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In this episode of the Patio Pondering Podcast, Jim Smith is joined by Justin Fix, Ph.D., a swine geneticist with AcuFast, joining the conversation from Muscatine, Iowa.

This is a wide-ranging discussion about how agricultural roots shape perspective as careers evolve — especially in an industry that has shifted from family-run operations to large, integrated systems.

Justin shares his journey growing up in Southeast Iowa, his early exposure to agriculture through family farms, FFA, and livestock judging, and how those experiences carried him through Iowa State, graduate work at North Carolina State, and roles with the National Swine Registry, Smithfield, and The Maschhoffs before returning home to Iowa.

Together, Jim and Justin explore:

• What it means to grow up around “traditional” agriculture in the Midwest
• How working with small, family-run producers builds empathy that carries into large systems
• The transition from purebred and youth-focused genetics to integrated commercial pork production
• Why genetics, nutrition, health, and management can never be viewed in isolation
• How consolidation has changed decision-making, communication, and leadership in the pork industry
• The importance of listening, respect, and understanding context when working across silos

This episode is less about equations and data — and more about people, perspective, and problem-solving in modern agriculture.

Whether you work in pork production, animal genetics, nutrition, or simply care about how food systems evolve, this conversation offers thoughtful insight into where the industry has been — and where it may be headed next.