Dan Rodas, Spencer, S.D.; Lenny Wipf, Lakeview Colony, Lake Andes; S.D.; and Bruce Burkhart, Dell Rapids, S.D., are the 2017 Master Pork Producers. Each of the award winners has turned in some pretty impressive pork production numbers. Their keys are teamwork, attention to detail and great protocols on how to care for pigs.

Rodas has top producing barns
Rodas started with Pipestone System in 2002. He was the first in the Pipestone System to average 12 pigs weaned per litter. He has one of best producing barns in Pipestone System, weaning 35.78 pigs per sow per year. Currently he and his team of 18 people wean pigs at 19 days of age, but Rodas plans to build more farrowing rooms and wean at 24 days of age to help the pigs get off to a stronger start at weaning.

The feed for the farm comes from Central Farmers in Montrose, S.D. They utilize DNA Genetics, and are the highest producing farm in the DNA system. To protect the health of the animals, they follow a strict biosecurity plan, and replacement gilts are brought to the farm at weaning.

Rodas believes that great protocols are essential to their success, and he also gives a lot of credit to veterinarians Luke Minion, Scott VanderPoel and Emily McDowell and consultant Jared Hemelstrand,

Wipf focuses on natural brand
Wipf has been the swine manager at Lakeview Colony since 2012. He’s in charge of a 1,000-sow, farrow-to-finish operation. There are 1,000 sows, 3,500 nursery pigs and 3,000 finishing pigs on-site. They have three 1,000-head finishing barns and one 2,400-head wean-to-finish barn off-site.

Four people work with Wipf on-site, and one person oversees the offsite barns and the feed mill.

Lakeview Colony is part of the Natural Foods’ antibiotic-free production program. Natural Foods is based in Sioux Center, Iowa. Wipf doesn’t use antibiotics or animal-based feed ingredients in the rations.  He breeds sows in crates and then moves them to gestation pens. He turns farrowing crates into pens three days after farrowing.

Sioux Nation veterinarians Rob Fisher and Jon Ertel consult with Wipf on sow nutrition and animal health.

Lakeview Colony has a 29 pig per sow per year average.

Burkhart convinces county officials
Burkhart started his career with a farrow-to-finish operation. In 1998, he built a 2,000-head, naturally ventilated finishing barn. It took seven meetings with Minnehaha County officials before they approved his permit, but Burkhart approached the situation as an opportunity to teach local officials about modern pork production. Apparently he was successful, because when he applied for a permit to build a second 2,000-head mechanically ventilated finishing barn in 2008, it was approved the first meeting.

In 2012, he joined the Pipestone System. Today, he finishes pigs, marketing about 8,000 head annually.

In 2017, the pigs in his barns had a 1.58 pound average daily gain, a 2.53 feed efficiency and a 4.79% wean-to-finish mortality rate.

Lenny Stahl., a long-time employee; and Burkhart’s sons, Jase, and Brandon, help him with the pigs and the farming. Pipestone System’s Kim Morgan and Mike Vanden are two of Burkhart’s key advisors.

Jeri Westra receives Honorary Master Pork Producer award
Jeri Westra, Lennox, S.D., received the 2017 South Dakota Honorary Master Pork Producers Award.

Westra is the director of procurement for Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, S.D. The plant slaughters and processes approximately 19,500 pigs per day, and more than 5.5 million pigs each year.

Westra is a long-time hog buyer. He grew up on diversified livestock operation in southeast South Dakota and graduated from South Dakota State University. Before joining Smithfield, he worked with Iowa Beef Producers, Cloughtery Pack, Siman Commission Company at the Sioux Falls Stockyards and John Morrell & Co.

Westra is the Lincoln County, S.D., 4-H swine superintendent and has served for many years on multiple committees of the Sioux Empire Farm Show. He is instrumental in purchasing the current State Fair 4-H Swine Show hogs. Westra and his team individually tattoo and weigh more than 500 4-H pigs and write checks to the 4-H youth who show them.

Westra directs Smithfield Foods’ donations to the swine industry. Smithfield Foods donates the pork served at the South Dakota Pork Producers’ annual banquet. It also donates all the pork used at the SDSU Pork Classic basketball games and 20 pork bundles that are auctioned during the event to raise money for scholarships for SDSU students pursuing a career in some facet of pork production.

Source: South Dakota Pork Producers Council