What do tires, shoes, and diesel fuel all have in common? Besides helping us get from place to place, they are all produced using soybean oil. When soybeans are harvested in the fall and crushed, 80% of the soybean is made up of protein – or meal. Roughly 97% of U.S. soybean meal is used as a protein source when…
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While most Minnesotans want to combat climate change, there is considerable opposition to the approach Governor Tim Walz is taking on both energy policy and electric vehicles. That was the key finding of a new poll released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, a nonpartisan government agency. Several voices have criticized the governor’s plan to change the state’s transportation sector, including…
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Land Investment Companies – What are they? We recently had a tract of farmland in my county that was sold to a land investment company. The selling price was over $12,000 per acre–outbidding any local farmer. I took a step back and while I have heard of these types of companies, this is the first time they made their presence…
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Yes, our pigs live in barns, and I will tell you why. If we lived in a utopian world, I would have no problem with our pigs living outdoors. In fact, I probably would live outdoors right alongside them. A Utopian world means a perfect life with no discomfort, sickness, or injuries. But a world of utopia is just an ideological vision that is…
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What is the best way to house sows? Is it gestation crates? Is it group housing? Is it outdoor living? I hope to answer why pig farmers use gestation crates. For most people, sow housing raises a lot of questions. Let me start with saying, “There is NO perfect sow housing. None. Nada.” When housing pregnant sows indoors, there are…
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