The 15th annual Iowa Swine Day is set for Thursday, June 25, at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. Hosted by the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University, Iowa Swine Day is a one-day conference focused on topics vital to the U.S. pork industry.
Iowa Swine Day speakers are chosen by a planning committee of swine producers and allied industry representatives to ensure the program’s content is focused on current issues in today’s swine industry.
This year’s agenda includes sessions on gene editing, artificial intelligence and innovation in pork production, along with research updates and applied talks from university and industry experts.
The program will kick off with a keynote address on innovation and leadership by Steve Lerch, former Google executive and president of Story Arc Consulting. This will be followed by the Lauren Christian Lecture on Swine Management and Genetics, given by Mike Paustian, who will address gene editing from a producer’s perspective.
Additional morning sessions feature Dhamu Thamodaran, retired executive of Smithfield Foods, sharing insights from four decades of working in the swine industry, and Todd Thurman, CEO of Swine Insights International, discussing practical applications of artificial intelligence in swine production.
In the afternoon, participants can choose between two concurrent sessions. One track will feature applied, production-related topics, and the other will highlight recent research from Iowa State University experts. Themes include facility management, nutrition, labor, digital technology and more.
All attendees registered for Iowa State Day are welcome to attend a pre-conference swine networking social held the evening prior. The social will be on Wednesday, June 24, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, 2508 Mortensen Road in Ames.
The cost to attend is $100 through June 7 and increases to $115 on June 8. Registration will be limited to the first 450 registrants. No on-site registration will be allowed.
The full program, registration information and directions to the venue are available on the Iowa Pork Industry Center website. For more information, contact Stacie Matchan at sgould@iastate.edu.
