Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the fall issue of Protein Producers! The fall is always such an exciting time in our industry as large numbers of calves born in the spring leave the ranch and the cycle starts all over again. In the feedlots, this presents us with new challenges and great opportunities. The fall gives us the opportunity to accept change and explore new ideas. This is especially true with our ever-changing workforce. Our industry brings together people of all different cultures, classes, and generations.

We want to thank everyone who was able to make it out to our meeting in Oberlin, Kansas, in July. Dr. Shane Terrell did a wonderful job organizing a stellar lineup of speakers to give new perspectives in our constantly evolving industry.

Dr. Kev Sullivan with PAC Australia spoke to us about an increasingly relevant topic on a global scale, antibiotic stewardship. Dr. Kev shared their system of the “5 Rs”: responsibility of the veterinarian and feedlot managers; reviewing of protocols for treatment of disease; reduction in antibiotics used where applicable; refine diagnostics and treatments; and replace treatments where possible.

Burke Teichert spoke about team building and effective leadership. Without great leadership, we cannot have great teams. In the same vein, Mitch Holthus with the Kansas City Chiefs spoke about his experiences with building and maintaining a team atmosphere.

After lunch, Samuel Cossio shared with us a little bit of his story and how his personal experiences have shaped his management style. Sam gave us some insight into his culture and how he and his team manage problems and conflicts in innovative ways.

We at PAC would like to thank all of our clients and friends for allowing us to serve such wonderful people. Everyday we are reminded that our industry is made up of so many caring individuals and this is the image that truly defines why we do what we do. When we sit down to supper with our families, we are thankful for the soldiers that fight for our freedom and for the men and women who work so hard to provide us with such a safe and nutritional food supply.

Sincerely,

Matt Fruge DVM

Contributors

Thank you to all those contributing multiple stories and insights to Protein Producers.

Joseph F. Connor, DVM, MS

Dr. Connor is Founder and President of Carthage Group, which provides swine veterinary and management consulting services to the pork industry throughout the United States and East Asia. Carthage Group comprises Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd., Professional Swine Management, LLC, Carthage Innovative Swine Solutions, LLC, and other subsidiaries. Dr. Connor has received numerous industry awards for outstanding life-long service to the profession. He was a Howard Dunne Memorial Lecturer and Alex Hogg Lecturer, received the Leman Science in Practice Award, was recognized as practitioner of the year, and received the Master’s Award from The National Hog Farmer. He is an international authority on health management and disease elimination science, delivering over 300 keynotes to audiences in China, Thailand, Australia, Spain, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Poland, and Canada, as well as authoring 40+ papers including several peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Connor also recently co-authored the book Pig Health. Dr. Connor obtained his DVM from the University of Illinois in 1976 and a Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota, and completed the Executive Veterinary Program in 2009 with the University of Illinois.

Jacob Mayer, P.E.

Jacob Mayer is a Project Engineer for Settje Agri-Services & Engineering (www.settje.com) located near Raymond, NE. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and has a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Iowa State University and M.S. in Biological Engineering from Mississippi State University. He resides in rural Weston, NE with his wife (Katie), daughter (Kirkland), and son (Hatten). He does not wear a pocket protector and does not know how to use a slide rule.

The Pot Roast

We want to showcase the talented chefs that read our magazine. In this issue we are featuring Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco who run cattle in the Flint Hills of Kansas while also maintaining a fun and unique cooking blog which can be found at cookingwiththecowboy.com. If you have a recipe that you would like to feature in The Pot Roast section of the magazine, please email us at kelly.terrell@pacdvms.com. Our goal is to continue discovering recipes from agriculture’s finest.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and information expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Production Animal Consultation's policy or position.