Extension specialist brings together swine breeders

Benjamin Herrold
May 29, 2025
May 29, 2025

MU Swine Breeding Extension Specialist Tim Safranski says he enjoys planning the Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference, and he has seen how the industry has changed through his decades at MU.
IFT photo by Benjamin Herrold

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

As he prepares for the Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference in August in St. Louis, Tim Safranski thinks back about how the conference got started 25 years ago and all the changes and advancements the industry has seen since then.

kAm$27C2?D<: H@C<D 2D E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: DE2E6 DH:?6 3C665:?8 tIE6?D:@? DA64:2=:DE[ 2?5 96 C6>6>36CD E2=<:?8 H:E9 9:D 4@F?E6CA2CED 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }63C2D<2 2?5 !FC5F6 &?:G6CD:EJ 23@FE E96 ?665 7@C 2 C68:@?2= 4@?76C6?46 E@ E2=< 23@FE E@A:4D E96J 925 366? 255C6DD:?8 :? =@42= H@C<D9@AD]k^Am

kAm“x DE2CE65 :? ’he[ 2?5 H6 H6C6 5@:?8 E96D6 EH@\52J p]x] W2CE:7:4:2= :?D6>:?2E:@?X H@C<D9@AD[” 96 D2JD]k^Am

kAm$27C2?D<: 2?5 @E96C F?:G6CD:EJ tIE6?D:@? DA64:2=:DED H2?E65 2? 6G6?E 7@4FD65 @? E96 3@2C D:56 @7 DH:?6 3C665:?8]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ E:>6 H6 H6C6 E@86E96C[ H6’5 E2=< 23@FE ‘H6 ?665 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 7@C 3@2CD[’” 96 D2JD]k^Am

kAmtG6?EF2==J[ D@>6 @7 E96> A=2??65 2 4@?76C6?46]k^Am

kAm“(6 >6E 2E E96 4@FCE9@FD6 :? |2CJG:==6[ |:DD@FC:[” $27C2?D<: D2JD] “(6 >2AA65 @FE 2? 286?52]”k^Am

kAm%96 7:CDE 4@?76C6?46[ :? a___[ H2D A@AF=2C 2?5 925 >@C6 2EE6?566D E92? E96 @C82?:K6CD 6IA64E65]k^Am

kAm“(6 E9@F89E H6 >:89E ?665 E@ 5@ E9:D 282:?[” $27C2?D<: D2JD]k^Am

kAm%96 4@?76C6?46 :D 96=5 6G6CJ 7@FC J62CD[ 2?5 E9:D J62C E96 |:5H6DE q@2C $EF5 |2?286CD r@?76C6?46 :D D4965F=65 7@C pF8] `b\`c 2E E96 s@F3=6%C66 3J w:=E@? w@E6= $E] {@F:D\(6DEA@CE]k^Am

kAm$27C2?D<: D2JD 3@2C >2?286>6?E 2?5 DH:?6 3C665:?8 92G6 D66? 2 =@E @7 25G2?46>6?ED :? E96 BF2CE6C 46?EFCJ D:?46 E92E 7:CDE 4@?76C6?46]k^Am

kAm“%96 7:CDE |:5H6DE q@2C $EF5 |2?286CD r@?76C6?46 H2D @776C65 :? a___ H96? =6DD E92? 92=7 @7 &]$] D@HD H6C6 >2E65 2CE:7:4:2==J[” 96 D2JD] “%96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 :?E6C6DE :? 2CE:7:4:2= :?D6>:?2E:@? 2?5 2 72:C 2>@F?E @7 EC2:?:?8 @? E96 76>2=6 D:56[ 3FE 3@2C 2?5 D6>6? H@C< H6C6 H@67F==J F?56CD6CG65]”k^Am

kAm%96 4@?76C6?46 5C2HD :? A6@A=6 7C@> D6G6C2= DE2E6D 2D H6== 2D @E96C 4@F?EC:6D[ $27C2?D<: D2JD] w6 >2<6D 4@??64E:@?D H:E9 A@E6?E:2= DA62<6CD H96? 96 EC2G6=D E@ @E96C DH:?6 6G6?ED]k^Am

People are also reading…

Dairy era ends in sadness
System continues to protect calf health, ranch profitability
Plant soybeans early, Below says
Lifelong cowboy continues team roping career at 87
Seasonal supply squeeze drives sheep, goat prices
Producers urged to implement strong identification processes to safeguard cow herd
Rooted in dairy, driven by data
Cattlemen answer the call with hay convoy to wildfire-stricken Nebraska
EPA makes latest attempt to define WOTUS
Factors drive increase in pigs per litter
Get better hay, returns with small changes
Laws restrict foreign land owners
Unexpected discovery leads to potential pollination control mechanism
Pollinators exhibit interesting 'bee-havior'
We’re springing into April

kAm“x H2D :? r9:?2 =2DE J62C DA62<:?8 2E 2 C6AC@5F4E:G6 DJ>A@D:F>[” $27C2?D<: D2JD]k^Am

kAmw6 :D H@C<:?8 E@ @C82?:K6 2 r9:?6D6 ?FEC:E:@? C6D62C496C 7C@> E92E 6G6?E 2D 2 DA62<6C 7@C E96 4@?76C6?46 :? $E] {@F:D[ 2?5 96 92D 925 @E96C :?E6C?2E:@?2= DA62<6CD 2E E96 4@?76C6?46]k^Am

kAmw6 D2JD 96 H@C<D E@ 3F:=5 2? 6G6?E E92E 92D 2 G2C:6EJ @7 A6CDA64E:G6D[ H:E9 DA62<6CD 4@G6C:?8 E96 5:776C6?E A2CED @7 3@2C >2?286>6?E 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E[ 5:D4FDD:?8 86?6E:4D 2D H6== 2D 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 724E@CD DF49 2D H2E6C >2?286>6?E @C ?FEC:E:@?]k^Am

kAm“(6 ECJ E@ 4C62E6 2 32=2?46 @7 E9:?8D[ 3@E9 :? E96 32C? 2?5 :? E96 =23[” $27C2?D<: D2JD] “xE’D 3@E9 32C? =6G6= 2?5 =23 =6G6= 3642FD6 E96J’C6 3@E9 :>A@CE2?E]”k^Am

kAmw6 2=D@ =@@<D E@ 86E :?AFE 7C@> 3@E9 F?:G6CD:EJ C6D62C496CD 2?5 A6@A=6 H@C<:?8 7@C 4@>A2?:6D :? E96 DH:?6 :?5FDECJ]k^Am

kAm“%96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= 24256>:4D 3FE 2=D@ D@>6 :?5:G:5F2= A6@A=6[” $27C2?D<: D2JD] “…xE’D C62==J E96 @?=J 6G6?E :? }@CE9 p>6C:42 H96C6 A6@A=6 7C@> E96 6?E:C6 DA64ECF> @7 E96 >2=6 D:56 @7 E96 3FD:?6DD 2C6 E@86E96C]”k^Am

kAmw6 2=D@ 6?;@JD E96 A2?6= @7 3@2C DEF5 >2?286CD 2E E96 4@?76C6?46] !6@A=6 42? 2D< E96> BF6DE:@?D[ 2?5 E96 >2?286CD 42? D92C6 :562D 23@FE H92E H@C<D H6== 7@C E96>] w6 D2JD 86EE:?8 A6@A=6 7C@> E96 DH:?6 3C665:?8 :?5FDECJ E@86E96C 42? 96=A 3F:=5 2 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2D :E 42? D@>6E:>6D 36 2 492==6?86 E@ @3D6CG6 6249 @E96C’D @A6C2E:@?D 8:G6? E96 ?2EFC2= D6A2C2E:@? @7 3:@D64FC:EJ A=2?D]k^Am

kAm“(92E x C62==J 6?;@J :D H2E49:?8 E96 8C@FA @7 2EE6?566D 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ >66E 6249 @E96C[” $27C2?D<: D2JD]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ A=2??:?8 E96 4@?76C6?46[ $27C2?D<: D2JD 9:D C68F=2C H@C< H:E9 tIE6?D:@? 2?5 96=A:?8 |& DEF56?ED =62C? 23@FE A:8D 2C6 2? :562= 42C66C 7@C 9:>]k^Am

kAm“x E6== A6@A=6 x’> 2 A:8 72C>6C E92E H6?E E@ D49@@= E@@ =@?8[” 96 D2JD]k^Am

kAm$27C2?D<: 92D 925 2 =:76=@?8 :?E6C6DE :? A:8D[ 8C@H:?8 FA :? ~C68@? 3FE >2<:?8 EC:AD E@ G:D:E 9:D >@>’D 72>:=J :? x@H2]k^Am

kAm“(96? H6’5 G:D:E >J >@>’D 72>:=J[ x’5 2=H2JD 8@ G:D:E E96 A:8 32C?[” 96 D2JD] “x =@G6 A:8D]”k^Am

kAm$27C2?D<: D2JD :E :D C6H2C5:?8 E@ D66 DEF56?ED =62C? 2E |&’D DH:?6 32C?[ H96C6 E96J 42? 86E 92?5D\@? 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 A:8D] w6 =:<6D D66:?8 E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? 56G6=@A E96:C D<:==D]k^Am

kAm“xE’D C62==J 4@@= 7@C >6 E@ D66 E96 <:5D H9@ 4@>6 96C6 E@ =62C?[ =62C?[” 96 D2JD] “%96J’C6 23@FE E@ 8C25F2E6 2?5 E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 9:C65 2D 4@==686 8C25F2E6D[ 2?5 E96J’== 92G6 E@ E9:?<] %9:D :D H96C6 E96J 42? 86E 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 =62C? E@ E9:?< E9C@F89 AC@3=6>D]”k^Am