Jim Coakley, swine herd supervisor at Oklahoma State College, describes his function managing the farm and dealing with college students
20 October 2025
3 minute learn
Jim Coakley, swine herd supervisor at Oklahoma State College, and McKenzie Squires, Strategic Account Supervisor at Zoetis, lately spoke with The Pig Web site’s Sarah Mikesell.
Jim, you will have simply been introduced as the subsequent Zoetis Champion of Care. Inform us just a little bit about you and what you do at Oklahoma State College.
I am the swine herd supervisor at OSU, however my background is in manufacturing agriculture of all types. I am from just a little bitty city initially referred to as Hobart, Oklahoma, which is within the southwest a part of the state. My spouse and I moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma and that is after I began managing the swine farm on the college. We run between 80 to 100 sows, and I handle all of the aspects from breeding, feeding and farrowing. We produce pigs for judging, present pigs, market hogs, and so forth.
I assume the scholars are closely concerned?
Completely, I inform all people there is no manner that we may make it if we did not have scholar employees.
McKenzie, what qualities do the Champions of Care emulate?
After we consider Champions of Care at Zoetis, we actually are on the lookout for that slat degree Champion. With regards to Jim, I feel he takes that to the subsequent degree – not simply being a Champion within the barn, but in addition the work and advocating that he does for the scholars within the business. It goes past what he does at Oklahoma State.
Jim, everybody could be a Champion of Care – how are you instilling this mindset within the college students that you just work with on daily basis?
The coed employees and the classroom exercise that we have now in labs and issues at Oklahoma State – I attempt to work with them and work beside them as a result of on the finish of the day we’re producing a product that we need to be prime quality. We would like it to be secure, and we wish it to be desired by the customers.
Not solely will we need to increase the most effective present pigs, however we need to increase the very best quality pork product for the customers. So I attempt to instill that in all the pieces that we do with reference of care and administration of not solely the pigs however the farm as effectively.
I am certain with college students – they’re coming in with all totally different ranges of expertise, and a few did not develop up on a pig farm, proper?
Completely, we have now college students from all walks of life and from all areas of the US. Some have by no means been round a pig and wish pig expertise. Generally that may be the most effective particular person on the market as a result of they’re actually hungry and so they’re like a sponge. They need to know how you can deal with them, and so they need to know how you can do it accurately.
I suppose they could see issues in another way in relation to wellness or well being, proper?
Sure, there is no doubt that generally they assume, particularly when you will get them to return out of their shell and say, “hey, I observed this or what about this,” and it is one thing that possibly I’ve neglected or not considered earlier than. You positively get totally different opinions and totally different concepts that generally we mesh collectively, and one thing nice occurs.
How do you and Zoetis work collectively to assist the college’s swine program?
It is a staff effort as a result of it takes a staff to run the swine farm. We’re a land-grant college, and we have now lots of people like Mackenzie – I’ve bragged on her. She is such a beautiful particular person and could be very loyal to Oklahoma State College. And Zoetis has develop into that as effectively, and their merchandise are second to none with reference of the care and administration of swine. So we simply incorporate their merchandise into our herd well being plan and issues have actually been extraordinarily good.
McKenzie, something so as to add?
Jim and I each have a really sturdy 4-H and FFA background and grew up within the business so I feel that is positively helped us perceive and facilitate the necessity of actually the significance of serving to that subsequent technology, so we are able to proceed on as an business.
Jim, you are the Champion of Care, however you’re influencing a number of college students that doubtlessly will likely be pig caregivers sooner or later.
Sure, little doubt. My aim is to provide scholar employees that once they depart the farm – whether or not they’re within the pork business or not – somebody that’s going to provide a high-quality product that is secure for the patron. To me, that’s what Champions of Care is all about – let’s make the subsequent technology higher.
Be taught extra about Jim and meet all of Zoetis Pork’s Champions of Care
