Popular Pig

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 private veterinary consultant. He has also served as a technical services veterinarian for ADViSYS Inc., Vice President of Swine Applications for MetaFarms Inc., Director of Pork Development for E-Markets, Inc., and veterinarian for Smithfield Foods in Warsaw, North Carolina. Dr. Holtkamp’s research focuses on managing infectious swine diseases, biosecurity, disease risk assessment, and the economics of animal health and disease. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, delivered over 70 invited presentations internationally, and given more than 220 invited talks across the United States. In addition, he has mentored over 275 professional and graduate students. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How pig mortality directly impacts US competitiveness and why productivity gaps matter far beyond individual farms. What global benchmarking data shows about how the US compares to countries like Brazil and why mortality is a major driver. How PRRS continues to play a significant role in lost productivity and why its true economic impact is likely underestimated. Why biosecurity failures are usually tied to everyday processes, not rare events or one time mistakes. How identifying, prioritizing, and monitoring biosecurity risks matters more than debating rules like downtime length.  

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 Platform. Jenelle resides in Minnesota with her husband and young boys. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why improving pig livability through genetics is not as simple as it sounds and why what we measure matters more than what we assume. How collecting data from commercial herds helps reveal traits like resilience, robustness, and longevity that elite nucleus animals never get the chance to show. How genetic selection is being used today to reduce sow death loss tied to feet and leg issues, prolapse, and unknown sudden death. Why disease resilience can only be improved by measuring performance under real disease pressure, not ideal conditions. Jenelle’s Golden Nugget

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 pioneering bioeconomic models to manage PRRS and PEDrelated diseases, he’s a sought-after consultant in China, Southeast Asia, and beyond. In 2020, Dr. Johnson received the prestigious Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award for excellence in integrating scientific rigor into swine health management. He is licensed in seven states, leads a team of veterinary professionals, and, beyond veterinary practice, hosts “The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast” a weekly podcast series reaching a global audience of +100,000 listeners serving to distill complex swine health research into actionable insights. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? Why pig livability decisions range from quick, day to day treatment calls to major capital investments and why they should not be evaluated the same way. How biosecurity functions more like insurance than a line item expense and why doing it right often goes unnoticed until it fails. Why preventing disease on the front end usually delivers more value than managing problems after pigs get sick. How economics, animal care, employee experience, and long term operation health all need to be considered together when making decisions. Clayton’s Golden Nugget  

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 College of Veterinary Medicine. Following a short time in clinical practice, he returned to Illinois to complete a PhD with Dr. Jim Lowe. His work focused on the cull sow marketing network and strengthened his interest in advanced analytics, machine learning, and applying AI to livestock systems. He then spent two years at the University of Minnesota as a researcher while also running a consulting business centered on data and AI projects in agriculture. In 2023 Blair returned to the University of Illinois, where he now serves as an assistant professor in Livestock Health. His research combines infectious disease modeling with practical applications of AI in veterinary medicine and modern farming. He lives in Villa Grove, Illinois, with his wife Cathy and their three children, Charlie, Liz, and Lincoln. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How AI really works — breaking down machine learning, computer vision, and language models in everyday terms. Why the swine industry needs “homegrown” AI solutions that understand how farms truly operate. The biggest challenges holding back AI adoption in ag — from messy data to slow decision-making. How “crawl, walk, run” thinking can help farms start small with AI before chasing advanced automation. Ben’s “golden nugget.”

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, directing and coordinating research studies and providing training for internal employees and external customers. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How sow lameness quietly reduces herd productivity and longevity, often before visible signs appear. The connection between claw lesions and lost piglets—how one sow can lose nearly a pig per litter due to hoof pain and imbalance. Why gilt care, flooring, and proper trace mineral nutrition matter more than ever for healthy feet and lasting herd performance. How early prevention and better diagnostics can protect your herd’s bottom line and animal welfare. Lucas’s “Golden Nugget”

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 her husband, Brian, operate a commercial cattle operation in Central Pennsylvania alongside their two kids, Porter and Hattie. What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig? How the “Taste What Pork Can DoTM” campaign connects state-level programs with consumers through relatable storytelling and flavor inspiration. Why digital marketing and influencer partnerships are key to reaching millennial and Gen Z audiences who make meal decisions. How retargeting and recipe content boosted Pennsylvania’s pork engagement by 48% — and what that means for local producers. Creative ways Pennsylvania’s Pork Producers Council blends consumer events, from Rib Fest to the State Farm Show, to make pork approachable and fun. Courtney’s “golden nugget”