donna, live in Lester, Iowa, and enjoy spending time with family when not working. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How a multi-generation farm family laid the foundation for Iowa Craft Meats. Why Dwight believes producers can build brands and connect directly with consumers. How Iowa Craft Meats is creating value beyond traditional pork production. What different pork cuts offer and how cultures around the world use pork. Why Dwight sees convenience and fully cooked products as an important opportunity for pork.

  6. May 28

    Taste What Pork Can Do®: Connecting Campaign Results to Producer Value | Lee Schulz, Kiersten Hafer, Jesse Heimer

    About the Guests Lee Schulz joined Ever.Ag as their chief economist in 2024. In this role, he speaks on various industry topics, develops and delivers economic data and analyses, and provides clients with critical economic perspectives for informed decision-making. He also serves as the consulting economist for the National Pork Board. Lee grew up on a crop and livestock farm in central Wisconsin. From 2012 to 2024 he was on the economics faculty at Iowa State University where he served as a professor and as the statewide extension specialist on livestock economics and markets. Lee has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, a master’s in agricultural economics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Kansas State University. Kiersten Hafer, vice president of business intelligence and innovation for the National Pork Board, provides strategy, insights and guidance to the pork industry and supply chain on where to play and how to win with pork. She has leveraged her 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies and high-growth organizations to uncover and unlock potential, facilitate change and measure expansion. As a lifelong connector and change agent, she has strategized business growth with retailers, marketing agencies, food brokers, foodservice operators, market research firms and consumer goods manufacturers. Before her role with the National Pork Board, she served as vice president of marketing for Clemens Food Group, where she was responsible for marketing, innovation and business insights across its retail and foodservice businesses. Hafer is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University with a Master of Science degree in Food Marketing from the Haub School of Business. She resides in the Greater Philadelphia region with her husband, two children and two golden retrievers. Jesse Heimer owns Heimer Hampshires, a 500-sow show pig enterprise, where he leads a team of eight raising competitive pigs for junior livestock enthusiasts nationwide and sells progressive genetics via semen and breeding stock to other breeders. Heimer is a founding member and past board member of the Missouri Youth Show Pig Circuit (2009-2023) and a current Missouri Pork Association board member. At the national level, he is a Pork Leadership Institute graduate (2021); hosted dialogue with industry leaders to foster harmony between show pigs and commercial sectors; sits on the NPPC Traceability task force; participates in the AgView working group and represents exhibition swine on the General Conference Committee of the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why growing pork demand starts with understanding the consumer not just the product How data is being used to target the right people with the right message at the right time Why demand growth is a long game and what realistic expectations should look like How marketing efforts actually connect back to producer profitability and value

  7. May 14

    Ground Pork’s Untapped Potential and How to Win with Consumers | Sarah Showalter & Will Brunt

    About the Guests Sarah Showalter is the director of consumer and business insights for the National Pork Board. She implements consumer-focused, producer-led strategy by leading qualitative and quantitative research to answer business questions and identify opportunities. Prior to her role at NPB, Showalter attended Iowa State University and has experience in developing strategic insights through research at Circana (formerly IRI), Conagra Brands and Hallmark Cards, Inc. Will Brunt is the chief innovation and marketing officer for Villari Food Group, based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. In this role, he develops and implements strategic initiatives that align with business objectives in innovation, sales and marketing. He notably established a robust three-year pipeline of innovative products, delivering 5% annual growth and maintaining a competitive product portfolio. Will has spent more than half of his 32-year marketing and advertising career with animal protein, emphasizing pork, specifically Boar’s Head, Smithfield Foods and Villari Food Group, while also building cross-functional teams and creating a growth-oriented culture of accountability and partnership. Other brands throughout his career include Sara Lee, Tabasco, Rolling Rock, Ventura Foods and International Delight. Lastly, Will was active in the National Pork Board’s two-year marketing advisory group, which served as a crucial feedback loop for the development of the Taste What Pork Can Do® consumer brand campaign, launched in May 2025. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why ground pork is a major growth opportunity and how it fits today’s need for quick, easy meals How ground pork’s versatility lets it work across global flavors, everyday meals, and different cooking styles Why consumers are stuck in habits and how simple swaps like using pork instead of beef can unlock new meals How education across the entire supply chain is key to driving demand and making ground pork a household staple Sarah & Will’s “Golden Nugget”

  8. May 7

    AI, PigFlow, and Critical Thinking

    About the Guests SwineTech is an agtech company transforming pork production through its PigFlow platform, an AI-powered operating system designed to coordinate people, protocols, and priorities at the point of care. Rather than focusing solely on data collection and reporting, PigFlow drives real-time execution by embedding standard operating procedures directly into daily workflows, ensuring consistency, compliance, and performance across every stage of production. At the center of the platform is Charlotte, SwineTech’s AI-powered digital assistant, which enables users to interact with operational data and institutional knowledge through natural language. By making information more accessible and actionable, Charlotte helps teams make faster, better decisions while reducing administrative burden. Together, PigFlow and Charlotte represent a shift toward execution-driven technology in agriculture, connecting data, people, and processes to improve outcomes across modern production systems. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How SwineTech first used sound patterns to identify piglet distress Why AI still needs human review, context, and critical thinking What to consider before letting AI into daily farm or business work How producers can ask better questions when vendors mention AI Abe, Adam, and John “Golden Nugget”

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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
16 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
    276
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 - Popular Pig
  • Show Website
    Popular Pig

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