8 minute read
An American Dream
An American Dream
A diamond of care, technology, outreach and excellence define Brenneman Pork
By Ann Foster Thelen
There is a well-known saying among farmers, “Despite all our achievements, we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.” It’s a statement that profoundly resonates with Erin Brenneman, whose family raises pigs and grows corn and soybeans in eastern Iowa.
Situated amid the rolling hills of Washington County, where lush farm fields and open skies seem to extend to eternity, Brenneman Pork is a testament to how hard work and perseverance can bring the American dream to life.
“My father-in-law Rob always says everything we do comes down to the soil,” Erin explains. “In our operation, the grains we feed our pigs start in the soil. The more we care for the soil, the better everything will be throughout our operation.”
Rob (pictured) and Char Brenneman frequently welcome groups to their farm to learn about modern pig production.
Do One Thing and Do it Better than Everyone
On these precious soils, Rob and Char Brenneman have built one of the largest family-owned swine operations in the U.S. And they’ve done so in a manner that has earned awards for exceptional animal care, environmental protection and community involvement.
It’s an approach and philosophy the couple embodied from the day they bought the farm in 1980, the same year they married. When the farm crisis was ravaging Midwestern farms, Rob and Char set out to pursue their dream, starting with 150 sows (female pigs).
“Every day, we got up and said to ourselves, ‘We can do even better today,’” Rob says. “It was the Orville Redenbacher approach of doing one thing and doing it better than everyone else.”
Redenbacher was an American food scientist and businessman most often associated with the brand of popcorn that bears his name. The New York Times described him as “the agricultural visionary who all but single-handedly revolutionized the American popcorn industry.”
For Rob and Char, that “one thing” was raising pigs. Four decades later, the mantra has retained its vigor as the couple’s four children and spouses, along with grandchildren, are involved in the 40,000-sow and soybean and corn farming operation. Brenneman Pork works hard to produce the highest quality pork products for its consumers and promote the pork industry.
The Brennemans never waver from their focus on raising quality pork efficiently, humanely and responsibly while continuously seeking and refining processes to drive improvement.
Erin and Tim Brenneman with their sons TJ (left) and Peyton.
City Life to Farm Life
For those who follow Brenneman Pork on social media, the posts are curated by – and often feature –Erin, who met Rob and Char’s son Tim while in college at Iowa State University. A native of Chicago, Erin moved to the farm when she married Tim. From the outset, she took on the unofficial role of public relations ambassador for Brenneman Pork, helping to foster an authentic understanding of a farming operation.
“I didn’t have an agricultural background, and when I came here and met all the wonderful people, it created a spark to share more information,” Erin explains. “I was passionate about ‘opening the doors’ to the farm and feeding people’s curiosity.”
Her educational videos and photos often showcase baby pigs, also her area of specialty on the farm. Everyone who works on the farm has specific roles and responsibilities, allowing individuals to thrive and do their best.
“We have 700-900 piglets born every day at each of our four farms, so comfort is incredibly important to our livestock,” Erin says, whose work entails caring for piglets during their first three days of life. “When a 2-pound baby piglet is born to a 500-pound mom, we need to accommodate both animals living together, especially when their temperature needs differ.”
Pigs, like people, need to maintain a consistent core body temperature. As soon as pigs are born at the Brenneman operation, every single one is dried with a towel and a talcbased drying powder. Pigs aren’t born according to any set schedule, so the staff works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep the animal care processes running smoothly.
In the farming operation, Erin Brenneman focuses her efforts on caring for piglets during their first three days of life.
Maintaining temperature is critical. Even in the late fall or early winter months, it can be warm during the day but cold at night. Heat lamps on microzones adjust to the variances in temperature by automatically raising and lowering and auto-dimming as the sensors detect temperature.
“Our barns stay 72-73 degrees all year,” Erin adds. “In the summer, we use evaporative cooling and fans are always running. Keeping our pigs cool through the hot, humid spells of summer and warm during the winter months improves growth, reproductive health and meat quality.”
After those three days in the piglet nursery, care moves on to another person specializing in the next stage of development. This way, the Brennemans feel people can truly own their jobs and do what they love. It’s all about being the best at a particular role.
Bringing People to the Farm
In addition to using social media, Brenneman Pork is passionate about bringing people to the farm.
“We live right here on the farm, and I think that’s important for consumers to see and observe how much we care. It’s fun to watch kids get excited about the farm and learn that a farm depends on dozens of different careers to thrive,” Erin explains. “We strive to provide youth education and support, so the next generation is eager to embrace agriculture and farming.”
Local schools bring students and groups, like the Florida FFA state officers, to visit every year. Iowa’s governors, senators and representatives have visited, as well as food bloggers, consumers, nutritionists and chefs.
Recently, an observation area was built in one of the new farm buildings, offering an up-close look at the pigs without creating any biosecurity risks to the health of the livestock.
“During the tours, I can be inside a gestation and farrowing area – with the mother pig and piglet – and on a headset explaining to everybody in the room what’s happening,” Erin shares. “It’s another step of visibility for consumers that we’re excited to offer at this new part of the farm.”
The Brennemans are passionate about bringing people to the farm. From adults to kids, the tours showcase the many roles people play in an agricultural operation.
Technology at Work
Some of the most innovative technology is often found on the farm, including precision feeding for sows. With feed accounting for 90% of the cost of raising a pig, it’s an opportunity to gain both cost and environmental efficiencies.
Each sow has a radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tag, so the computer knows exactly who she is when she walks up to the feeder. In simple terms, the RFID tag is scanned and provides the allotted amount of food for the day. The more times the sow comes to the feeder, the more precise the data.
“It knows who she is, where she is in gestation or lactation, and how many days she’s been in that stage,” Erin explains. “We can tell how much she’s eaten today and gauge if she requires more feed.”
If more feed is needed, a blended diet for the different age of the sow can be provided. This way, it takes less feed to achieve the same nutrient profile. Feed waste is also reduced, which cuts down the amounts of inputs, such as crops and fertilizer, water and other components needed to create high-quality feed. It’s all part of an important sustainability effort embraced by the Brennemans.
Tim and Erin Brenneman built a baseball field on their farm as a way to give back to the community. Many local youth teams play and practice on the field, aptly named the Pig Pen Park.
The Family's “Pig Pen Park” Becomes a Community Asset
Baseball is America’s pastime and something both Tim and Erin love. It’s only fitting that in the heart of America, on the family farm, another generation’s dream came to fruition.
“Tim and I were thinking of ways we could give back to our community and had the idea to build a baseball field on the farm,” Erin says. “We wanted to give people the chance to enjoy a unique place to watch a ball game.”
Nestled right by the feed mill and against the backdrop of the family’s new sow farm, the thrill of hits and strikes are only secondary to the endless entertainment and memories a diamond in the country provides.
Many local youth teams play and practice on the field, aptly named the Pig Pen Park. Sometimes, if area teams need help finding a field to practice on, they will call Tim or Erin. Or a team may want something unique to do with their kids. On the Fourth of July, a family baseball game is played, followed by “The Sandlot” playing on a big screen out on the baseball field and fireworks capping off an iconic experience.
“There’s a nostalgia with baseball that parallels the American farmer,” Erin says. “It has a rich history and is a national pastime. And like old things that are modeled into new ways, the homage and history of the game, just like farming, is always there.”
