Enacting The Entrepreneurial Nature of AG

He didn\u27t know it at the time, but a 1966 swine seedstock 4-H project was the first step in Steve Kerns\u27 innovative career that now spans communities, companies and continents. I came to Iowa State in 1970 as a freshman in animal science pre-vet. By the end of my freshman year, I knew I wanted to work only with swine, Kerns says. Under the direction of Lauren Christian (\u2758 animal science), Lanoy Hazel (\u2741 PHD genetics), Al Christian and others, I started doing ultrasonic animal evaluation on swine breeding stock for independent breeders and swine test stations. For several years the Clearfield, Iowa, native spent his winter and summer quarters doing ultrasound scanning in states east of the Mississippi River and pursued his studies during the fall and spring. Kerns (\u2781 animal science) gained unmatched experience during this time that led to the creation of his first company offering ultrasound evaluation in 1977. Mentor Lauren Christian encouraged him to finish his degree before Iowa State switched to the semester system

Managing Pig Feed Costs in Niche Pork Production

The rising price of corn has created increased interest in alternative feedstuffs by livestock producers, and niche market pork producers are no exception. Unfortunately, there is currently no single replacement for corn in Midwest pig diets, even at today’s market prices. Thus, managing factors that you can more easily control is critical for continued success in pork production

Mycotoxin Contamination of Corn: What it is, what it does to pigs and what can be done about it

Mycotoxins in corn are produced by certain molds which infect the ears of corn. Molds may be present without the production of mycotoxins, but mycotoxins cannot be produced in the absence of mold

Feeding Bioenergy Coproducts to Swine: Crude Glycerol

Biodiesel can be produced from a variety of fats and oils. Soybean oil is the primary feedstock in Iowa. In general, soybean oil is mixed with an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst. The action of the alcohol and catalyst cause the oil (triacylglyceride) molecules to be broken down into methyl esters (biodiesel) and crude glycerol. Crude glycerol is the principal co-product of biodiesel production. For every gallon of biodiesel produced, 0.7 pounds of crude glycerol are co-generated. Biodiesel sales in the United States have increased rapidly since 1999 and annual production capacity in the U.S. is nearly 1.4 billion gallons. Iowa has 11 operating plants with 3 additional plants expected to be operational by December 2007. Production capacity in Iowa for biodiesel is 318.5 million gallons. Approximately 110,000 tons of crude glycerol could be generated annually by the biodiesel plants within Iowa

Minimizing the Use of Antibiotics in Pork Production

Details on minimizing antibiotic use in pork production such as reducing stress. Other issues to consider include biosecurity measures and increased costs of producing antibiotic-free pigs

Iowa Beef Center

During 2016, IBC staff made 183 presentations to more than 13,700 participants, conducted 564 personal consultations, and over 4,100 phone or email consultations. The webinars and videos IBC produced were viewed more than 20,000 times, and the online software tools had 375,000 downloads. There were 180,000 website visitors and 3,500 social media contacts. IBC funded 4 mini grant projects investigating current industry questions including: Management effects on ergovaline content of stockpiled tall fescue for winter grazing • Grazing cover crops • Calving management on Iowa beef cattle farms • Corn silage characteristics on Iowa farms Iowa Beef Center staff are also involved in current ISU Beef Research projects related to cover crop grazing by stocker cattle, bull reproduction and fescue tolerance. Beef team staff authored nine 2017 Animal Industry Research reports. They annually conduct a needs assessment such as listening sessions, formal surveys, or think tanks. The following are some examples of featured programs evaluated in 2016

Iowa Beef Center

The Iowa Beef Center (IBC) is Iowa State University’s extension and outreach program to cattle producers. Our center has a dedicated group of faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We work together to develop and deliver the latest research-based information to improve the profitability and vitality of Iowa’s beef industry