Beyond the Barn Visit: The Future of Swine Veterinary Service

Part 1 |  Episode #93: When Your Team Doesn’t Speak the Same Language

Part 2 |  Episode #94: Good Barns Have Great Growers

Part 3 | Episode #95: Beyond the Barn Visit: The Future of Swine Veterinary Service

What does excellent veterinary service look like in today’s pork industry?

In the final episode of the Communication That Drives Results series, Dr. Spencer Wayne sits down with Dr. Joel Nerem and Chris Bomgaars to discuss how communication is changing the way veterinarians and producers work together to support pig health and production.

For decades, veterinary service has centered around farm visits, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations. While those remain important, today’s swine industry faces new challenges. Veterinarians are responsible for more farms, production systems continue to grow in scale, biosecurity remains a priority, and the industry has fewer swine veterinarians entering the profession than in years past.

As a result, both producers and veterinarians are being challenged to think differently about how information is shared, how decisions are made, and how veterinary expertise is delivered.

The conversation explores how communication tools, virtual consultations, digital records, photos, videos, and real-time production data can help veterinary teams stay connected to what’s happening on farms, even when they can’t physically be there. Rather than replacing farm visits, these tools can help veterinarians focus more of their time on solving problems, improving herd health, and providing value where it’s needed most.

The guests also discuss the importance of context in making health decisions. A picture, video, production trend, or diagnostic result can provide critical insight that helps producers and veterinarians identify issues sooner and respond more effectively. Strong communication allows teams to move from reacting to problems toward proactively managing them.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear a thoughtful discussion about the future of swine veterinary medicine, including workforce challenges, producer expectations, biosecurity considerations, regulatory requirements, and the evolving role of technology as one tool among many available to support animal health.

Key Takeaways for Pig Producers

• Why communication remains one of the most important services veterinarians provide
• How the veterinary profession is adapting to industry growth and workforce challenges
• Ways producers can improve communication with their veterinary teams
• The role of virtual consultations, photos, videos, and production data in decision-making
• How better communication can lead to faster responses, stronger herd health, and improved production outcomes

Whether you’re a swine producer, farm manager, veterinarian, or industry professional, this episode offers valuable insights into how veterinary service is evolving and what that means for the future of pig production.

As this three-part series concludes, one theme remains clear: communication with employees, growers, and veterinarians continues to be one of the most important drivers of successful pig production.

About Joel Nerem, DVM

Dr. Joel Nerem, a native of West Union, Iowa, earned his undergraduate degree from Luther College and his DVM from Iowa State University in 1995. He joined Pipestone in 2006 and now serves as Director of Industry Relations, bringing decades of experience in swine health to help strengthen relationships and support producers across the industry.

About Chris Bomgaars

Chris is a pork producer from Orange City, Iowa, who joined his family’s pork production business in 2008. Drawing from his experiences managing growth and addressing production challenges, Chris helped develop tools to improve pig health monitoring and farm management. He brings practical insights on pork production, leadership, and continuous improvement in swine operations.