The National Pork Board is collaborating with South Dakota State University (SDSU) to “open the barn doors” and show how pigs are raised. The pork checkoff’s Operation Main Street (OMS) speakers now can include live-streaming video tours of SDSU’s Swine Education & Research Center in Brookings, S.D., in presentations to local civic groups, culinary and pre-veterinary students, dietitians, chefs and others.

The state-of-the-art SDSU teaching center features all phases of pig production and provides the latest technology for research on reproductive physiology, nutrition management and sustainability science, according to SDSU professor and swine extension specialist Bob Thaler.

“Virtual tours help non-traditional audiences understand today’s pork production,” Thaler said. “Our goal is to demystify how pigs are raised.”

Scott Phillips, a Missouri pork producer, said, “This is an excellent example of how the pork industry can leverage resources to demonstrate responsible pig farming through transparency and to build consumer trust.” Phillips serves on the pork checkoff’s Producer & State Services Committee and is also an OMS speaker.  

OMS Indiana speaker Dr. Jeff Harker featured a live tour during a recent presentation to the Northeast Chapter of the Indiana Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

“The live tours show how we follow the We Care ethical principles every day in our barns to raise healthy pigs. The tours engage the audience and generate questions that encourage conversation and learning,” Harker said.

SDSU students conduct the live barn tours and work with the OMS speakers during presentations to answer questions. SDSU senior Maddie Hokanson, one of the pork checkoff’s 2017 America’s Pig Farmers of Tomorrow, said the tours underscore how technology is driving continuous improvement in pig farming.

“The live tours provide virtual face-to-face communication that show how far we’ve come with barn technology to raise healthier pigs,” Hokanson said.

During 2018, OMS and SDSU conducted more than a dozen virtual tours and have a goal of conducting 30-40 this year.