State-of-the-art technology en­­sures tighter biosecurity and quality pig care at an Iowa Select Farms’ sow farm near Derby, a tour last week showed.

One of the key features of the 6,250-sow farm, which opened in March 2017, is the positive pressure ventilation and filtration system.

There are 4,800 filters on the Derby farm, which serve as the first line of defense, are changed every year. The rest have a three to five-year life span. This multi-layered ap­­proach helps protect the pigs on the farm from PRRS and PED, deadly swine viruses, as well as other airborne pathogens that pose a risk to herd health.

“The air quality within the facility is incredible,” Doug Bates, ...