Each year Iowa Swine Day presents a program packed with highly regarded speakers focusing on important issues facing U.S. pork producers. Conference organizers build upon the success of past programs by continuing to seek industry input from the planning committee. The success of past conferences has shown that the best approach to developing a program for the pork industry is to seek input from producers representing a cross section of the industry. This year, Iowa Swine Day will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. 

Through June 7, 2026: $100

Beginning June 8, 2026: $115

Registration will be limited to the first 450 registrants. No onsite registration will be allowed.

Register Here

Agenda

Morning Session	Ballroom
7:00 am	Registration opens, light breakfast provided
8:00 am	Welcome
8:15 am	Innovation Leadership: Embracing a Culture of Collaboration, Curiosity, and Speed Mr. Steve Lerch, President, Story Arc Consulting
9:15 am	Lauren Christian Lecture on Swine Management and Genetics: Gene Editing: A Producer Perspective Dr. Mike Paustian, President, Paustian Enterprises
10:00 am	Break
10:30 am	Pork Industry Success, Challenges, Future Challenges and Opportunities - Four Decades of My Observations Dr. Dhamu Thamodaran, Retired Smithfield Foods Executive, StoneX Board Member
11:15 am	Practical Application of Artificial Intelligence in Swine Production Mr. Todd Thurman, CEO, Swine Insights International
12:00 pm	Lunch

Afternoon Sessions	Applied (A): Ballroom  Research (R): Garden Room
1:00 pm	A: How to Decide What to Do and When With Your Facility      Mr. Brian Blumhagen, Director of Operations, Altenburg Construction R: Let's Play: Can We Use an Enrichment Toy for Gilts and Sow in US Systems?      Dr. Anna Johnson, Morrill Professor, Iowa State University
1:30 pm	A: Feed bin sensor technology: A Data-Driven Approach to Operational Efficiencies      Dr. Bo Williams, Nutritionist, Seaboard Foods R: Coming Soon
2:00 pm	A: Manure Matters: Maximizing Nutrient Value While Navigating Regulations      Mrs. Samantha DeWitt, Co-Owner, AgVice R: Improving Nutrient Utilization Efficiency in Swine: Current Approaches and Emerging Insights       Dr. Dalton Humphrey, Research Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
2:30 pm	Break
3:00 pm	A: How to Retain Your TN-Visa Workers? A Research and Experience-Based Approach      Mr. Mag Lopez, Swine Field Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri R: Maximizing Herd Health and Performance Through Effective Water System Management      Dr. Gabi Doughan, Technical Project Specialist, Swine Medicine Education Center, Iowa State University
3:30 pm	A: What's the Latest in On-Farm Alarm System and Camera Technology      Mr. BJ Brugman, CEO, Distynct R: Coming Soon
4:00 pm	A: Insurance and Risk Management for Swine Producers      Mr. Lane Danielson, Principal Practice Leader, TrueNorth Companies R: Spatiotemporal Characterization of Manure Temperature and Its Implications for Methane Generation in Deep-Pit Swine Barns      Dr. Brett Ramirez, Associate Professor, Iowa State University
4:30 pm	Adjourn

Speakers

Image	Brian Blumhagen Brian has spent the majority of his life working in the swine industry including stints in production, genetics, nutrient management, facility maintenance and new facility construction.   He is currently Director of Operations for Altenburg Construction which does slat replacements.  He has a Bachelor's of Science Degree and an MBA from Iowa State University and currently resides in Ames.
Image	Samantha DeWitt Samantha DeWitt is the co-owner of AgVice, an environmental services and regulatory compliance company that supports livestock and crop producers across Iowa. She develops manure management plans that support responsible nutrient use and prioritize the connection between livestock, crop production and land stewardship. In addition to her professional work, Samantha is an active advocate for the pork industry; she is involved with many agricultural organizations and enjoys promoting agriculture and supporting youth involvement in the industry.
Image	Gabi Doughan Dr. Gabi Doughan is a Technical Project Specialist with the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC) at Iowa State University. She obtained her DVM in 2021, and both her MS and PhD in 2025 all from Iowa State University. She is nationally recognized as an emerging leader in swine water quality and water line biofilm ecology. Dr. Doughan’s work integrates applied research, education, and industry collaboration to advance biosecurity and water management in pork production systems.
Image	Dalton Humphrey Dr. Dalton Humphrey is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on improving nutrient efficiency and requirement estimation in pigs through a mechanistic understanding of amino acid and energy metabolism. He studies how nutrient interactions and physiological demand influence performance across production stages. His work aims to deliver science-based feeding strategies that support efficient, resilient, and sustainable swine production.
Image	Ana Johnson Morrill Professor Anna Johnson has been on faculty in the Department of Animal Science since 2005. Anna is an international livestock welfare expert. Over her career Anna has worked with pigs, beef, dairy, laying hens, sheep and broiler birds. Her research areas have addressed housing systems, humane handling techniques, human-animal interactions, pain mitigation, humane euthanasia, transportation, livability and environmental enrichment.
Image	Steve Lerch  Steve Lerch is an award-winning international public speaker, consultant, and former Google Executive, and has become a highly respected voice in the world of digital strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, and innovation. While at Google, Steve served as a digital strategy advisor to prominent brands like GoPro and Roku, respected non-profits like the YMCA and Save the Children, and even major branches of the Federal Government, like the Census and FEMA. He spent years helping hundreds of organizations better understand their customers, tell more compelling stories, and leverage data more strategically.
Image	Mag Lopez Mag is a Field Specialist in Livestock focused in Swine with University of Missouri Extension, where he develops producer programs, conducts applied labor research, and connects farms with university expertise, with most of his work focused on outreach. His research examines workforce issues in the U.S. swine industry.
Image	Mike Paustian Mike Paustian is a 6th generation farmer from Scott County, where he and his family operate a farrow-to-finish hog farm and grow corn, soybeans and rye. He received his Ph.D. in microbiology and worked as a research scientist before returning to the family farm. Mike is a past president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
Image	Brett Ramirez Dr. Brett Ramirez is an associate professor in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University. He leads an integrated research and extension program focused on ventilation design and management, climate physiology, mass mortality management and several other topics related the swine facilities. His mission is to provide and advance the science and technology needed to address the aforementioned areas in swine production systems. His program aims to generate practical solutions to current and emerging issues surrounding animal agriculture and its producers.
Image	Dhamu Thamodaran Dr. Thamodaran retired as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Commodity Hedging Officer from Smithfield Foods, Inc. in December 2020, having served in this role since 2016.  Dr. Thamodaran joined Smithfield Foods in 1995 as Director of Price Risk Management.  Prior to joining Smithfield Foods, he had related industry experience with John Morrell Food Group and Farmland Foods, which later become part of the Smithfield Foods family. With Smithfield Foods, Dr. Thamodaran led strategy development for the firm’s vertically integrated business, managed its commodity hedging activities, and oversaw its global economics commodities research and analysis group.  Widely respected for his knowledge of global macroeconomics, agricultural markets, and the pork value chain, Dr. Thamodaran was a frequent speaker before boards of food and agriculture companies, at industry trade association events, and before MBA candidates in agricultural-focused programs. Dr. Thamodaran remains involved in the industry. Since Oct 2021, he joined the Board of Directors of StoneX Group Inc., a Global Financial and Commodities services Company, serving in their Audit Committee, Risk Committee and Technology and Operations Committee respectively. Since January 2019, he has served as member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group’s Agricultural Markets Advisory Council.
Image	Todd Thurman Todd Thurman is an International Swine Management Consultant and the Founder and CEO of Swine Insights International. He brings over 25 years of global pork industry experience to the stage providing hard hitting analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. With hands-on experience across 17 countries, Todd and his team have advised many of the world’s largest pork producers helping them improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of their operations. Todd’s presentations transform complex industry challenges into practical and actionable strategies while offering a unique global, big-picture perspective.
Image	Bo Williams Dr. Bo Williams earned his B.S. in Animal Science from Iowa State University in 2018, followed by both his M.S. (2020) and Ph.D. (2023) in Applied Swine Nutrition from Kansas State University. He currently leads the nutrition department at Seaboard Foods, overseeing nutrition programs for approximately 345,000 sows and 7 million market pigs annually. Originally from Iowa Falls, Iowa, Dr. Williams now resides in Stratford, Texas, with his fiancé.

 

Platinum

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Gold

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Silver

AcuFast · Anpario · APC · Cambridge Technologies · DNA Genetics · DSM-Firmenich · EveryPig · Feed Energy Company · Feedworks USA · Heartland Builders Co · Hog Slat · Kemin Animal Nutrition & Health · Lucta · MetaFarms · Minitube USA · QC Supply · Seaboard Foods · Selko USA · United Soybean Board · Zoetis

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Become a Sponsor

Platinum  $5,000

• Three complimentary registrations
• Logo on all printed day of materials 
• Logo and website link on conference website
• Full page color ad in program booklet
• 1 promotional slide (still, no audio or video) to play in rotation during breaks and meals (will play for 1 minute)
• Individual recognition on social media
• Table tents for meal tables

Gold  $2,500

• Two complimentary registrations
• Logo on all printed day of materials
• Logo on conference website
• Half page color ad in program booklet
• 1 promotional slide (still, no audio or video) to play in rotation during breaks and meals (will play for 30 seconds)
• Grouped recognition on social media

Silver  $1,000

• One complimentary registration
• Name listed on all printed day of materials
• Name listed on website
• Quarter page color ad in program booklet

Sponsorship will be accepted through May 31, 2026. Register for sponsorship HERE. You will have the choice to pay with a credit card or pay via check. Details for advertisements and request for logos will be provided once sponsorship is confirmed and will be due May 31st. For any questions regarding sponsorship, please contact Stacie Matchan at sgould@iastate.edu or 515-294-7646. 

Sponsor Instructions

Deadline for material submission: May 31, 2026. All materials can be uploaded HERE.

Registering representatives (All levels)

Promo code for sponsor reps and registration link will be distributed to the individual who filled out the sponsorship form once attendee registration is opened. Any additional registrations are $100 before June 1, $115 beginning June 1. All representatives must be pre-registered. Each sponsorship includes the following complimentary registrations: Platinum (3), Gold (2), and Silver (1).

Advertisements (All levels)

Please submit artwork in PDF or EPS format. All advertisements will be printed in color, full bleed.

• Platinum: Full-page, 8.5 W x 11 H, inches.
• Gold: Half-page, 8.5 W x 5.5 H, inches. 
• Silver: Quarter-page, 4.25 W x 5.5 H, inches.

Logos (All levels)

Sponsor logos are used on the conference website, scrolling displays during breaks and display boards. If you would like a different image to be used than previous years, please upload a new image. High resolution EPS or PNG files preferred, high resolution JPG acceptable.

Promotional slide (Platinum and Gold)

Provide promotional slide in PPT, PDF or PNG format to play in rotation during breaks and meals. No audio, animation or videos allowed. Slide should be widescreen (16:9) or 13.33 W x 7.75 H, inches.

Table Tents (Platinum only)

Provide table tent artwork in PDF or EPS format. Table tents will be full-color printed on one side and folded for a double-sided display, each printed side will be 4 W x 6 H, inches. Email Stacie Matchan for template.

Gateway Hotel and Conference Center

2100 Green Hills Dr, Ames, IA 50014

View previous Iowa Swine Day presentations on   YouTube.

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