< PreviousBy Cassie GodwinBlack and White…andThe Difference isAPRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3018 AprilMay SE Form.indd 304/4/2018 9:27:37 AMThe year 1994 was a big year for the National Swine Registry. In case you don’t know, in 1994 the United Duroc Swine Registry, Hampshire Swine Registry and American Yorkshire Club joined forces and the NSR was established. The American Landrace Association followed suit in 1998. Along with bringing together the purebred associations, a print publication was created to be the voice of the purebred swine industry. This is the story of the Seedstock EDGE magazine. Twenty-four years, more than 250 issues and an incredibly high number of pages whose exact fi gure would require more math than this writer cares to do, is a very condensed overview of the Seedstock EDGE magazine's history. The Seedstock EDGE has been in farm trucks, on coffee tables and fi lled the book shelves of America’s pork producers for almost three decades, allowing generations of pig farmers to learn from and enjoy its content. While the look, as well as the content, of the NSR’s offi cial publication has evolved over the years, the purpose of the Seedstock EDGE has been and always will be to provide NSR members a venue to market their livestock, while communicating valuable editorial information to the masses. One of the fi rst individuals to be a part of the Seedstock EDGE staff was Dan Baker, Indiana. From 1995 to 2003, Baker spilt his NSR duties between auctioneering and helping produce each issue of the Seedstock EDGE.“That was when I was full-time auctioneering, and the dynamic of that was changing, and I was having less and less sales and I knew I was going to have to do something,” Baker said. “I was way too far away from retirement and I had a couple of other possibilities, but I didn’t want to leave the sales that I did have. Darrell Anderson and I were going to the Indiana State Fair, and he asked if I’d be interested in working with the magazine.” Initially Baker was a little hesitant due to the fact he hadn’t worked on a magazine since his days at the Yorkshire Journal in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Baker also didn’t want to stop auctioneering the pig sales he still had.“It did work out well for me from the standpoint of I continued auctioneering some,” Baker said. “When I started working for the Seedstock EDGE I didn’t even know how to turn a computer on. The whole technology was just totally different. At times it [the magazine] was intimidating with the internet but I really enjoyed working on it. So there was a huge learning curve. They sent me to some classes, and I never did pass them so they kept changing my title until they found one that fi t. I think at the end I was advertising coordinator.”Baker compared the magazine-production process from his time with the Yorkshire Journal to his years with the Seedstock EDGE as “prehistoric” and drastically different. He has experienced every type of magazine production, from doing everything by hand to relying more on technology. "That [the Yorkshire Journal] was still done with the old letter press, the way Ben Franklin would have done it a couple hundred years before,” Baker said. “I was familiar with all that aspect of the production of a magazine. I had a big glue bottle there on my desk, and we’d glue all that stuff in and work back and forth. We had the old wooden cuts that 31APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 AprilMay SE Form.indd 314/4/2018 9:27:38 AMyou’d get pictures made to put in. We spent a lot of time going back and forth from printers. With the Seedstock EDGE, I saw a period of time when we didn’t have to physically go to the printing plant; it was all starting to come into the offi ce. Then, we got to where we could make the corrections and email back and forth, and it saved a lot of over nights.”Magazine production isn’t the only way the Seedstock EDGE has transformed over the years. Livestock marketing as a whole has completely evolved. “In the beginning of the Seedstock EDGE you couldn’t even run a crossbred boar picture in an ad,” Baker said. “Later on, if you did have a crossbred pig in an ad, you also had to run a purebred, and I think we made the purebred picture larger. It’s also crazy to see that in the 2003 Spring Showpig issue there wasn’t a single online pig sale. Showpig.com was just starting to run ads.”Baker stated the Seedstock EDGE was created to provide NSR breeders one central location to market their livestock. Prior to the merging and creation of the NSR, there were a total of eight breed publications. In the beginning, breeders usually raised only one or two breeds of pigs. As time went on and the industry changed, people started raising multiple breeds. There was a need to have one all-inclusive publication versus requiring breeders to place the same advertisement in multiple different magazines. “I think the thing that is good about the Seedstock EDGE is it reaches a lot of people that are not reachable in other ways,” Baker said. “We are in the internet, I use the internet, I use websites and all that sort of thing, but it’s still nice to sit there and read through a magazine. It’s easier to reference back sometimes when you’re not handy to the computer or even your cell phone. They [magazines] seem to stick around a lot longer. I think it’s important for breeders to be represented in the Seedstock EDGE. It still reaches the major part of our industry, and I just think they need to be represented in it. I just feel people still get excited when the Seedstock EDGE is in their mailbox, and they get to take it in and use it for a reference. I think a breeder that is really successful or wanting to move into that bracket certainly needs to advertise.”This next Seedstock EDGE enthusiast has graced the cover a time or two and it is to no surprise that those particular issues are among his top fi ve favorites. Jackson Johnson, Indiana, has been pouring over each Seedstock EDGE since he was a kid helping his grandpa and dad in the barn. Today, Jackson continues the family tradition of raising purebred hogs and uses the Seedstock EDGE as one of his top resources.“I have always enjoyed reading the Seedstock EDGE because I always respected the older breeders,” Johnson said. “I have always enjoyed reading those stories whether it’s Mike’s [Paul] editorial, producer spotlights or their ads.” Johnson may be from the social media age but he still likes holding the magazine in his hands and enjoying its content. Johnson echoes Baker’s statements about the importance of breeders utilizing the Seedstock EDGE in their marketing plan.“There are still people who like to see physical ads in magazines,” Johnson said. “I know as a breeder we still like to put a few ads in the Seedstock EDGE to make sure and keep our brand recognition maintained. Plus, there is still a lot of value in ads because some of those breeders don’t use social media. I always enjoy reading about people’s hogs and their pedigrees. You always run across good hogs from guys like Joe Lancaster who don’t use social media.”Johnson also fi nds a great deal of value in the editorial content the Seedstock EDGE provides its readers noting that people of all ages can benefi t from the producer spotlights and feature stories about production practices, professional Jackson Johnson (above), Indiana, was fi rst on the cover of the Seedstock EDGE in 2003. He still lives in Indiana where he raises showpigs with this family. “I just feel people still get excited when the Seedstock EDGE is in their mailbox, and they get to take it in and use it for a reference.” — Dan BakerKaden Butts (above), Wisconsin, raises showpigs with his family and uses the Seedstock EDGE as a way to keep up with show results and new boars.APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3218 AprilMay SE Form.indd 324/4/2018 1:25:06 PMdevelopment, cooking and just the agriculture industry in general. Johnson agreed that his love for the Seedstock EDGE didn’t happen out of nowhere. He grew up with his entire family using it as their go-to resource for industry news. The same can be said for young NJSA member, Kaden Butts. Kaden lives in Wisconsin where he and his family raise showpigs and are known for their Duroc herd. Even at the young age of nine, Kaden is an avid reader of the Seedstock EDGE.“It [the Seedstock EDGE magazine] comes to my grandpa’s house, so I have to steal it off his desk,” Kaden said. “I like to read the information and catch up on the shows I missed. I also like to learn more about what is going on with the NSR. Show results are my favorite because I like to look at the pictures of the winners. I also like looking at everyone’s ads and studying boars, so I can tell my dad which boars to use on our sows.” All three of these Seedstock EDGE magazine lovers are from different generations and are currently in different phases of life. That is what makes the Seedstock EDGE magazine so special. Yes, its purpose is to promote the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire swine breeds. Yes, it is meant to educate readers on production practices and industry information. Yes, it is meant to assist breeders in marketing their pigs. But the true essence of this magazine is its ability to transcend time, and the changes it brings and instill a commonality connecting all of us pig breeders who are just doing what we love. The fact that many breeders still have every single issue, can recall certain advertisements or sale reports and vividly remember cover photos from years ago attest to the fact that the Seedstock EDGE magazine has stood the test of time and will continue to be the voice of the purebred swine industry. The top photo is an advertisment from George and Mike Watson, Indiana, that was in the fi rst issue of the Seedstock EDGE. The picture to the right is a recent ad from the Watson family. CHAMPION HAMP BOAR, 2017 FALL CLASSICMIKE317.372.2725STEVE317.445.2697STUART317.217.0452AUSTIN BAKER317.730.3306WatsonHamps.comThanks to Southern Gold Sires, Ind., for their purchase. For semen call Bill at 812-620-2296.Stay Thirsty1886 W. Greencastle RoadMooresville, IN 46158JGR5 Lethal 58-7 x CPTS2 Game On 13-8UPCOMING SALES:CHAMPION HAMP GILT PROSPECT, 2017 Fall ClassicThank you to Payton Aldrich, Texas, for your $3,750 purchase.3RD-PLACE HAMP GILT PROSPECT, 2017 Fall ClassicThank you to Craig Benton & Family, Iowa, for their $1,550 purchase.3RD-OVERALL HAMP GILT, 2017 NJSSCongratulations to the Rodibaugh family.SWEETHEARTS FOR THE SUMMER FEB. 10, 2018Lebanon, Ind.Offering December giltsWINNING TRADITION SALE Feb. 17, 2018Lebanon, Ind.Offering December barrows and giltsWATSON’S PIG SALE March 24, 2018Danville, Ind.Offering January barrows and giltsThank you to Savannah Blankenship, Ark., for your $1,100 weanling gilt purchase at Fall Classic.33APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 AprilMay SE Form.indd 334/4/2018 1:25:37 PMSUBSCRIBESU B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B EANY CLOSER AND YOU WOULD BEringside!The offi cial publication of the National Swine RegistryJANUARY 2017JANUARY 2017The offi cial publication of the National Swine RegistrySPRING SHOWPIG ISSUEFEBRUARY/MARCH 2017FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017The offi cial publication of the National Swine RegistryAPRIL/MAY 2017APRIL/MAY 2017JULY 2017JULY 2017AUGUST 2017BOAR STUD ISSUEAUGUST 2017SEPTEMBER 2017FALL SHOWPIG ISSUESEPTEMBER 2017The offi cial publication of the National Swine RegistryOCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017The offi cial publication of the National Swine RegistryFEMALE FOCUS ISSUEDECEMBER 2017ISSUES PER YEAR!SUBSCRIBESU B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B EAPRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3418 AprilMay SE Form.indd 344/4/2018 9:28:12 AMSUBSCRIBESU B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B ESUBSCRIBESU B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E SU B S C R I B EDON’T MISS ONE ISSUE!Seedstock EDGE is the premier publication of the purebred swine industry.$25 One Year (U.S.) $60 One Year First Class (U.S.) New subscription RenewalPlease allow 8-10 weeks for the fi rst issue.Subscribe or renew online at NATIONALSWINE.COM!EXP. DATE3-DIGIT SECURITY CODE (back of card)PAYMENT INFORMATIONAll fi elds in red are required to process credit cardsNAME ON CARDÌÌÌReturn with payment to:NATIONAL SWINE REGISTRY2639 Yeager RoadWest Lafayette, IN 47906CARD #Check oneTOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED$SUBSCRIBER NAME/FARMADDRESSCITYSTATEZIPPHONE #EMAIL$60 Three Years (U.S.) $150 One Year (Foreign & Canada) CHECK CREDIT CARD35APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 AprilMay SE Form.indd 354/4/2018 9:28:12 AMBy Dr. Doug NewcomChanging pAPRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3618 AprilMay SE Form.indd 364/4/2018 9:28:15 AMAs part of the Long-Range Strategic Plan adopted by the National Swine Registry in early 2017, the International Marketing program of the NSR has undergone examination and changes. Historically, participation in international trade shows was item number one on the list of activities to market and promote the NSR purebred genetics around the world. Anyone who travels the domestic trade show circuit knows you can generate a lot of traffi c through a booth in three days, but are you really connecting with the decision makers within the industry? Throw in cultural and language differences and you may fi nd yourself sitting in a nice fancy booth not generating any actionable sales leads or partnership opportunities for the membership.The primary goal of the International Marketing Program is to increase the number of live pigs and semen doses exported annually by the NSR members. However, technology transfer, for a fee, runs a close second. All of my predecessors and associated consultants spent countless hours traveling around the world laying the groundwork for the program we see today. This program impacts a small number of our members but has far-reaching ramifi cations for those members and the NSR at large. Four activities in 2017 provided the NSR opportunities to assess new and existing markets to promote our members’ genetics and management services to the global marketplace.Cochran Fellowship ProgramIn June, a group of fi ve Chinese swine industry professionals, along with staff from the Agricultural Trade Offi ce in Chengdu, China and Yvette Zhou, NSR Director of China Operations, participated in a Cochran Fellowship Program where they traveled to the U.S. for training in swine genetics, nutrition, meat science, production effi ciency, ventilation and manure management. The Cochran Program began in 1984, with the goal of providing short-term training in agriculture fi elds for personnel from middle-income countries and emerging markets. The offi ce has been one of the visits for many Cochran groups in the past; this is the fi rst group to be trained by a NSR professional. The group had the opportunity to travel to the World Pork Expo, Whiteshire-Hamroc Genetics, the NSR offi ce, Purdue University, Shaffer Genetics Intl., and Cedar Ridge Genetics. Knowledge gained from this experience was taken back to China and to be implemented within each fellows’ production system.Participants were given a pre-training survey, where they could defi ne their knowledge about different aspects of the training and what they hoped to gain during the trip. On the last day of the trip, participants took the same survey noting areas where they gained knowledge and if their training goals were met. In addition, each fellow developed an action plan to be implemented in their company to make improvement in one or more of the areas of training. As the NSR V.P. of Global Technical Service, I followed up with four of the fi ve Cochran fellows on a trip to China in September. Each of the four commented positively about their experience in the U.S., and showed how they had implemented the short-term action items from their action plan developed as a part of the training. I was able to meet with company management to highlight the benefi ts of US purebred swine genetics and the advantages of utilizing the STAGES™ genetic evaluation program to facilitate rapid genetic improvement. One of the Dr. Mike Lemmon and Mr. Scott Lawrence of Whiteshire-Hamroc Genetics, Indiana, visit with Cochran Fellowship participants from southwest China. The fellows spent 10 days in the U.S. receiving training in swine genetics, nutrition, meat quality, ventilation and manure management. The group was joined by Mr. Shawn Shen from the Foreign Agricultural Service’s Agricultural Trade Offi ce in Chengdu, China and NSR Director of China Operations Ms. Yvette Zhou.37APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 AprilMay SE Form.indd 374/4/2018 9:28:16 AMcompanies involved went one step further and purchased breeding stock from NSR members and took delivery on December. Activities such as this help to maintain and grow the NSR brand in China, and as seen in this case lead directly to sales of U.S. purebred breeding stock.Traveling ChinaThe second opportunity also took place during a September trip to China. In addition to the three days spent following up with the Cochran fellows, I spent an additional nine days traveling the country, primarily meeting with existing and prospective partner herds. Four visits were with current partners of U.S.-based NSR members Whiteshire-Hamroc Genetics, Shaffer Genetics Intl., and Waldo Genetics; three of the four are currently utilizing the STAGES™ program. An additional three visits were made to prospective partners, each interested in implementing the STAGES™ genetic evaluation system and utilizing the NSR for help in making rapid genetic improvement, and contracting with a U.S.-based NSR member for on-farm production management. One day of the trip was fi lled with participation in the China Swine Science Symposium. I made a presentation to approximately 200 producers, veterinarians and industry professionals, including the academic professors most infl uential in the Chinese Swine Genetic Improvement Program. The slides presented, outlined where the NSR is today and what the future holds for the NSR in the Chinese market. Reaching out and connecting with the decision makers in the swine industry in China is key to maintaining and growing our market presence in the country.USDA and IndiaIn late October, I traveled to India as a delegate with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) Agribusiness Trade Mission. This was the fi rst trade mission of its kind to India and was led by newly confi rmed USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Mr. Ted McKinney. It was also McKinney’s fi rst trade mission in his new role. I joined representatives from 25 U.S.-based companies or associations, including U.S. Livestock Genetics Export (USLGE) and USLGE member American Embryo Transfer Association (AETA). This activity was a great way to introduce NSR genetics Mr. Clyde Shaffer and Mr. Eddie Tang of Shaffer Genetics Intl. joined Dr. Doug Newcom and Ms. Yvette Zhou at a follow-up visit to Mr. Frank Tang (far left) of Giantstar, one of the participants of the Cochran Fellowship program, at the Giantstar corporate headquarters in Chengdu, China.and services to a new and emerging market. Delegates were given valuable insight into the Indian market by staff from the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai and Embassy in Delhi. Staff from outside of the agriculture sector included representatives from the Economic, Political and Foreign Commercial Service departments. The local organizer was the Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI) and provided information from importers, wholesalers, retailers, and e-commerce experts about how to conduct business in India.While the most benefi cial aspect of the trip was interaction with USDA and FAS staff in-country, FIFI did an outstanding job lining up business-to-business meetings with importers or business owners whose interests lined up with trade mission delegates. While there were few of these meetings that yielded positive results for the NSR, several key statistics were discovered; 40 percent of the Indian population is vegetarian, another large percentage do not consume pork due to religious reasons, and the market for pork is only about 5 "...the market for pork (in India) is only about 5 percent of the population. However, 5 percent of 1.5 billion people is still equivalent to almost a quarter of the population of the United States." — Dr. Doug NewcomDr. Doug Newcom traveled to India to participate in a Foreign Agricultural Service Agribusiness Trade Mission. Newcom is pictured with the U.S. business delegation in Mumbai, India. Mr. Ted McKinney, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs led the mission to connect US-based businesses with Indian importers.APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3818 AprilMay SE Form.indd 384/4/2018 9:28:17 AMpercent of the population. However, 5 percent of 1.5 billion people is still equivalent to almost a quarter of the population of the United States. Two gentlemen currently in the bovine AI sector thought there was opportunity to provide swine semen to India, up to 2,000 doses per year. However, the most promising meeting was with a meat importer, who 10 years ago had the largest swine farm in India, 200 sows. He had exited the swine business in favor of importing pork – now with rising costs to import pork, he thinks with advanced genetics, nutrition, and on-farm management, raising pigs can become more cost-effective than importing pork. The NSR is planning a follow-up in late 2018 to include one-day seminars with swine producers, up to 50 per location, to discuss and describe U.S. purebred swine genetics, nutrition, and current production practices. There is also opportunity to show the organizers a model partner herd in China (where this type of “extension” style activity was very successful in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s) where modern facilities, nutrition, and genetics including the STAGES™ genetic improvement program have proven their value.This activity shows how entering a new export market begins, at the ground level. There is currently an import health protocol in place to export live swine and semen from the U.S. to India; so this all too common obstacle has already been overcome. The next steps are to get in front of swine producers to show them the value provided by the NSR and its members to create both brand awareness of the NSR and demand for the products and services. The fi nal step will involve convincing state level government offi cials of the same value proposition and begin the exporting process.Vietnam MarketThe fourth activity in the fall of 2017 took place in Vietnam, a smaller market than China but still a desired location for U.S. exports of live swine and semen. The NSR has been active in the Vietnamese market for nearly 20 years, participating in trade shows and seminars on (at least) an annual basis. For most of the early 2010’s, NSR participated in an annual seminar coordinated by the US Grains Council and included presentations about nutrition, herd health and biosecurity, and genetics. When these seminars were discontinued, NSR sought out new partners to continue providing technical updates for swine producers in Vietnam. After successfully partnering with International Nutrition and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture in 2015 for seminars in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, NSR repeated the activity in November 2017.The seminars were scheduled for consecutive days; morning in Ho Chi Minh City in the south and the following afternoon in Hanoi in the north. Staff from the U.S. Embassy welcomed the attendees and made a presentation outlining the Vietnamese agriculture sector in general and swine sector in particular. Of note, Robert Hanson, counselor for agricultural affairs stated Vietnamese producers have faced a shortage of employees and a younger generation not interested in working on the farm. This was an unexpected point of discussion, but I picked up on it and made a few remarks about the National Junior Swine Association and its mission to grow young people in the agricultural fi eld. The thrust of the presentations were U.S. purebred genetics and their advantages in profi tability over their competitors, nutritional challenges in the face a decreased antibiotic availability and use, and micro-feed ingredients impact on performance.The groups numbered approximately 100 in Ho Chi Minh City and roughly 50 in Hanoi – Hanoi was the fi rst attempt at an afternoon seminar venue in Vietnam and deemed successful. The take home message from most of the participants was this: they had used the NSR competitor genetics and had seen an increase in number of pigs born, which was the major selling point they used to make the decision to use said genetics. However, when survival and performance to market were assessed, along with system profi tability, the producers determined they were worse off with these new genetics than they were previously. More than a few of the producers in the audience asked how they could access NSR member genetics to grade-up their current populations or outright replace them. The answer to these questions is really quite simple at the end of the day – import new breeding stock or frozen semen from NSR members to incorporate into their herd.From the beginning, the NSR International Marketing Program has served our members well, providing robust marketing and promotional opportunities to sell live animals and semen overseas, along with developing long-term revenue generating partnerships benefi cial to both NSR and its membership. The program has undergone changes in avenues for marketing and technology transfer, from trade shows and seminars, to technical service and public relations events, however, the focus remains the same – providing value to the NSR membership, measured by exports of breeding stock and semen and helping to develop and maintain joint-venture partnerships providing fi nancial incentive to both NSR and its members.Mr. Benjamin Petlock, Agricultural Attaché with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, provides opening comments about the state of the Vietnamese swine business during a technical seminar co-sponsored by the NSR, International Nutrition, and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.39APRIL/MAY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 AprilMay SE Form.indd 394/4/2018 10:33:25 AMNext >