Certified Swine Sample Collectors protect pigs from disease
If a foreign animal disease made its way to Minnesota, having a robust network of non-veterinarian individuals who can take diagnostic samples would be critical for rapid disease response and freeing up veterinarians’ time.
Thanks to a grant from the National Pork Board, Extension is part of an industry-wide effort to teach non-veterinarians how to take diagnostic samples such as oral, nasal and blood samples from swine on behalf of a vet. Specifically, Extension provides swine veterinarians in Minnesota with logistical and financial support to complete Certified Swine Sample Collector (CSSC) training and conduct CSSC training, targeting pig farms of all sizes and production types in Minnesota.
Through seven hands-on training sessions in Morris, 64 participants were trained as Certified Swine Sample Collectors, influencing operations that monitor 59 million pigs.
Highlights
- RSDP impact: With support from a CERTS Seed Grant, the city of Morris is exploring the feasibility, adoption and performance of heat pumps within cold climate zones. This project will improve understanding of pathways for decarbonizing thermal loads in municipal and residential buildings.
- Stevens County 4-H partners with Conexiones, which supports new families as they learn how to navigate a new country — and helps bridge cultural divides. Collaborative activities included hands-on nature experiences as well as holiday celebrations and archery training.
- U of M Farm Family of the Year: The Staples family.
- Master Gardeners engage the public about gardening at the annual Horticulture Night — “the most anticipated event of the year” — at the West Central Research and Outreach Center.
- Syd Bauer, winner of a 2024 Minnesota Climate Adaptation Award, has been a pioneer in the Morris community in bringing people together around climate resilience.
- Extension provides financial capability education for participants in the judicial district’s treatment courts, including adult and juvenile drug courts, and courts for mental health, veterans, family dependency and DWI/DUI.
Stevens County office
Extension has 14 regional offices supporting all 87 counties in Minnesota.
Stevens County partners with Extension to deliver practical education and research you can use at home, at work and in your community. More about Extension in our county.
About the Minnesota 87 project
Spend time in any Minnesota county, and you will almost certainly encounter University of Minnesota Extension. Our faculty and staff, volunteers, participants, alumni and partners are woven into the fabric of rural, urban and suburban Minnesota life. This project showcases Extension in action through photos, stories and a sampling of the many ways Extension has touched the lives of people in every county.