Maintaining motivation among your producers is challenging during a PRRS outbreak (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) but it is an important action to be taken to keep a swine herd healthy. During the Swine Link event held in Des Moines, Iowa on July 13, 2013 and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), Dr. Erin Johnson, PRRS Technical Manager for BIVI led an interactive discussion on ideas for motivating team members.

Swine Link is focused on women in the swine industry and is a network focused on both interacting with other women and also on educational opportunities. I had to ask Dr. Johnson how she got involved and became a mentor, in the swine industry.

It turns out Dr. Johnson is not a typical swine girl – she fell in with the wrong crowd in vet school and during her senior year became interested in pigs although at the time, her main focus was livestock. However, she said, she knew that she wanted to stay in the Midwest and would have to branch out of dairy and after an externship focused on pigs, decided that was the right place for her to be.

With a focus on PRRS, Dr. Johnson has first hand experience on the frustration that PRRS can cause. She noted that the industry has techniques, tools, vaccines and management tools but none of these things really address the people. She said that every day and every farm takes people to get things done and the industry can’t lose focus on motivating the person to do the right things when it comes to PRRS and other issues. She has done this through giving them a greater sense of purpose and helping them better understand where they are going and why.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Erin Johnson here: Maintaining Motivation During a PRRS Break

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.