Matthew Rooda

Popular Pig

Business EN ↓ 273 episodes

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.

Author

Matthew Rooda

Category

Business

Podcast website

popularpig.com

Latest episode

Jun 11, 2026

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Episodes

The Founding Story of Iowa Craft Meats | Dwight Mogler 11.06.2026

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&#8...

Taste What Pork Can Do®: Connecting Campaign Results to Producer Value | Lee Schulz, Kiersten Hafer, Jesse Heimer 28.05.2026

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...

Ground Pork’s Untapped Potential and How to Win with Consumers | Sarah Showalter & Will Brunt 14.05.2026

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...

AI, PigFlow, and Critical Thinking 07.05.2026

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 con...

The Real Science Behind Farm Disinfectants | Jose Ramirez 23.04.2026

About the Guest Dr. Ramirez is a scientific advisor for Clipper Distributing Company, LLC. Dr. Ramirez developed the first accelerated peroxide (AHP®) formulations which asides from Intervention disinfectant, also include hospital and dental disinfectants, a reuse medical sterilant, an antimicrobial hand wash, and a dairy teat dip. He holds more than 20 issued or pending patents ranging from clean...

Becoming a Better Leader for Your Team | Jose Santiago 16.04.2026

About the Guest José Santiago is a sow production supervisor leading teams with Tosh Pork, LLC based in Henry, Tennessee.  José has had extensive experience throughout many segments of the pork industry which has positioned him to excel in production management and José’s teams routinely lead the industry in sow productivity, pig quality, and pig care. Although José’s strengths in pig production a...

Different Path for Beef and Pork Processing | Kit Laramore & Joe Galasso 09.04.2026

About the Guests Joseph Galasso Jr.  is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 40 years in food protein sales, operations, business development, and biosecurity technologies tailored for livestock and swine operations. As Chief Operating Officer at WT Associates and WT BIO-TECH, he leads commercialization of mortality management systems—including EPA-compliant incinerators, anaerobic digestion lik...

What Drives Mortality in Grow-Finish Pigs | Dr. Daniel Linhares and Dr. Edison Magalhaes 02.04.2026

About the Guests Daniel Linhares , DVM, MBA, PhD –  Professor & Director of Graduate Education at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Worked for 8 years as a practicing veterinarian, technical services, and health assurance; now he is dedicated to training MSc and PhD students as part of the ISU fieldepi team, working with swine producers and health professionals in...

Building Teams, Solving PRRS, and Leading Through Change | Dr. Bill Christianson 26.03.2026

About the Guest Dr. Bill Christianson is the former Chief Operating Officer of PIC. He has a background in agriculture and biotechnology, with broad industry knowledge and extensive commercial and global experience. He earned his DVM and PhD in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Christianson joined PIC in 1993 and held a range of operational roles across Europe, South Americ...

Innovation, Sustainability, and Resilience in Australian Pork | Edwina Beveridge 19.03.2026

About the Guest Edwina and her husband run Blantyre Farms, a 2,200 sow pig farm and a mixed farm of sheep, cattle and crops, near Young, NSW, Australia. In operation for more than a decade, a methane digestion system captures methane gas from pig manure and converts it into electricity. Blantyre also utilizes food waste products for pig feed and saves 13,500 of tonnes of landfill each year. The NS...

An Australian Approach to Balancing Welfare and Economics in Pork Production | Steve Coleman 12.03.2026

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 w...

Eliminating PRRS and Protecting the U.S. Herd | Dr. Dustin Oedekoven 05.03.2026

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 str...

How to Reduce Wean to Finish Mortality Without Guessing | Nat Stas 26.02.2026

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 A...

Pork Demand Must Be a Priority | Al Wulfekuhle 19.02.2026

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 Associatio...

The Real Cost of Mortality and Why It Matters | Dr Derald Holtkamp 12.02.2026

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...

Building Farmer Grade on Trust, Not Claims | Sawyer and Tork Whisler 05.02.2026

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...

Novel Strategies to Select for Livability | Jenelle Dunkelberger, PhD 29.01.2026

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 Plat...

Modernizing Execution in Pig Production | P.J. Corns 22.01.2026

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 ove...

The Real Economics Behind Pig Livability | Dr. Clayton Johnson 15.01.2026

About the Guest Dr. Clayton Johnson is a globally recognized swine health expert with Carthage Veterinary Services in Carthage, Illinois. A 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, he began his career with The Maschhoffs, LLC—where he helped double sow production—and later joined Carthage in 2016 to lead company health initiatives. Internationally recognized for...

Taste, Data, and the Future of Pork | Kiersten Hafer 08.01.2026

About the Guest Kiersten Hafer is Vice President of Business Intelligence and Innovation for the National Pork Board and 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...

Crawling Before Running: Making AI Practical in the Swine Industry | Dr. Ben Blair 29.12.2025

About the Guest Ben Blair was raised in Sparta, Illinois, where he grew up helping on his family’s corn, soy, wheat, and farrow-to-finish farm. He always enjoyed the numbers behind how things worked, which led him to study engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. After finishing his engineering degree, he felt the pull back toward animal health and entered the University of Illinois...

Understanding Swine Respiratory Disease and Supporting Herd Health | Dr. Jeff Okones 18.12.2025

About the Guest After earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1984, Dr. Jeff Okones spent nearly two decades in food animal practice in Eastern Iowa honing his expertise in swine health and production. His problem solving and communication skills led him from private practice to industry, first as a phone consultant for Pfizer Animal Health, and later as a Professio...

Sow Lameness: The Silent Productivity Killer | Dr. Lucas Rodrigues 11.12.2025

About the Guest Originally from Brazil, Lucas received his DVM and Master’s degrees from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil) and completed his doctoral degree at the Prairie Swine Centre and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Lucas joined Zinpro Corporation in 2022 as a discovery researcher for swine. His current role includes product development and support, directi...

Lead Yourself Before You Lead Others | Twyla Stevens 04.12.2025

About the Guest Twyla Stevens is an accomplished HR executive with broad experience leading people strategies across national and international teams. As Chief Human Resources Officer at Professional Swine Management , she oversees talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation and benefits, and compliance initiatives. With expertise in workforce planning, leadership development, and...

In PA, Taste What Pork Can Do™ Brand Campaign Connects with Consumers | Courtney Gray 20.11.2025

About the Guest Courtney Gray has been the executive director of the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council since 2022, where she represents Pennsylvania’s 2,500 pig farmers. Prior to that, she was on the producer education and engagement team at Pennsylvania Beef Council and was a loan officer at Farm Credit. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in agricultural science. She and h...

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