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Kevin Kurbis

Kevin began his career in the Hog and Poultry industries in 1997, where he specialized in service and installation. In 2003, he started his own company providing sales and service of hog and poultry equipment. In 2007 he joined New Standard and currently manages the Manitoba branch of New Standard which services Manitoba to the Canadian east coast. Kevin has been involved with ESF and loose sow housing since 2001, and has worked with producers across Canada, US, Europe, and Australia.

Recent Posts

Small Hog Barn Project with Big Impact

03.23.2022

I was contacted a while ago by someone from the NCFAD, which if you are like me, you can be forgiven for not having a hot clue what that is. So I asked, and was told that The National Center for Foreign Animal Disease is part of CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and is located in the Canadian Science Center for Human and Animal Health which also houses the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, MB. That should be enough governmental alphabet soup to make anyone turn and run the other way, but I decided that I would at least hear them out on what they required from me. 

Greenwald: Sow Stall Barn to Loose Housing Remodel

10.01.2021

New Standard Ag took on a renovation project located at Greenwald Colony, in Brokenhead, Manitoba, Canada.  The renovations started in early January 2020. Before renovations, it was servicing 1200 head of sow. The crew and the client worked to get the barn fully empty in March. Renovations were completed and filled with sows at the beginning of August 2021. This was a great example of the fine eye for detail, taking advantage of space, and utilizing the whole facility to its full potential.

Now I can Laugh About It

08.30.2019

After over 20 years working in this industry, I thought I had seen and heard it all. However, a situation came up the other day that reminded me that, ridiculous things will always continue to happen, and they can still surprise me. It got me thinking about all the weird/stupid things that I have experienced, which propelled me to discuss them.

Here are some stories of what I have seen. Although, at the time, none of this seemed funny, I can laugh about it now. Hopefully you find some humor in these as well. If you are reading this, and happen to realize that the story is about you, please don’t be offended. We’re all guilty at some point.

Take Time to Stop and Smell the Pig Sh*t

08.19.2019

One of the best things about traveling, as I do for work, is getting to see all the soft shoulders, amazing curves, and lush bush...

I’m just talking about being on the Manitoba roads.

Where were you going with that?

On a serious note, how often do we take the time to appreciate the great things that are all around us?

While we are on the topic, have we taken a step to realize how the hog industry plays a big factor in all of it? Curious? Let me try to explain. 

Bacon selling on my Chest

07.31.2019

 

I take great pride in working in the pork industry, and have always tried to be a good ambassador to the general public. I find there are a lot of “myth-conceptions” about how pork is raised. As well as, some extremely wrong “facts” about the health factors associated with consuming meat.

Since changing the world is a daunting task, a few years ago I decided to try to change just one person at a time. Someone I have great respect for once told me to, “be an army of one”. I took that advice and ran with it. 

 

The Curse of the Nibbler

07.09.2019

So although the title of this blog may make you think of an cheap 80’s movie or one of those extremely unbelievable urban legends that were spread in the early days of email, we assure you that we are going to cover a serious topic. But as with so many things in life, it doesn’t hurt to also be able to see the humorous side of an issue. So let me set the scene for you:

The Last 10 Years: Reflection Piece

04.25.2019

When I was asked to write an article reflecting on recent advancements in the pork production industry, I was first forced to evaluate where we were ten years ago. That was a reasonably straightforward exercise for me, as my son is currently ten years old—but where were we as an industry? Here are a few things that came to mind. They help explain the advancements in both the pork industry and our daily lives.

Converting a Stall Barn to a Group Sow Housing Barn at Pembina Colony

07.16.2018

We often get asked to talk through the process of taking a stall barn and converting it to a loose housing barn, and for good reason! The process seems daunting, but in reality it is pretty painless if you plan ahead. Every barn conversion is different due to a number of factors including barn size, current and desired barn operations, temporary housing options, and a number of other factors. Providing a general outline of the conversion process is helpful, but we decided we could paint a clearer picture if we walked you through a recent conversion. 

Don’t Forget About the Little Guy

01.09.2018

I know we spend a lot of time sharing information about the care and housing of sows; so much so that sometimes we may appear to lose sight of the bigger picture. Which in this case is actually the little picture. If great care for the sows is important, and increased production is the result, then it stands to reason that once you have done all of that you also need to focus on what you’re going to with all those little piglets.

It doesn’t matter if you are an ISO-wean barn selling your piglets or are responsible for feeding them to market, the job just gets started once they are born. So let’s look at a few things that can be done to ensure that the little guy has the best chance possible.

Lessons Learned: How Managing Loose Sow Housing Is Like Being a Father and a Husband

10.30.2017


We often find overlap between our work life and our personal life. For us, and maybe for you, we see lots of connections between managing pigs on the farm and everyday life. We recently posted an article on how sows are like our in-laws, and it got me thinking about another connection I see every day - how being a good father and a good husband relates directly to successfully managing loose sow housing.

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