Through the years: As industry evolves, farmers’ commitment remains the same

I am convinced that every generation involved in agriculture reaches a point where they look around and say, “I never imagined things would change this much in my lifetime.” A week ago, I was that person.

As I walked through the exhibits and visited with producers, industry leaders and exhibitors at the 2026 World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, I couldn’t help but reflect on how dramatically pork production has evolved over the years.

The technology, the genetics, the data collection, the animal care practices and the sheer sophistication of today’s operations are remarkable to witness.

I have been watching this transformation unfold for nearly four decades. The first World Pork Expo was held in Springfield, Illinois, in 1988.

At the time, I was a 20-something farm director at WJIL in Jacksonville. I remember loading up my broadcast equipment and heading to Springfield to cover what was then a brand-new event for the pork industry.

I have a lot of memories from that first expo that have nothing to do with groundbreaking technology or a major industry announcement.

I remember the people, like the vendor set up next to our broadcast booth who spent the entire day cooking pork rinds. The aroma drifted through the building from morning until evening.

Every interview I conducted came with a side order of sizzling pork skins and hungry listeners gathering nearby. It was a simpler time and honestly it was a pretty effective way to attract a crowd.

Back then computers were limited, cellphones were rare and the concept of using real-time production data to make management decisions was still largely science fiction on most farms. Producers relied heavily on experience, observation and record books that often involved actual paper and actual pencils.

Today, pork producers can monitor barn conditions from a smartphone, analyze performance data almost instantly, track genetics with incredible precision and utilize technologies that would have seemed impossible in 1988.

The changes haven’t happened overnight. They’ve come one innovation, one improvement and one generation at a time.

As I walked through the trade show at World Pork Expo, I overheard conversations remarkably similar to the ones I heard 40 years ago. Producers are still talking about caring for their animals.

They’re still concerned about profitability, markets, weather, regulations and the future of their family farms. They still want to leave the industry stronger than they found it.

The tools have changed. The mission hasn’t. Progress doesn’t have to erase our roots.

Someday, the young people who attended World Pork Expo this year will be the ones walking through exhibits, shaking their heads in amazement and telling stories about how things used to be done back in 2026.

They’ll probably laugh about the technology we thought was cutting-edge. And somewhere they’ll have a favorite memory that has nothing to do with technology at all.

When I think back to that first expo, I will remember the vendor cooking pork rinds all day long while a young farm broadcaster interviewed pig farmers, exhibitors and economists about the future of an industry that was only beginning to show us what was possible.