Dr. Trey Kellner on Swine Nutrition, Pork Industry Challenges, and Leadership

Send us Fan MailWhat does the future of the U.S. pork industry really look like?In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, swine nutritionists Jim Smith and Dr. Trey Kellner from AMVC discuss the biggest challenges facing modern pork production—and surprisingly, very little of the conversation centers on actual pig diets. Instead, this conversation explores the larger forces shaping the future of the swine industry, including: Swine nutrition and feed strategy  Pork industry labor shortages  Capital requirements for modern sow farms and finishing barns  Agricultural leadership development  Training the next generation of swine nutritionists  Communication inside pork production systems  Feed mill operations and execution  Graduate education and soft skills in agriculture  Mental health and pressure in agriculture  The future of pork production in the United States Dr. Kellner shares insight from working across multiple pork production systems, feed mills, ingredient programs, and business units while balancing formulation strategy, manufacturing logistics, labor challenges, economics, and team leadership. Jim and Trey also discuss: Why capital access may become one of the defining issues in pork production  How labor shortages are reshaping swine operations  Why execution matters more than perfect feed formulations  The growing importance of leadership and communication skills for animal science graduates  How modern swine nutritionists must balance economics, logistics, people management, and production realities—not just amino acid levels The conversation also takes a deeper turn into mentorship, pressure, work-life balance, and the emotional weight often carried by leaders in agriculture. Whether you work in swine nutrition, pork production, feed manufacturing, animal agriculture, agribusiness, or agricultural leadership, this episode offers a thoughtful look at where the pork industry may be headed over the next 10 to 30 years.