USDA’s National Research Institute recently provided a $400,000 grant to the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) to support a niche pork project.

The “Niche Pork Herd Health and Production Cost Management Project” is recruiting farmers to participate.

The project has two objectives:

1. Help niche pork farmers use records to find ways to lower production costs and increase profits. Each farm’s data is confidential. Meetings will be held to review results and discuss solutions. Farmers in this first part of the study can reside in Iowa or nearby states.
2. Use Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to help producers with routine and intensive herd health problems. Target farms in this second part of the study may be located anywhere in the country. They must be certified organic or antibiotic-free. Farmers will pay for testing costs, but submission fees will be waived.

Private swine veterinarians will collect samples for testing, as well as assist ISU in developing problem-solving strategies.

If interested in learning more or becoming a participant, contact IPIC at (800) 808-7675 or Gary Huber at Practical Farmers of Iowa by phone (515) 232-5661 (ext. 103) or e-mail gary@practicalfarmers.org.