Max Rothschild has spent the past 40 years as an animal science professor at Iowa State University, holding the title of C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences. Over his four decades at ISU, he has been recognized globally as one of the leaders in swine genetics research.

Rothschild will retire June 29.

Bill and Joan Tentinger did not plan on celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in the midst of a pandemic. But just like they have done throughout their farming career, they adjusted.

“The restaurants were closed and we couldn’t go anywhere, so we just cooked at home,” Bill says. “We made it work.”

VANDALIA, Mo. — For Kylie Epperson, telling the story of her family farming operation is part of the job.

Farm life can be a mix of setbacks and successes, and earlier this year she and her family had a milestone moment to share. After a fire burned down one of their hog buildings, they built a new one. She remembers the day the first hogs made it through the new building.

Pigs play a big role in the lives of the Shike family, but they’re not pork producers.

Dan is a faculty member in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Illinois,

America’s 2018 Pig Farmer of the Year has no pigs in his barns today.

Central Illinois pig farmer Pat Bane was struck by adversity twice this spring — first by respiratory syndrome (PRRS), then COVID-19 affecting meat processing plant employees. The opportunities for processing plummeted.

It’s natural that Zach Perkins would be drawn to a job growing things, as his family owns a 200-acre nursery and garden center. He has chosen a different venue, one that includes animals.

“I’m not from a pork family,” said Perkins, who grew up in Millbrook, a small community in northeastern Illinois.

The past two months have been brutal for the hog industry, but there are some signs that the climate is improving.

Packing plants that were shuttered or partially shut down due to the number of employee illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic are gradually starting to come back on line.

With pork producers still being severely impacted by COVID-19, leaders of the National Pork Producers Council last week urged Congress to pass relief measures.

The Heroes Act passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives included several items that should be incorporated into companion legislation to be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate, according to NPPC President Howard “A.V.” Roth of Wisconsin.

Despite an increasing slaughter pace, the impacts of COVID-19 related shutdowns on the lean hog market have yet to be resolved.

Stuart Unger, who works for the Price Futures Group, said even with processing plants announcing increases in production, the backups caused by coronavirus make things more uncertain for those looking to make a profit on hogs.

Predicting export levels in the age of COVID-19 is a guessing game, but the first quarter of 2020 has been a surprisingly good one for global pork demand, thanks in large part to China.

“We’ve performed very strongly in that market,” says Maria Zieba, director of international affairs at the National Pork Producers Council. “There’s a tremendous need for pork in China.”

Marketing hogs in a timely fashion has been a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in fewer concerns with feed efficiency.

“Fortunately right now, feed costs are really low with corn at $3 or below,” says Colin Johnson, Iowa State University Extension swine specialist. “Right now we are looking more at maintaining weight while packing capacity is limited, so pig flow and market weights are the main focus. It’s really been a very unique time.”