Manitoba Pork Chop Talk

Today on the show, we are joined by Dr. Yolande Seddon, the Enhancement Research Chair in Swine Welfare at the University of Saskatchewan. Yolande joins the show to chant about why she got into swine research, some of the projects she is working on, and how that research can connect to what is happening on-farm. More information on the program can be found at: https://swinewelfare.com/ Manitoba Po...

Today on the show, we are joined by Sheldon Dyck and Andrea Elias, both hog farmers in Manitoba, who feature their operations on social media. We chat about the opportunities and challenges of using social media in this way, what they've learned, and offer practical tips for what producers should consider before featuring their farm on social media. You can follow Andrea on Instagram @southern_pra...

Today on the show, we are joined by Melissa Corey and Stephanie Tenneson from Ryan Canada. They join us to talk about government funding programs available to producers, what some of the pain points are for accessing government funding, and how Ryan Canada can help with applications and access. If you are a producer, you can reach out to Melissa and Stephanie at cpc.project@ryan.com or by phone at...

Today on the show, we are joined once again by Gerry Friesen of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program. We're focusing on stress today, how it impacts your mental health, your decision making, and how it can impact both your personal life and your business. More information on the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program can be found at: https://manitobafarmerwellness.ca/ Manitoba Pork is the producer f...

Today on the show, we are joined by Kevin Brooks from Olymel. Kevin joins us to chat about his experience with low stress animal handling, how it works on the operations that he manages, and how it can be employed both to help pigs move and help those who work in the barn, but also how it makes good financial sense. More information on pig handling can be found at: https://www.manitobapork.com/ani...

Today on the show, we are joined by Dr. Lee Johnston from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Johnston's research focuses primarily on water, its impact on production, and what factors go into how it impacts the performance of pigs in the barn. We chat about quality, quantity, and physiology, and all the science that plays a role. More information on Dr. Johnston and his research can be found at: htt...

Today on the show, we are joined by Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council. Stephen joins us to talk about advocacy, working with politicians and governments of all stripes, how CPC is approaching the federal election, and steps producers can do to engage with politicians and candidates. More information on the Canadian Pork Council can be found at: https://www.pork-porc...

Today on the show, we are joined by Curtis Brown, Prinicipal at Probe Research. Curtis joins us for part 1 of our conversation about the upcoming federal election. We talk about all the events that have led us to this point, what the polls are saying, the impacts of tariffs, and some of the races to watch in Manitoba. More information on Probe Research and their polls can be found at: https://prob...

Today on the show, we are joined by Willem Steyn and Philip van den Brink. They both bring vast experience in working with pigs and with Zinc Oxide, and share those experiences in both South Africa and the Netherlands. They share how it can be reduced in feed, what alternatives are, and some of the science behind its usage. Manitoba Pork's factsheet on Zinc Oxide can be found at: https://www.m...

Today on the show, we are joined by Jeremy Yim and Annie Tremblay, both from Canada Pork. Our focus today is on pork promotion, both domestically and internationally. We tackle the Verified Canadian Pork program, international market access, and demand globally for pork produced here in Manitoba. More information on Canada Pork can be found here: https://canadapork.com/ Manitoba Pork is the produc...

Today on the show, we are joined by Ashley Bruner, director of research and stakeholder engagement for the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, or CCFI. Ashley is here to chat about public trust, how CCFI's measures consumer opinion on the food system, and the new work CCFI is doing on communications. More information on CCFI can be found at: https://www.foodintegrity.ca/ Manitoba Pork is the produ...

Today on the show, we are joined by JP Gervais, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Impact and Chief Economist at Farm Credit Canada. JP joins the show to talk about the main topic on everybody's mind these days: tariffs. That includes what they mean for the hog sector and Canadian agriculture overall. We also chat about the market outlook for the hog sector this year, as well as more broad...

Today on the show, we are joined once again by Manitoba Pork's general manager Cam Dahl. Cam tees up the year ahead in 2025, including trade pressures with the United States, disease risk, as well as tackling some of the key issues Manitoba Pork led the way on in 2024. Manitoba Pork is the producer funded organization that represents 624 hog farms across the province, funded through levy dollars....

Today on the show, we're giving you a brief recap of everything we learned in 2024, what some of our favourite episodes we recorded are, and what you can look forward to in 2025. We'll be back in early January in new episodes, so until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Manitoba Pork is the producer funded organization that represents 624 hog farms across the province, funded through levy d...

Today on the show, we are joined by Dennis Robles. Dennis has plenty of experience in the hog sector and leading teams, so today he's chatting about Clifton Strengths, how to balance out teams to ensure they are performing effectively, and the traits employees look for in leaders. More information on Clifton Strengths can be found at: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx Man...

Today on the show, we are joined by Morag Marjerison, farm safety consultant with FarmSafe Manitoba. Morag joins us to talk about FarmSafe Manitoba's services to producers, before we dive into workplace health and safety inspections, and what to watch for in your barns when an inspector arrives. More information on FarmSafe Manitoba can be found here: https://farmsafemanitoba.ca/ Manitoba Pork is...

Today on the show, we are joined by ag reporter extraordinaire Ed White, now formerly of The Western Producer and currently with Reuters. Ed is here to chat about how to deal with journalists and reporters, some of his favourite stories he's worked on over the years, how the job has changed, and the future of journalism in Canada. Ed White can be found on X @EdWhiteMarkets Manitoba Pork is the pro...

Today on the show, we are joined by Sgt. Trevor Thompson of the Winnipeg Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit to discuss cybersecurity. The internet has brought us all closer to new threats and bad actors, and Sgt. Thompson walks us through the importance of cybersecurity, and provides tips on how to protect you and your business online. More tips and tools on cybersecurity can be found at: http...

Today on the show, we are joined once again by Manitoba Pork's community engagement coordinator Kristen Matwychuk. Kristen joins the show to talk about Manitoba Pork's partnership with Harvest Manitoba, supplying freezers and ground pork to foodbanks across the province. Harvest Manitoba needs support year round to help those who are experiencing food insecurity. Find out how you can help at: http...

Today on the show, we are joined by guests from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC), executive director Jennifer Wright and project manager for HR services Viktoria Schuler. We touch on the work CAHRC does for producers, before diving in to specific labour issues for the hog sector and how agriculture can future-proof itself from a labour perspective. More information on CAHR...

Today on the show, we are joined by Katharine Cherewyk, executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba. Katharine talks about the important work her organization does in classrooms across the province, and how producers can get involved supporting the organization, either as a volunteer or financially. More information on Agriculture in the Classroom - Manitoba can be found here: http...

Today on the show, we are joined once again by Mark Fynn, Manitoba Pork's Director of Animal Care and Quality Assurance. He's here to talk about Group Sow Housing, what producers need to consider when making the switch, the upcoming July 1, 2029 deadline, and what the construction timeline looks like. More information on the programs can be found here: https://www.manitobapork.com/animal-c...

Today on the show, we are joined by Angela Pearen, Ag Extension Coordinator with Assiniboine Community College in Brandon. Angela joins us to chat about the swine programming available at ACC, detailing the three levels of coursework, how to apply, and how they benefit new or existing employees in the sector. More information on the programs can be found here: https://assiniboine.net/programs/swin...

Today on the show, we are joined by Peter Mah from Swine Infrastructure Development Corporation, and Grant Melnychuk from Manitoba Pork. We chat about all that goes into building a new hog barn or operation in the province, the review and regulatory processes, and how SIDC can help with the process. More information on building a hog barn in Manitoba can be found here: https://www.manitobapork.com...

Today on the show, we are joined by Dr. Wayne Lees, project coordinator for Squeal on Pigs Manitoba. We chat about wild pigs, what they are and what to look for, their impact on the Manitoba landscape, and what is being done to eradicate them from the province. More information on Squeal on Pigs Manitoba can be found at: https://squealonpigsmb.org/ Manitoba Pork is the producer funded organization...