One of the presentations at the recent 12th annual Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar held in North Carolina included information about the Pipestone System in Minnesota. “The Pipestone System is an organization of about 250 farmers who own their sows and hire us to manage them,” Barry Kierkart, one of the managing partners at the Pipestone Veterinary Clinic explained to me. Pipestone then produces high-quality, weaned pigs and return them to those independent farmers for them to raise and bring to market.
During his presentation, Barry wanted producers to understand the importance of research and the importance of very small numbers that could make the difference in their bottom lines. “That’s really been our focus for them: to measure things that we think are important that they can change to try and improve their efficiency,” he said. One example includes how to improve the gut health of the animal to better use the feed they get. He added that most people are interested in how to apply research done by others to their individual operation.
Interview with Barry Kierkart