Raising pigs is unquestionably about feeding the world a healthy, nutritious source of protein. But it’s so much more than that and a panel of Indiana pig farmers recently shared why they wish more people understood this.
During the Midwest Pork Conference, Indiana Pork’s Jeanette Merritt led a panel with Adam Salsbery of Kokomo, Ind., Jeb Stevens of Osgood, Ind., Tony Howard of Logansport, Ind., and Keith Schoettmer of Tipton, Ind., through a lively discussion about culture, public perception and why they do what they do each day.
What do you wish people knew about pig farming?
Howard: We take pride in what we do – we want to produce a good product, to take care of everything in a humane manner. We are trying to raise our families and feed the community.
Salsbery: Hog producers are good people. So much of our population is removed from ag and don’t know where their food comes from. They think they don’t need us. We could quickly prove them wrong if we wanted to, but we don’t.
Schoettmer: We are not faceless. There are people involved. People have a harder time being critical or scared of you if they talk to you. It’s pretty easy to put the wrong face on a bunch of buildings.
How do you create a culture in your swine operation that keeps employees?
Schoettmer: Producing pigs can’t be the only focus on your farm. We start every day with a prayer and devotion over the team to set the tone. We care about their personal lives and think that’s incredibly important. Raising pigs isn’t the most important thing they’ll do today – it’s very important they do it right – but it’s not the most important thing in their life. That’s why we spend time investing in our employee’s lives. I think this draws people in.
Stevens: My predecessor was a Marine and always said, “You have to lead from the front. If you lead from the desk, it won’t work.” I take that seriously – to be present and available. I try to be in there whenever my crew needs me.
Where do you think it’s important to serve the industry?
Howard: Feeding neighbors and advocating in schools. If you can reach young people and make a connection early in life, that can make a big impact. In 2020, we helped sponsor two food pantry trucks at our local rural school. You don’t realize how much need there is until people start lining up in cars for food.
Salsbery: For a long time, we felt like we were on an island laying low. We tried to be a good neighbor and to us, the results of being a good neighbor were no complaints. We’ve been successful at that – keeping things well maintained, taking care of the roads. Four years ago, I went on a Legislative Action Conference trip to DC – that was my first time to be thrown into advocacy on a bigger level. I learned it’s so important to tell legislators what programs we need and why we need them. I went on that trip to DC again this year and it’s much easier to talk to lawmakers now. You realize they are just people. We need to put a face to our industry. We try to go unnoticed, but the more we go unnoticed, the more likely someone will mis-portray us.
Schoettmer: I think the most important thing is to say yes when opportunities arise. Its easy to let someone else do it. We have to make ourselves say yes. It does take work. But if you don’t do it, someone will do it for you. Perhaps the most meaningful things I have done are in smaller groups, though. I’m a member of Operation Mainstreet, a speaker bureau for the National Pork Board. Visits to Kokomo Rotary Club or Westfield Kiwanis have been important. I think that’s where the influence comes from, answering their questions a little at a time. I also believe in farm tours. It’s a biosecurity risk to parade 30 kids through your farrowing house, but to this day (spanning the past three decades), I still have people say they remember coming to the farm. As a child, it puts the vision in their head of truth and reality of what we are all about. If you want the biggest bang for the buck, kids are impressionable, and they don’t forget it.
What makes you get up and do this job every day?
Salsbery: It’s a very honest way to make a living. I’m glad to do it with family, with people I can rely on and trust. I can go to bed every night and never question if I got paid too much because I know I didn’t.
Schoettmer: It’s a challenge, not knowing what each day will look like. When people ask me what I’m going to do, I often respond, “I don’t know.” It sounds like I’m not doing anything, but no, I don’t always know what’s going to happen that day. It’s the responsiveness of how the pigs can respond to minor management tweaks. I like that challenge of making things a bit better.
Stevens: Feeding the world one pig at a time. I genuinely enjoy where God put me.
More from Midwest Pork Conference:
Legacy Means Different Things To Different People: Pig Farmers Respond
Food Price Inflation: Not Unprecedented but Definitely Unusual
