CommunicationsSeedstock EDGE | “For the Record” | “The Pinnacle” | |
| Seedstock EDGE Seedstock EDGE main | Seedstock EDGE archives Advertising rates/deadlines | Mail dates Subscribe today! | Seedstock EDGE staff |
August 2006 Issue
Control/Alt/Delete
by Darrell Anderson
Anyone that has spent much time at a computer keyboard will recognize those three little words – control/alt/delete. It usually means you have a program that has stopped running properly and for whatever reason, your computer needs you to hit control/alt/delete and start over. Maybe you messed something up and overloaded a program, but the bottom line is this: You get to start over by hitting those three keys – control/alt/delete.
Several breeders have developed their own branded products and are doing well. I applaud them for operating out of their comfort zones. How about you? Are there opportunities for you to enhance your profit potential? Don’t be afraid of making a mistake – you’ll never know unless you try!
Many of you will be reading this as you compete at a state fair in the Midwest, and your family’s swine project is almost over for this year. Maybe you did better than you expected or maybe it was a disappointing experience. The good news is that next year you can hit control/alt/delete and start over!
We have just completed two record-breaking junior events – the World Pork Expo Junior National held in Des Moines in June and the National Junior Summer Spectacular held in Louisville in early July. How exciting and rewarding to see hundreds of young people, literally from coast to coast, compete in various contests and make new friends. The majority of these young people expanded their horizons and enjoyed a positive experience at both events.
Many sponsors also stepped up and generously supported the young people at these two major activities. Because of their incredible support, our greatest hope for these events was also realized – lives were changed for the better.
Now, if you were in the minority and did not enjoy your experience in Des Moines or Louisville, maybe you need to hit control/alt/delete and start over. Maybe you had selected hogs that were a bit old fashioned – too much muscle, too lean or not sound enough. Or maybe the gilts you raised out of your favorite boar at home simply did not allow you to compete with the elite of our breeds.
One of the most profound comments made at these two events was the “est” concept shared by Steve Cobb of Lake City, Ark., as he judged the World Pork Expo Yorkshire show. During one of the championship drives, he informed the standing-room-only crowd that we are at a place in our industry that we do not need to use “est” hogs. He said that the type of hog we are selecting in the show ring today is extremely good, and we don’t need to revert back to the “leanest” hog, or the “tallest” hog, or the “heaviest-muscled” hog or even the “widest” hog. It’s time to tweak the genetics and phenotype of our hogs in the four NSR breeds, but we certainly don’t need to hit control/alt/delete when it comes to the type of hog we’re producing today.
However, if you and your family have missed the mark with the type of hogs you are producing or purchasing, you may need to consider hitting those three little buttons and take advantage of the opportunity to start over. Maybe your breeding program has “frozen up” on you, and there is only one way to fix it – start over. The good news is that the task can be easily accomplished, as there are plenty of sound, functional gilts for sale in all of our breeds, and there are several boars housed in boar studs or at breeder’s farms that can help you get started with the correct goals in mind. Also, we have an animal with a relatively short generation interval, so rapid improvement in genetic design and composition is possible.
We have been blessed with conscientious breeders in all four of our breeds that understand what it takes to build foundation animals – usually from the ground up. The industry has a history of chasing after fads and swinging the pendulum too far each time the fad changes. But, I am hopeful that we have learned from these past mistakes, and we keep moderation in mind as we continue to tweak the phenotypes of the next generation.
There will never be a better time to start over than today. As you’ve probably heard many times, “If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Don’t get left behind. Hit those three little buttons and take the opportunity to make a fresh start.
