Growing an Operation from the Inside Out
02/26/2026
In a recent podcast sponsored by Farm Journal’s PORK magazine, Chet Mogler shared the many lessons he has learned about maximizing pig production and incentivizing proper biosecurity at their contract grower sites.
Chet Mogler is an owner of Pig Hill Farms in Northwest Iowa. He reflected on the last few years of pig production and the lack of profits in that livestock sector. Dealing with this challenge long term has helped them get even more focused on biosecurity to be sure that no major disease creates even greater losses.
“Biosecurity is always top of mind around here,” Mogler says. “Disease can take you out. To not be focused on it is foolish.”
He had recently participated in a tabletop exercise on foreign animal disease and it made him more scared than ever—but also more motivated than ever to make biosecurity protocols even stronger in their operation. The steps that would need to be taken if an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) occurred on their site or even in their neighborhood are massive in scope, and financially devastating.
Motivated by this exercise, he developed a “pay-for-play” program for their contract growers to be more incentivized to follow specific biosecurity measures, which may take some investment on their part. The program pays growers more for doing everything right, but no one gets paid less. For instance, the matrix of options would pay a grower $2.00 more per pig space for putting in a shower and laundry area in their barn. A variety of options are available, all of which are designed to help the grower minimize their chances of a severe outbreak.
The full article can be accessed at: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/hog-production/how-iowa-pork-producer-growing-his-operation-inside-out
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To learn more about the American Society of Ag Consultants (ASAC), as well as their Certified Agricultural Consultant (CAC) program, go to www.agconsultants.org for additional information.
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Don Tyler
Tyler & Associates
ASAC VP/Secretary
In a recent podcast sponsored by Farm Journal’s PORK magazine, Chet Mogler shared the many lessons he has learned about maximizing pig production and incentivizing proper biosecurity at their contract grower sites.
Chet Mogler is an owner of Pig Hill Farms in Northwest Iowa. He reflected on the last few years of pig production and the lack of profits in that livestock sector. Dealing with this challenge long term has helped them get even more focused on biosecurity to be sure that no major disease creates even greater losses.
“Biosecurity is always top of mind around here,” Mogler says. “Disease can take you out. To not be focused on it is foolish.”
He had recently participated in a tabletop exercise on foreign animal disease and it made him more scared than ever—but also more motivated than ever to make biosecurity protocols even stronger in their operation. The steps that would need to be taken if an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) occurred on their site or even in their neighborhood are massive in scope, and financially devastating.
Motivated by this exercise, he developed a “pay-for-play” program for their contract growers to be more incentivized to follow specific biosecurity measures, which may take some investment on their part. The program pays growers more for doing everything right, but no one gets paid less. For instance, the matrix of options would pay a grower $2.00 more per pig space for putting in a shower and laundry area in their barn. A variety of options are available, all of which are designed to help the grower minimize their chances of a severe outbreak.
The full article can be accessed at: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/hog-production/how-iowa-pork-producer-growing-his-operation-inside-out
= = = = =
To learn more about the American Society of Ag Consultants (ASAC), as well as their Certified Agricultural Consultant (CAC) program, go to www.agconsultants.org for additional information.
= = = = =
Don Tyler
Tyler & Associates
ASAC VP/Secretary
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