People. Pigs. Planet. is the newest tagline for the National Pork Board. I love it. So simple, yet it is amazing how those three little words sum up what pork production is all about. We truly have some amazing people in this industry. They are the last people tucked in safely before a storm hits and the first people on the road when it has passed. They venture to the farms to care for the animals, come wind, rain, snow, sleet, hail, or high water and they never missed a beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some farm workers did contract the COVID-19 virus which then left farms short staffed, but the other team members picked up the slack to care for their animals without complaint. When you thanked them for their dedication, most would simply express their gratitude for the opportunity to work. Today I want to use this opportunity to remind our membership to make time to appreciate each other, and our co-workers.

As veterinarians we know without question the importance of our agricultural workers. We can roll out the perfect plan to prevent disease entry and implement disease control or elimination procedures, but without the resources to accomplish the task or buy-in from all involved, it will fail without question. Recently Dr Márcio Gonçalves interviewed Dr Gordon Spronk on the Swine It podcast, where he gave tribute to Dr Bob Morrison. ¹ He said the pigs are basically the same around the world; it is the people and the cultures that change. Dr Morrison truly understood the importance of people in the pig production equation. His unique ability to connect with people from different backgrounds, educational levels, and expertise is what made him so very special. I had the opportunity to watch him interact with a couple of my farm managers. He was a joy to watch. He would ask them questions until they had an opportunity to teach him something new, (or so he made it appear). They left the conversation with a sense of pride, and I knew that he had just motivated them to do an even better job the next day. The only difficult part was reminding Bob that we were way behind schedule and needed to get going.

Maybe we can’t just find that next group of fabulous, dedicated people. Maybe we develop them by engaging them in the process, motivating them to excellence, and most importantly, showing them just how appreciated they are.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report for April 2021, there were 9.8 million unemployed Americans. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 4.2 million, which was 3.1 million higher than in February 2020. These long-term unemployed accounted for 43.0 percent of the total unemployed in April.² Even with these high unemployment numbers, the agricultural sectors are struggling to find dependable labor. Obviously, there are a lot of people not working. Some are not physically capable, and I do not think any of us would begrudge them, but others simple do not have the “want to.” What has happened to our society? Where has pride in a hard day’s work gone?

The shortage of labor is not just affecting the agricultural sectors, it is creating problems everywhere. One of my co-workers visited a drive-thru restaurant of a popular fast-food chain the other day to get breakfast. It was closed with a sign stating, “Sorry closed, no workers.” There are several empty shelves at the grocery store. There is a shortage of workers to make the products, shortage of drivers to deliver them, and shortage of employees to stock the shelves when items do arrive. So, hats off to doers, the American workers who still work!

Please celebrate the people on hog farms, and those who are making feed, washing livestock trailers, delivering feed and supplies, etc. Many are doing extra work to compensate for a labor shortage on their farm or in their department. Take a moment to thank a worker, see if you can lighten their burden, and most importantly, let them know you appreciate their efforts!

Thank you for all you do for this association, this industry, and for feeding the people of the world!

Mary Battrell, DVM
AASV President

References

* 1. Gonçalves M. Swine It. A tribute to Dr Bob Morrison and lessons on leadership, pig health, and business with Dr Gordon Spronk. May 17, 2021. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://anchor.fm/swineitpodcast/episodes/A-tribute-to-Dr–Bob-Morrison-and-lessons-on-leadership–pig-health–and-business—Dr–Gordon-Spronk-e1118f8

*2. Employment Situation Summary. Title. News release. US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. June 4, 2021. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

* Non-refereed references.

“Take a moment to thank a worker, see if you can lighten their burden, and most importantly, let them know you appreciate their efforts!”