Iowa State Fair Sign-Up Closes Tomorrow | |
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This year's Iowa State Fair Family Days are Friday, August 9th and Friday, August 16th.
Sign up will be done exclusively using Tools. On your Tools homepage, the sign-up prompt appears on the left hand side under the "Company Events" drop down.
Please check with your manager or supervisor that the date you've picked to attend the fair is okay. It's important that our farms are able to continue operating while offering this as an opportunity to you.
Registration: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Ice Cream Social: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Both at the Alliant Landing
Additional tickets for both employees and contracted site managers can be purchased in advance at a discounted rate of $11 for ages 12 and over and $7 for ages 6-11. Children 5 and under are free.
Payment for extra tickets must be received before you will get access to the tickets. Please drop it off at the Iowa Falls office or send the payment here:
Iowa Select Farms
Attn: Courtney Mast
811 South Oak Street
Iowa Falls, IA 50126
For more information, please read our Q&A forms below. Any questions or issues with registration can be submitted to events@iowaselect.com.
Employee Q&A English
Employee Q&A Spanish
Contractor Q&A English
Contractor Q&A Spanish
See you at the fair!
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Opening the Door of Communication
Many of you know our ongoing efforts to facilitate two-way communication between the sow and the wean-to-market farms that receive their weaned pigs. This initiative aims to improve pig care and increase livability through better, swifter communication of health challenges, allowing for real-time adjustments on the sow farms and better preparation and planning on the wean-to-market side.
Allie Delker, Sow 3 Manager; Trent Myers, Senior Wean-to-Market Supervisor; and Darl Starek, Wean-to-Market Supervisor, took those emails and phone calls one step further when they all agreed to meet up at Nolte F244, home of the pigs farrowed at Sow 3.
At the farm, Darl and Trent explained the load-in process, barn setup, specialized care, and even marketing to Allie and her Sow 3 ambassador team.
"It was a great overall experience," Allie said. "As sow farm workers, we don't always see what happens next. We know the end goal, but seeing all the puzzle pieces connect was helpful for me and my crew members who attended."
According to Allie, this experience helps them understand the scenarios that arise in the finishers, allowing them to address these issues at the sow farms.
Allie also mentioned that seeing their piglets "all grown up and thriving" was incredibly rewarding, especially because they knew those pigs had come from Sow 3 during a challenging PRRS period. "Hearing Trent and Darl Starek, Wean-to-Market supervisors, remark on the pigs' impressive size and weight given the circumstances was gratifying," Allie added.
Allie sent in her thanks to Darl and Trent for “fully opening the door of communication with us, because it was exactly what we needed as a team.” Those long, hard days, the vaccines, and the extra attention we put into our herd were paying off, especially when we were hoping for a break.”
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In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) | |
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Leadership Change
Effective immediately, Dr. Marlin Hoogland is no longer with Iowa Select Farms. We sincerely appreciate the 11 months he dedicated to the business.
Nick McCulley, President, will be more closely involved with the production leadership teams to drive our system forward swiftly and efficiently. Starting today, we are working with the GTC, multiplication, gilt, sow, wean-to-market and health services teams to develop and refine plans for advancing key actions. The leadership team is enthusiastic about the future and fully committed to improving pig performance and achieving our business goals.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this transition. We appreciate Dr. Hoogland’s contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
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Sow 39 Earns Most Improved SelectPride
“It’s great to see the team recognized for their efforts,” said Bill Berquist, manager of Yale Sow Farm near Klemme, Iowa. “We’ve had our fair share of challenges, but this group is full of perseverance.”
Last October, Bill observed his sows weren’t eating. Three days later came fever and aborts from a small row of gilts in the gestation barn. Sow 39 experienced a devastating PRRS break – one of pork producers' toughest challenges.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been through a PRRS break before,” said Bill. “The entire group was exceptional at executing the “have to’s” that kept the farm running during this difficult time. I made sure to remind them that the new protocols and tedious tasks would soon pay off.”
Over the last few months, the farm’s supervisor, Chris Nydegger, and veterinarian, Pete Thomas, focused on biosecurity protocols and putting animal care initiatives to get the farm's herd healthy again. “They put tremendous care, energy, and dedication into these new protocols,” said Chris. “Their attention to detail helped them achieve production success and move towards becoming PRRS negative.”
Throughout quarter one of 2024, the farm stayed consistent with its breeds, treatments, daily chores and observations, record keeping, heat, and pregnancy checking. Their farrow rate increased from 67.7% to 82.1%, and their born alive (BA) increased to 15. A drastic improvement, as they were seeing 10.6 BA at the end of 2023. This is a huge accomplishment, considering the health setbacks the farm has faced.
"Their performance is a testament to the team’s commitment and competitiveness in overcoming challenges," said Chris. "The effort that Bill and his team have shown proves that you can have a PRRS-positive farm and still make improvements and remain competitive."
Bill has developed a great team, put the right people in the right places, and is steadily making significant improvements. When asked what kept the farm going during some tough weeks, Bill said, “We have tremendous leaders on our team. Some days seem like an uphill battle, but everyone pulls their weight.”
Congratulations to Bill Berquist, Shannen Bailon Roa, Xochitl Benitez Arellano, Francisca Cervantes Arista, Rigoberto Dominguez Cruz, Miriam Estrada Gutierrez, Andrea Garcia Aguilar, Jose Gomez Gomez, Ian Green, Perla Hernandez Ramirez, Rafael Leyva Sanchez, Melquiades Lopez Aquino, Leonel Martinez Avila, Miguel Angel Martinez Valdez, Jose Alberto Ramos Martinez, Ilmer Sanchez Medina, and Malyk Schunk for receiving the Most Improved SelectPride award!
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Celebrating 15 Years with Jeff DeWeese
“My time at Iowa Select Farms has been nothing short of rewarding,” said Jeff DeWeese, Production Well-Being Specialist for Iowa Select Farms. Jeff, who is celebrating 15 years of service, travels to farms throughout Iowa conducting biosecurity and production well-being assessments.
Originally from central Missouri, Jeff began working and caring for pigs on his grandparents' farm as a child. “I can recall seeing sows in wooden crates and baby pigs running around in pens full of straw,” said Jeff. “My grandfather had a diversified farming operation with row crops, cattle, and a few sows. That’s where my love for the agriculture industry began.”
Throughout Jeff’s 15 years with Iowa Select Farms, he reflects on how it all started. “My mom called one day about a job opening for a health assurance specialist with Iowa Select Farms. My wife and I had just bought a house in Missouri and weren’t looking to move. But I’m so thankful we made the move – it’s paid dividends.”
As a Production Well-Being Specialist, Jeff helps lead training efforts alongside farm managers, supervisors, and entire teams of caretakers. “I’ve been here 15 years and still haven’t assessed every farm,” Jeff laughed. “I love the variety of work, but nothing compares to training our caretakers and helping them succeed.”
Jeff and his wife, Andrea, have built a life on an acreage outside of Iowa Falls with their three children: Emmalyn, Amelia, and Wyatt. Jeff takes great pride in his family and enjoys attending their sporting events and activities. When he isn’t at the softball or soccer field, you can find Jeff spending quality time camping with his family.
Congratulations on an outstanding 15-year career and counting. We are lucky to have you, Jeff!
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78 Communities Served Through Haul Out Hunger
Haul Out Hunger 2024 wrapped up Monday with a final delivery in Pocahontas! This year, the Foundation team hand-delivered 2,870 cases of ground pork to 105 food pantries in 78 communities across 41 counties. The pork will make 137,760 meals for Iowans in need across the state. The team went out on the road for 14 days to bring the pork to Homegrown Iowa communities in every corner of the footprint. Thank you to everyone who helped this program be a success!
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Appreciation!
Chris Morgan would like to express his gratitude towards the Sow 35 team for their exceptional "housekeeping" efforts. After conducting a site assessment, Chris was impressed by the farm's interior and exterior presentation. Bravo!
Do you want to give thanks to someone in the Weekly Update? Please send it to Abby Fausch at afausch@iowaselect.com.
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Recognizing the Hard Work and Dedication of Our Employees
During the recent production management meeting, senior leaders and attendees expressed their deep appreciation for each department's efforts. The atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm as everyone took turns highlighting the dedication and hard work of their colleagues. We want to ensure everyone knows how valued they are. Let's hear what was said Nutrient Management, Accounting, Production Accounting and Finance, Information Technology and Communications.
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- Thank you for always making it happen! Without your team getting the pits pumped, we can’t perform
- Thank you for maintaining relationships with local land owners and promoting the value of manure for sustainability
- They were some of the first people on site at Roger North with the tornado to evaluate the situation and provide support
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- Help in identifying several issues in farms around water usage and assisting in the plan to get it corrected
- Working with WTM on not pumping on a younger pig when possible
- Work hard to prevent any issues/risk and are continually improving their communication across groups
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- Helping with equipment inspection training
- Helping with snow removal
- Helping with working with the scraper barns
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Accounting, Production Accounting and Finance | |
- Outside of getting kicked out of EZCM every week, your team is awesome. Very helpful with invoice questions or concerns and super friendly in working together to get new vendors set up, and quickly! (Especially with the offsite breed projects)
- The group we can always “count” on to make sure we get paid and where we are sitting regarding our financial budgets
- Getting check requests in timely and catching any mistakes we make on them
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- To production accounting for implementing biosecurity measures for sow cards and making adjustments to sow cards
- Thank you to the payroll team for their help with implementing the tables for the hourly tracking pilot program
- All their reporting efforts to identify abnormal spending – they provide consistent and helpful reporting
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- Shout out to production accounting for inputting vital data that helps us make important production decisions and to Scott for quickly making data error changes to keep our data accurate
- Shout out for all the outside breeding project data tracking
- Continued efforts to improve data quality and timeliness with sow records, marketing data and closeout info
- Helping us with Islat entry errors we make while keeping a positive outlook and approach to get it fixed
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- “Tools is cool”
- Thank you for your supporting in creating a hub for maintenance to better track and perform cost analysis on the generators throughout the entire system
- Thank you for setting up the master data file for the ticket system. It has been beneficial for our new/growing team and helps us become more efficient with the tools we have in place
- Their consistent willingness to work and improve access to data for all departments
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- Thank you for continuing to grow and develop Tools, it helps keep us all connected in addition to collecting data
- Helping get new sites set up – S45, S46, G952, the Washington WTM sites and all the Multiplication to WTM transitions
- Shout out to Carl – he is always willing to help us find a solution when we ask for help/favors
- Carrie Last is always helping everyone with their phone issues – special thanks from a repeat visitor Mark Lee
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- For all their efforts to get data into solutions with Power BI and a single platform
- For all their help bringing the out of state space online along with helping create the needed reports to go with them
- Always responding timely to alarm issues, printers & PC issues and identifying pesky alarms that aren’t an alarm
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- We can’t say enough good things about this team…they are super helpful with best practices, rolling out our crazy ideas and always including the FUN! You make the ideas we generate come to life in such a quick and professional way.
- They keep us informed of what’s going on – the weekly updates is a great resource
- Thanks for always capturing great stories of our top notch pigs and people
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- They are awesome and patient and putting up with people who don’t respond timely to proof their articles and stories
- Always keeping everybody informed of what is going on in all phases of the company
- Highlighting individuals or specific farms to tell their stories – everybody loves when those come out
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- Gold star industry feedback – constantly getting feedback from others companies trying to be as good as Iowa Select from an employee recognition & sustainability effort
- This team is able to get key messages out to everybody in a way that’s easy to understand and is very beneficial, couldn’t do it without them
- All the foundation events – we love them
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Congratulations!
Congratulations to Katie Coleman, Director of Biosecurity, and her husband, Terry, on the birth of their baby boy, Garrett!
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Condolences
Rick Chamberlin, Manager of Sow 1, and Cameron Chamberlain, Animal Caretaker at Sow 1, recently lost their mother/grandmother. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rick, Cameron and family.
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Joke of the Week
Where do you put the piggest criminals?
Solitary conswinement!
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This Week's Years of Service
Check out all of the employees below celebrating their work anniversaries this week and last week. If you see these folks out and about, be sure to congratulate them!
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26 Years
Gabina Villanueva, Animal Caretaker Sow 006 Peterson
15 Years
Danny Blair, Maintenance Technician - Sow/GDU
13 Years
Paul Hazelwood, Wean Truck Driver
12 Years
Joe Guerrero Jr, Maintenance Technician - Wean to Market
11 Years
Raymond Barlage, Sow Farm Manager Sow 029 Thayer
8 Years
Dulce Corona Flores, Farrowing Department Head Sow 116
Eliud Duron Garcia, Animal Breeder Sow 004 Kramer Sow
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3 Years
Cameron Chamberlin, Animal Caretaker Sow 001 Cadillac
Daniel Miller, IT Low Voltage Technician
Sarah Hockemeyer, Nutrient Service Manager
2 Years
Joshua Cunningham, CDL Driver
Jeffrey Arensdorf, IT Application Developer
1 Year
Roberto Cardenas Lopez, Animal Breeder GDU 110 Marton/Glenview
Miguel Pina Carabeo, Animal Breeder GDU 686 Colfax
Madeni Verdugo Ambrocio, Animal Breeder Sow 114
Jorge Rincon Lopez, Animal Breeder GDU 686 Colfax
Amaury Mijangos Bustamante, Animal Breeder GDU 541 Gravity
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Internal Job Openings
Looking for a new role within Iowa Select Farms? Check out what you may have missed last week. To see a list of our current and new job openings and information on applying, click here or contact Human Resources at 641-648-4479.
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On-Call Maintenance Schedule
Stay up-to-date with the on-call maintenance schedule and never lose track of its location. This schedule can be found here, and it will continually be updated in real-time.
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