In this episode of Swine Doc Pod with Carthage, we're joined by Ted Ufkes, CEO of the Professional Swine Management and Steve Toohill, Business Development Manager of Professional Swine Management.  Ted and Steve share their experiences helping producers invest in sow shares in Carthage System farms.  Sow shares have been a tremendous growth vehicle for pig farmers over the past 25 years. Approximately 40% of owners within the Carthage System own shares in multiple farms. Many have doubled or tripled their ownership since their initial investments. Some strategically do this to manage pig health risks and other related production challenges. Others simply do this as a growth tactic. Buying shares in new sow units as the home farm organically grows has been a successful plan implemented by many families.  This allows family members to remain on the farm and increases productivity and profitability through economies of scale.

Ted and Steve discuss how they've worked with families to help build for the next generation. Carthage is routinely asked to help provide input during family succession planning and Ted and Steve talk about how there is no bigger joy than to have a front row seat watching a family transition occur. They've watched children return to the farm and parents handing down the keys to their sons or daughters, quite a gratifying experience!  Other reasons producers invest in sow shares include diversification of their options, utilization of manure nutrients on crop ground, securing a consistent flow of pigs and growing equity while capitalizing on tax advantages.  Whether your an experience veteran of the pig industry or new to the business and considering all your business investment opportunities, I think you'll find this episode to be enlightening and educational on the topic of sow share ownership.