The auditing program was instituted when Walkes was hired. “One of the reasons we wanted Hannah on board was because we saw the need to have a consistent process for following up and following through on the implementation of the right biosecurity practices,” says Nerem.

Walkes also explains the science behind biosecurity and why the practices are important to be carried out, he notes.

“So when Hannah makes an unannounced audit, she is there basically to get a snapshot of the farm and how they are doing. This is really a service to the farm manager and to production of the farm,” Nerem stresses.

Walkes admits that farm staff isn't always pleased to see her, especially during that first audit. “I think at first they have a negative opinion of it because of the negative stereotype that an auditor has.”

Despite some early skepticism, she has received some positive feedback. “The biggest comment I have gotten about the audits is that they help keep disease out — so we don't have to deal with sick pigs,” she says. And she has learned a lot from staff about some potential gaps in farm biosecurity.

A key addition to biosecurity implemented across the Pipestone System has been the “D&D Room,” which stands for downtime and disinfection, Walkes says.

“People always know that they can track diseases in, and that is why they implement shower-in and shower-out facilities,” she comments. “But what often goes unnoticed are things that you bring into the farm like vaccine products, equipment and other farm supplies.”

That led to a philosophy of a “clean-dirty line,” adds Nerem. Just as there is a clean-dirty line for people showering in and out of a unit, “we need to do the same thing for any of these objects or fomites (inanimate objects) that you are bringing into the farm.”

Rooms or spaces can often be cleaned up and converted into a D&D Room, for example, an old closet or a side office. “We have actually converted old rooms used to house generators and moved the generators outside to make a D&D Room,” he notes.

This concept is not new, but Nerem says Pipestone has instituted some crucial changes. “We have changed the terminology because we really want to emphasize that this is about bringing in items that are physically clean (to start with), and that the focus is really on disinfecting and downtime,” he emphasizes. With their process, items are hand disinfected and then let sit for 24 hours.

“We have moved away from foggers and those kinds of things simply because I think that gives a false sense of security sometimes,” Nerem continues. “The fogger doesn't always get to the bottom of items, whereas, if we are hand-applying, we know that the disinfectant got on everything.”

Walkes says the biosecurity audits also includes a checklist of items to improve on. In the Pipestone System, sow farms must properly maintain:

• Shower-in and shower-out facilities;

• Disposal of dead pigs by the end of the day; and

• A 24-hour downtime policy for visitors. All visitors must receive permission to visit, sign in and indicate their last pig contact.

“We look at overnight downtime for commercial sow farms because we think that a lot of recent research has shown that extended periods of downtime aren't necessary — it is really meant to restrict access,” Nerem observes. Three days of downtime are required for entry into boar studs and multiplier farms.

At each audit, Walkes inquires whether any new employees have been hired. It is company policy that each new worker be educated about bio-security expectations to prevent any lapses in the production system.

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