Swine it #133: Matthew Rooda: Integrating technology with our farm employees - what needs to change?
28 February 2022
2 minute read
By: Part of Series:
Technology has advanced considerably over the years, but implementing technological advancements into our swine farms is not always as simple as it sounds. Training staff to effectively integrate this technology can be difficult and if not done properly can result in more work for little improvement. Matthew Rooda addresses this reality in this episode discussing some of these issues producers face and identifying some opportunities to empower employees and improve data and efficiency.
What you will learn:
1. Technology usage in pig production
2. Technology labor interaction
3. Opportunities for new technology
4. How do we empower employees
5. The importance of continuing to learn
6. Common processes today
7. Quality of care
8. Process benchmarking
9. Key points
Meet the guest: Matthew Rooda, grew up in Iowa as a 4th generation pork producer. Throughout his childhood and young adult life, Matthew would work with his family on the farm. Despite his passion for pig production, Matthew was determined to become an obstetrician, so he transferred to the University of Iowa. He worked at Oaknoll Retirement Residence as a Certified Nurses Aide and it was there that he learned about the many similarities that exist between healthcare and animal agriculture. Today, Matthew is SwineTech’s co-founder and CEO, which was founded together with Abraham Espinoza and John Rourke, with the mission to create solutions that empower farmers to provide every food production animal with high-quality individualized care.
