Purdue News
Purdue News
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December 15, 2003 Singleton receives Hovde Award for service to Hoosier farmersWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue University professor was recently honored for his efforts to make Hoosier livestock farms more profitable. Wayne Singleton, a Purdue University Extension specialist in breeding herd management, received the Frederick L. Hovde Award for Excellence in Educational Service to the Rural People of Indiana. The award was announced during the two-day Indiana Farm Bureau Convention on Dec. 11-12. "Indiana Farm Bureau and Purdue have a long history of working together for the benefit of Indiana agriculture," said Don Villwock, president of Indiana Farm Bureau. "We are proud to sponsor this award to recognize one of Indiana's outstanding agriculturalists." During his 33 years at Purdue, Singleton has worked to improve reproductive efficiency in swine- and cattle-breeding herds. He was a pioneer in the successful use of artificial insemination in swine, which allowed the extended use of superior sires and significantly improved the quality of market swine. Since 1990 the use of artificial insemination in the U.S. pork industry has increased from less than 5 percent to more than 80 percent in swine-breeding herds. Singleton helped promote the practice through teaching techniques and training sessions. He developed a television series, "Improving Swine Production Efficiency," on swine production management that was broadcast throughout the United States. He also developed interactive distance-education courses disseminated around the state. Singleton also trains swine breeders through farm visits and events such as Purdue's Junior Pork Day, Purdue Swine Day and Indiana Pork Producers events. "We're a fourth-generation farm and raise 14,000 hogs per year," said Rick Ward of Ward Farms Inc., located near Crawfordsville, Ind. "We've known Dr. Singleton for over 30 years. In that time he has made numerous trips to our farm, as well as meeting with us at Purdue to help improve the reproductive performance of our sow herd. With his help we have increased our pigs born alive from 10.2 pigs per litter to 13.4 pigs per litter and decreased our non-productive sow days by 32 days. He's also given hands-on training for our employees concerning proper techniques." The award, which is sponsored by the Indiana Farm Bureau, honors Hovde's demand for excellence in research, teaching and service and has been presented annually since 1972. Hovde served as Purdue president from 1946 until his retirement in 1971. Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu Source: Wayne Singleton, (765) 494-4839, wsinglet@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu
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