The More You Know, The More You Grow

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Continuous Learning Puts Farmers in A Class by Themselves

By Geoff Geddes

They may not bring an apple for the teacher anymore, but education is still a core value for producers. The pork sector in Canada is renowned for innovation, and members who don’t keep up with the changes may well be left behind. Fortunately, there is ample opportunity for lifelong learning, something that is gaining greater uptake across the country.

“Being up to date with changes is critical, not just for pork producers, but for any field where the technology and strategies are constantly evolving,” says Robyn Harte, swine livestock specialist with Manitoba Agriculture in Winnipeg.

“When remaining current is closely tied to your income, it behooves you to keep abreast of what’s happening around pork production. Apart from the direct benefit for farmers, staying plugged in reassures consumers, government and other observers that things are being done the right away.”

Though continuous learning is not new for the industry, the sophistication of the material and the learners has grown over the years.

“These days, it’s not just ‘I have a bit of time, so I’ll stop in and listen to a guy talking about feeding canola to my pigs,’” says Harte.

Producers do their homework and come prepared with questions that impact their operation.

“’How do I incorporate the data from my feeders, or the information from processors about backfat and loin depth, in deciding how to feed my pigs?’” says Harte. “A lot of this is applying threads of data to critical decisions based on the implications for your business and for the broader financial and social contexts in which those choices are made.”

Some of the most popular routes for gaining knowledge are swine events that feature expert speakers on topics of interest to producers. A prime example is the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium, held each February in Saskatoon. The event draws about 300 producers, industry stakeholders and government representatives from Canada and overseas.

Sask Pork offers food for thought

“We’re excited to run Symposium year after year to give producers the information they need and help open their minds to new ideas,” says Steve Seto, communications and marketing coordinator for Sask Pork in Saskatoon. “It’s also a great opportunity to network with other producers and exhibitors as another means of sharing knowledge. It’s gratifying that our producers are very engaged in learning how to make their farms more sustainable, efficient and profitable, and we are here to work alongside them.”

In the digital age, there are now other means of transmitting the latest facts and figures. Sask Pork, along with other provincial pork associations, runs periodic webinars on key topics such as grant funding and code updates.

“If there was a good aspect to the pandemic, it opened a lot of avenues to reach producers on a regular basis,” says Seto. “Rather than going out to their farm or holding meetings across the province, we can run a one-hour session online. Attendees get the information they need, and they don’t have to spend a day or two away from the farm to do that.”

A mountain of information

In Alberta, January means the annual Banff Pork Seminar (BPS), which draws an average of 500 producers and industry members from all over to hear speakers, connect with old friends and make new ones. Started in 1972 as a technology transfer event for academic research groups, BPS has become an international gathering and now stands as one of the oldest and largest pork events in Canada.

“There is research coming out all the time in the pork sector, as well as new production management systems, welfare guidelines and technology,” says Ashley Steeple, Banff Pork Seminar coordinator. “Having a place where we can showcase all of that is invaluable for producers.”

Stirring swine seminars

Then there is the Manitoba version, a joint effort among government, industry, and academia known as the Manitoba Swine Seminars.

“When you look back, some of the topics today are the same as our first seminars in 1988,” says Harte.

“That said, knowledge in areas like production, animal welfare, housing and feed is constantly being refined and expanded.”

Marching ahead

One province over, the new kid on the block, known as the Ontario Swine Conference, debuts in March of 2025 in London, Ont.

“It’s a collaboration between the former London Swine Conference and Ontario Pork’s Annual General Meeting,” says Julie Kuiack, manager, communications & marketing with Ontario Pork. “The conference offers two days of discussions, networking and learning focused on innovation, sustainability and the future of swine production. Participants will also be invited to celebrate the Ontario swine industry at a gala on the first evening of the event.”

Such events might garner the most attention, but there are many ways to stay current.

Opportunities include blogs, podcasts, websites like Farms.com/Swine, publications such as Better Pork, Facebook groups like Small Pig Farmers of Canada, and information sessions held by provincial pork boards across the country.

“I also encourage pork producers to form their own learning circles,” says Harte. “These groups cover everything from feed ingredients and production data to how to handle difficult workers. Especially in this business, peer-to-peer learning can be a great resource.”

Though he has managed hogs for 22 years, Sam Hofer at Wheatland Hutterite Colony near Shackleton, Sask. is still adding to his expertise.

“I don’t have time to attend seminars, so I rely heavily on our vet, nutritionist, equipment dealer and feed supplier,” says Hofer. “I’m also part of a WhatsApp group to share ideas with colleagues. Being a 700-sow farrow-to-finish operation producing RWA (raised without antibiotics) hogs, it's really important for us to be up to speed in areas like nutrition. The pork sector is always improving, whether that is through enhanced genetics, better feed conversion or fewer days to market. With hog prices being what they are, you must stay on the cutting edge of technology at all times.”

Continuous learning may sound like hard work, but that has never phased a pig farmer.

“It’s vital that producers stay in the know about everything that can help run a farm efficiently,” says Seto. “While this is not always easy, it really pays off in the end.” BP