So last fall, Gopher Nation moved to North Iowa Boar Stud (NIBS) in Riceville, Iowa, and resides there with other studs, such as Freak on The Loose, Fast Lane, Maverick and Day Tripper. There, Gopher Nation’s semen is collected and sold for $30 a vial or $70 to breed a sow, said Bill Owen, who owns NIBS with his wife, Karen.
Placing a boar to stud marked a resurgence for the U of M swine unit. The unit’s barn was built in 1982 and was used mainly for research. At its height, it housed about 100 sows.