15 Minutes with Minnesota pig farmer Lori Stevermer

Lori Stevermer loves the connection she builds with consumers when she tells her story. Stevermer runs a 2,000-head finishing operation for Compart Family Farms with her husband, Dale, in Easton, Minnesota. She says her favorite conversations with consumers have always revolved around shared values, which can often surprise them.

However, Stevermer does more than pig farming. She works as Alltech's customer success manager and volunteers with the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. She also is the president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), advocating for the industry at the consumer and legislative levels.

Successful Farming sat down with Stevermer to learn about her work in the pork industry and the legislative goals that NPPC has this year.

Successful Farming: What are the NPPC’s top priorities right now?  

Lori Stevermer: Our short-term goal is the Farm Bill and a focus on disease prevention and preparedness. This involves the three-legged stool of funding for our national animal health lab network, our Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) vaccine bank and making sure we’re prepared with an adequate veterinary stockpile of supplies.

A lot of producers have had African Swine Fever on their minds and it will remain a priority for pork producers, especially in the mindset of prevention and preparedness. We should always be ready to fight against foreign animal diseases. Another short-term focus is helping our farmers with current low market prices and ensuring that the right resources are available to them. Hopefully, the market becomes kinder — ingredient prices will come down, and hog prices will come up.

SF: What are your thoughts on California Proposition 12? 

LS: Prop 12 is a huge topic, and obviously the council and industry were disappointed that the ruling didn't go as we had hoped. Currently, our priority is helping to make this as smooth a transition as possible for farmers as the implementation date, July 1, goes into effect. On the consumer side, we want to ensure there are no empty shelves in California. We also want to ensure that the pork on those California shelves will comply with the new regulation. 

The long-term goal for NPPC is to provide a legislative environment for pork producers that helps them and their farms succeed, which means preventing a patchwork of rules and regulations from state to state. It's challenging for our farmers to operate under some of these regulations. We believe in free markets and capitalism and letting our farmers make decisions for their business based on what’s best for the animals and them.

SF: How do you encourage younger pig farmers to get involved in the industry? 

LS: I've been involved with these organizations for a long, long time, but I understand that by being involved, you need to be in the right stage of life with your kids, family, and work. I encourage younger individuals to get involved with a committee, either at the state or national level, because we need their input and perspective. Younger generations provide such a different perspective and input. Organizations need that continual turnover of new ideas and new ways of doing things. These young individuals have many years ahead of them in the pork industry, so they would be making decisions that will affect them for several years compared to some of us, who are older and might be retiring in a few years.

There is also a people aspect. You will meet new people and make friendships in industry organizations — those people and friendships will become valuable. I genuinely treasure the individuals and everybody's different perspectives. In terms of personal growth, serving on boards builds confidence. I think no matter what age you are; those are good things to experience.

SF: What have consumers taught you about the pork industry? 

LS: Visiting with consumers is a good reminder on how much they don’t know about our production practices. Unfortunately, many only know what they read or hear, which is not always positive. Consumers are often surprised when I talk about how we raise our pigs indoors and how we help provide a comfortable environment with technology that allows us to monitor ventilation, water, and all the feed systems.

Then there is the conservation piece, when I talk about how we take manure from pigs, put it on our crops. That saves us money because we're not buying synthetic fertilizer and it's part of a sustainable cycle. Once they understand what pork producers are doing, how efficient our production practices are, and how good they are for the animals and the environment, they walk away with an "a-ha" moment. I appreciate that. I've also often shown people how healthy pork is – it's just as healthy as chicken. That's another one of those "a-ha" moments.

SF: Where will the pork industry go in the next five years? 

LS: Regarding production, I see more producers adopting technologies that help them be more efficient, whether using digital technologies in their barns, sensors, or manure out in the field. That's the best part of our industry — we continue to be more efficient. I hope that our public policy work can provide an environment for farmers to still have the freedom to farm — making sure there are not too many regulations or too many restrictions. Our country is one of the most low-cost producers of pork, so we compete very well in the international market. Looking at other countries with a growing middle class and a growing demand for pork puts us in a good spot as pork producers. I would hope that our industry could continue to take advantage of that competitive advantage.